Multi-species relations : sled dogs and mushers
<p>After a succesful experience on the pathes to <strong><em>Compostella</em></strong>, my son Mehdi-Benjamin came back deeply transformed ! Maturity, tolerance, sense of responsabilites... He began to find out who he actually was...</p>
<p>He finally knew what he wanted to make of his own future : becoming an <strong><em>anthropologist</em></strong> !</p>
<p>Now that he works on his <strong><em>mastery work (</em></strong>university memoir), his choices went for the interspecies relationships and, more particularly, the relationship which builds up through time between dogs, and their musher.</p>
<p>In order to realize his project, Mehdi went to Québec (Université Laval) ans most notably met musher Maxime Leclerc, active on the <strong>C</strong><strong>anine Ranch Manitou</strong> (Saint-Thècle).</p>
<p><strong><em>The originality of his project is to work with the dogs in order to deeply understand their relation with Man... through the animal’s eyes.</em></strong></p>
<h3><strong>Where and when ?</strong></h3>
<p> <strong><em>His research will begin this december 2019 </em></strong>and during the whole winter season at S<strong><em>aint-Thècle (Mauricie; Québec) </em></strong>with other well-skilled <strong><em>mushers </em></strong>like Maxim, from the Canine Ranch “Manitou”...</p>
<h3> <strong>How ?</strong></h3>
<p>Mehdi-Benjamin is clearly conscious of his project’ harshness and therefore chose a methodology settled on the <strong>observation </strong>and <strong>active</strong> <strong>participation in which he will </strong>adopt (and adapt) the behavior of the « privileged idiot » (Piers Locke, 2017).</p>
<p> This behavior will permit him <strong><em>developing his own relationship, emotionaly but also physically, with the dogs </em></strong>through numerous<strong><em> daily and inter-specific </em></strong><strong><em>activities</em></strong>,</p>
<p>This, in order to better understand the original link between the dogs and their mushers.</p>
<p><strong>Photographs, films</strong> (remote camera fixed on the dog’s head, for instance), <strong>exchanges</strong> with mushers, ... That, will complement the subject to analyze, and exploit this material</p>
<h3> <strong>Why?</strong></h3>
<p> The objective is to realize a written analysis which should be consequent, rich, and innovating enough to open up the doors to a post-graduate work.</p>
<p>That, through the better understanding of inter-species relationships, with the aim to better the animal’s well-being facing human beings :</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/630155/ranch-canin-manitou-1573298734.jpg" width="100%" /><img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/632082/Mehdi-1573987933.jpg" width="100%" /></p>
<h2><strong>The fund raising</strong></h2>
<p>This ambitious project, though quite impassionated, needs lots of resources: time, but also a challenging material. Books, updated and technically fit audio-visuals, ways of moving easily... Quite a financial challenge alltogether.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>The raised money is simply a thumb-up, a little help, for young Mehdi-Benjamin to keep going ahead !</em></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<h3><strong><em>1. Travel costs</em></strong></h3>
<p><strong><em>A suitable vehicle is compulsory and also fuelled</em></strong><strong><em> enough in gasoline, car’s maintenance,winter tyres, insurance, </em></strong>... (<strong>60 $ CAD/each and every return trip)</strong>.</p>
<p>The Research field (Canine Ranch Manitou, notably) is only reachable with a car (about 120 miles from the UN. Campus, without any possibility to live on site). Mehdi-Benjamin will have to go there and back 2 to 3 times a week, undepending from the weather.</p>
<h3><strong><em>2. Up-tight photo material</em></strong></h3>
<p>Mehdi possesses an already top-notch photo material but lacks a more powerful and updated <strong><em>zoom </em></strong>(<strong>+- 200 $ CAD</strong>)</p>
<p>This audiovisual material must be competitiveto obtain relevant analyse pertinent elements : sound quality, image, quality of broadcast, all things compulsory for a top-notch university research.</p>
<h3><strong><em>3. Books</em></strong></h3>
<p>Books and readings from anthropologists, biologists,well-known philosophers as others less exposed ones, but also relevant <strong>( 200 $ CAD min)</strong></p>
<h3><strong><em>4. Other expenses</em></strong></h3>
<p>Let apart the 8% (5 % commission in favour of the KisskissBankBank + 3 % de bank expenses), Mehdi-Benjamin is building up a capital which will help him concentrate on his research, which is capital, of course.</p>
<p><strong><em>If you think that, therefore, the budget needed will be useful to face these expenses</em>, please feel free to help a young man realizing his useful dreams</strong></p>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/632083/72462444_2275854502543783_2707920332588580864_n-1573987989.jpg" width="100%" /></h2>
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