Are traditions and culture important compared to endangered species?

Julie Brooks-Girskiene

Nature and the fate of endangered animals is obviously important to everyone here, and to the world in general.

But preserving traditions and indigenous cultures is also seen by many people as incredibly important.

In some parts of the world, animal species that are endangered are hunted, and they have been for thousands of years, because they are used to make traditional tools, shelter, clothing, or are believed to have medicinal properties.

In these cases, should those local culture and traditions be respected or should it be made illegal worldwide to hunt and consume any endangered animals?

Piri

Do you have some specific example? Like hunting in some areas in remote Alaska is the way how you get food and you use every part of the animal. Local indigenous and some remote indigenous peoples like in Columbia or Brasil that we found out recently that they exist they used to keep the balance in the nature because they respect it.

In my opinion any unique indigenous community or some specific tradition was not a threat to the planet.

But insane "development' project do, and they do harm the unique traditions and communities. We may not understand their traditions, way or needs, but we do harm them and they still respects and have the connection with nature… we should not just pretend we bring them the development, but learn from their knowledge and skills. One of the restoring the forest.

And eating Dolphins is not a tradition is Japan.

Well maybe I am just judgemental today…

John

Skylar Some times tradition and culture can be changed or updated if they cause real irreversible damage.

I think that this is complicated and dangerous territory ethically.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but it has to end up with the question of who gets to choose what is and what isn't sacred or acceptable.

Lots of religions have beliefs and practices that other people would say cause real and irreversible damage. If they are untouchable and protected because they are religious beliefs then why shouldn't other cultural beliefs be treated the same way

Piri And eating Dolphins is not a tradition is Japan.

It's one of those things that most people just assume it's a really old custom, but isn't at all. There are lots of them around the world, festivals or events or practices that seem like they should be ancient but are not.

A similar ethical question come again though, how long does something need to have existed for to qualify as a tradition with protecting, as long as someone believes in it.

Oh, and to be clear. I'm not advocating for eating dolphin, especially with the incredibly cruel way that they are hunted in Japan.

Skylar

Some times tradition and culture can be changed or updated if they cause real irreversible damage. We learn and grow and know things now that we did not a hundred or a thousand years ago, we do not have to keep the same ideas and believe in the same things as we used to when we know more.

Skylar

John Lots of religions have beliefs and practices that other people would say cause real and irreversible damage. If they are untouchable and protected because they are religious beliefs then why shouldn't other cultural beliefs be treated the same way

Yes but maybe the religious ones should not be protected either. People can cause a lot of unneeded suffering to others and say it is because of a religious belief.

I am Ashlynn

John It's one of those things that most people just assume it's a really old custom, but isn't at all. There are lots of them around the world, festivals or events or practices that seem like they should be ancient but are not.

LIke yoga, or at least the way that people in Europe and America practice and teach it, that is really modern.

Or different toys for boys and girls, pink and blue toys that are aimed at different genders only comes from the last 50 years.

Ash

It's a tough one, really isn't it. Because I think it's extremely important to protect endangered species but it should not mean that people in certain countries should suffer because of these protections. As mentioned above, there are some people that have to hunt some endangered species because they don't really have any other options.

gekke-martin

Tradition is important for all peoples but they can be updated to new and not harmful ways.

Female circumcision is tradition in some places but is cruel and dangerous and damages lives, so should we keep just for tradition? Of course no.

In some countries taking supplements for different reasons made from endangered animal parts is tradition but it is shown by science not to do anything good for people and leaves dead or damaged animals, so should we keep just for tradition? No.

Respect what has come before and believe in things that do no harm. Keep traditions but update them if they are dangerous to other people or to the nature.

Julie Brooks-Girskiene

gekke-martin Female circumcision is tradition in some places but is cruel and dangerous and damages lives, so should we keep just for tradition? Of course no.

That's quite an extreme example but a good one, it's a horrible and cruel practice that has no actual medical benefits or real reason, and it should be stopped.

It is a bit more complicated when there is a more religious belief part though, like people who deny their children medical treatment or blood transfusions that could save their lives or help with pain and suffering because it is against what they believe is the will of God.

Who has the right to say whether those people are right or wrong?

Note: They are completely wrong in my opinion

gekke-martin

Julie Brooks-Girskiene Note: They are completely wrong in my opinion

And in my opinion as well Julie, but I take your point

Piri

Julie Brooks-Girskiene Who has the right to say whether those people are right or wrong?

That's the point. Even we disagree with many of different traditions, I don't think that anyone has right to go to some communities and say stop doing it or you are wrong you need to do different.

Quite often the message is development, improvement, but in the end in many cases is distraction.

I am definitely support human rights, ethics, security, scientific point of view in health care, equally, but…

Who has the right to deside, judge, say it is wrong or right…. It is a very sensitive topic..

Julie Brooks-Girskiene

Piri

It is, and it is the reason that ethics is such a difficult subject.

You could also argue (and a lot of big companies do) that it is wrong to stop drilling for oil because it is good for an economy, or because people who have jobs that depend on it, or because we don't have the right to dictate what others do.

The question is where the line is, where do we decide what the majority have the right to rule on and what is special or excluded.

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