Historically, pastoralists have been marginalized, and policies have been geared towards encouraging, and in some instances forcing, their settlement and sedentarization. Misunderstanding of their livelihoods has also led to abandonment of their customary institutions and practices. However, scientific evidence shows that mobile pastoralism is the most sustainable way of using marginal lands (such as arid, cold and mountain areas). The project goal was “to develop sustainable land management and resilient livelihoods in rangeland environments”. The objective of the project was to develop knowledge and build capacity for pastoral advocacy, create opportunity for pastoral advocacy and engage directly in policy dialogue, in order to promote policies and investments for sustainable management of rangeland environments and pastoral livelihoods. A significant aspect of the project was strengthening networking and building a global movement on sustainable pastoralism; this relied on the credibility and recognition of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a science-based intergovernmental organization. This project supported the World Initiative for Sustainable Pastoralism (WISP), a global initiative empowering pastoralists to sustainably manage their dryland resources. As a global knowledge and advocacy network, WISP was established to enable pastoralists to demonstrate that their land use and production system is an efficient way of harnessing the natural resources of the world’s drylands. Details of the WISP strategy can be found online and details of the results of this programme can be found in the publication The Green Quarter (see: www.iucn.org/wisp).