Madagascar is burning!

My boss, John, has made the unfortunate and heartbreaking comment a few times in the past month, “Madagascar is on fire.” In other parts of the world bush fires are accidental and people institute no burning laws in certain areas and seasons, but it is quite the opposite here. From the north of Madagascar all the way to the south remnants of bush fires, scorched villages, and blacken vegetation cannot be hidden. Hillsides are spotted with the orange blaze by night and the air is littered with smoke by day. Thankfully in this region we have been receiving rain so the fires have ceased. However, that does not mask the scars the landscape bares from its lost fight of recent days. It is ironic that the very people who are igniting the blaze are self-destructing and suffer from destroyed homes and villages swallowed by the non-prejudice inferno. Madagascar is on fire for two reasons: slash and burn agriculture and political unrest.

Slash and burn is an ancient practice that is believed to restore nutrients to the soil which is done in preparation for planting season. In addition, people burn in an effort to get rid of useless vegetation which then allows tender shoots to grow providing food for zebu cows, Madagascar’s most esteemed meat industry. Regardless, the few benefits this has for farmers and cattle herders is far outweighed by the long-term detrimental effects on the environment, not to mention the immediate loss of capital such as a persons house. The educated Malagasy have termed this an “unfortunate act.”

The political situation in Madagascar has been unstable for the past few years. The last president was one of the best this country has ever had, despite his semi-corrupt tendencies and not-so-faithful posse. He was actually on the path to fulfilling his promises and Madagascar saw significant development for the first time. Eventually his cabinet switched their allegiance and financial support to a constitutionally under-age firecracker who by profession is a musical DJ. As a result, a coup arose and the previous president has sought asylum in South Africa. Madagascar has been functioning under a coup government for almost a year now. It is not an internationally recognized governing body and many international dignitaries have pulled out and with them their representing governmental support, including the US Ambassador. USAID, as an agency of the United States government who is funding our ADRA project, is not allowed to fund development projects in countries that are not internationally recognized in an effort to tactically encourage legal governance; therefore, they are only funding projects masked as relief or Title II projects (food security) limiting the kind of projects that can be done here. As a general rule the Malagasy are quite passive, however that mood is changing and word on the street is the worst is yet to come. The people and this land are groaning and it shows. Madagascar is an environmental hotspot, due to their rare and indigenous animal and plant species, and the Malagasy are destroying it in demonstration of their political dissatisfaction as well as to raise international awareness of their suffering.

November 17 is the election of a new constitution. Everyday you see more and more posters plastered around town and people walking around with 'ENY' t-shirts declaring the upcoming event. My personal favorite is the pick-up with about five speakers tethered in the truck bed rigged to a car battery and sound system driving around town all day obnoxiously blaring messages in Malagasy from the government. Despite the governments efforts the Malagasy are feeling hopeless, as this is the umpteenth time for constitutional reformation and no end of governmental corruption in sight. The next few weeks and months are pivotal times for Madagascar but unless change is seen and felt the land will continue to smolder and the hearts of the Malagasy with it as the cries of both continue to go unheard.