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12/1/1997 - Individualism: The Downfall of Madagascar by John B. Robinson

Individualism The Downfall Madagascar ANTSIRANANA Madagascar December ByJohn B Robinson Since theMalagasypolitical eliterecoveredtheindependence oftheircountryin Madagascarhasgraduallybecomeoneoftheten poorestnationsonearth proportionally moreofits citizens ofmalnutrition disease andignorancethanalmostanywhereelse onthe planet Therehavebeenno fourchanges ofgovernment massive influx ofaidandtechnical assistancefrom countrieswith diverseideological positions asFrance England NorthKorea CommunistChina theex USSRandtheUnitedStates Theonlywaytoexplainthecurrentcatastrophe istounderstandMalagasyculture For itisMalagasyculture theMalagasywayofperceivingtheworldandreactingto isresponsible forthe present state affairs There national identifiable Malagasy culture All eighteen tribes together defined space surrounded impassable barrier Indian ocean All repre sentedinandpolicedbyarecognizablecentralauthority allworshiptheirancestors strict taboos guidebehaviorand tribesspeaklanguagesrooted thesame guistic structure These common cultural characteristics transcend specific tribe living conditionsonthis island believethatMalagasyindividualism isthecauseofMadagascar spermanentchaos unending poverty The physical isolation ofMadagascar planet important factor culturally created individualism which fierce islaidtowastebeforetheindividualdriveforpower linkedtowealth fertilityandan cestral glorification As individuals class group always petitionwitheach other progress possibleonlyalongfamilylines notcommunityones The result chronicunderdevelopment national level THEFORCESTHATCREATE SHAPEANDPRESERVEINDIVIDUALISM Three interrelated forcesworkto create preserve Malagasy individualism They PhysicalIsolation TheCultofAncestry TheCasteSystem Phys Isolation Madagascar sphysicallocationhasdeterminedallitshistory Eversince itseparated fromAfrica200millionyearsago thetreacherouswatersoftheMozambiqueChannel havecutoffnearly allplant animalandhumancommunicationfromthemotherconti Theisland floraandfaunadeveloped peacefully absence oflarge predators venomous snakes When mankind reach shores island about years numerous immigrants canoes launched Indone Thosewho survived voyage never returned their place origin quantifiablenumbers ContactwithAfrica onlytwohundredand fiftymilesaway remained sporadic limited scope millennium The result island soddpositionoffthesoutheastcoastofAfricaisthat ithasneithernaturalenemies nortrading partners It impossibleto overestimate effect ofphysical isolationonthe islandandits habitants Unlike island cultures turned outward themselves fightin sailors ofthe British Empire slave trading Sultans ofZanzibar Mala gasylookinward tothemselvesandtowardtheinterioroftheirisland Itislogical thatthenationalcapitalofMadagascar ismaroonedonsevenhillssetinthegeographic centeroftheisland andthe largest ismerely agatewayto riches Themostimportanttopographical featureofMadagascaris immense plateau length spine Those plateau known Highlanders thosewholiveofftheplateauareknownquitesimply asCtiers coastalpeople Theconstantfightforpolitical spiritual commercial powerbetween Highlanders Ctiers divided island competingcamps since anyonenowalivecanremember Theresultofthiscompetition Malagasy isolated world large largelyfromeach other The physical separation island other andone village another leadsmetowonderifthe Malagasy profoundly olated individuals Even small villages where everybody knows other extremely indifference toward oneanotherwhen itinvolvesacommunityissuesuchas clean water health education startling Well digging projects orhealth dispensaries often collapsebecausevillagers areunabletoworkinunison whichmustlead feelings sentment frustrationandloneliness Themostdramaticeffectthatphysicalandcultural isolation hashadontheMalagasyasanation istheirinability torespond tooutsideemergenciessuchasinvasion worldwaror epidem TheMalagasyareincapable ofacceptingeitherpositive lutions negative penalties toward development If bravenewideadoesnotrisefromwithintheculture itself isnotfullyunderstoodby alltheMalagasyinvolved cacyhas limitedpoweranda short duration TheAncestral Cult TheMalagasydonotjustworship their ancestors theylive withthem Acornerofthehouse iskeptsacred offeringsare JBR given every expensive ceremonies performed quentlytoappeasetheir spiritsandpowerfultaboosarepassed generation generation The introduction Christian Islam Buddhism changed ancestors significantwaybecause ancestors ingrained ofthe culture religious belief The important thing Malagasy maintain positionin relation ancestors Thegreatworryof ayoungman todobetterthanhis father whichwouldbe shameful andbringdown wrath ancestors And ancestors arealways present andpunish thetransgression theirlaws themselves personal initiativemustbe fully considered It always safer nothing something This cultural abhorrence initiative translates veryobvious trait TheMalagasyareincapableofmakinga cleardemand hence ancient Greeks theyvalue great oratorsabove othermen Agreat orator isonewhouses ornate language drawn conversation around heart issue without causing offense In highly ritualistic culturally crucial kabary forum discuss important events issues alldayintheblazing thechieforatorwillspendabout thirdofhistimeexcusinghimselfbeforetheancestors forthe impertinence ofthe thingshe isaboutto The ancestors Malagasy thought welldocumentedinhundredsofbooksand articleswritten across centuries The catastrophic results ancestors injunctions however arethemoderndisasterthatnowcon cerns people outside Madagascar Traditional slash agriculture iswipingoutthelastbiologicallyimportantforest reservesonthe island Inthose areaswherethe foresthaslong since disappeared planting using traditional methods producingever loweryieldsdueto ancestralresistancetonew methods Stunted malnourished children ruralcommunitieswheretaboos preventwomenfrombreast feedinglongenoughorevenva ryingtheirhouseholdmenusto accommodate needs growing infant The choice tweenbuyingforeignmedicineandlettinga parent siblingor childjointhe ancestors frequentlyleadstoa great funeral feast Andthetombsthemselves whicharetheprideofanyclan itovertheinadequate ofthe living TheworstthingthatcanhappentoanyMalagasypersonis family This happenby marryingincorrectly breakinga stricttaboo orcommittingan unforgivable crime murder incest Between centand80percent person slifetimeearnings arespenton thesupport ofthe ancestors andtheMalagasyliveanddie ancestralbenediction TheCasteSystem Although65yearsofcolonialismdestroyedthe legalpower ofthecastesystem itsechostillresoundsinMadagascartoday Thefeudalcastesystemputsindividualsofthesamecasteand generation permanent competition other Every tribe system castes although their ginsandnamesvary castes areanincontrovertible oflife In general there castes Noble freeman servant slave pariah AsopposedtotheHindubeliefin reincarna there isnowaytochangecaste Aperson lives orherancestral stateasheorshelived intheir lifeon earth The descendantofa slaveremainsa slave andso allhis descen dants fortime eternal Atthe center ofthecastesystemis apersonwithtwoliving parents She never compete because eternal respect Neither children compete against Therefore shehas place castebetween parentsandherchildren Withinthis strictboundaryshe permanentcompetitionwithallherother siblings affection foodandmoney Forexample familyofeight children oldest chance surviving Since older maygoto school first orreceive vitalmedicinethat unavail ableforlater arrivals orbeinapositiontodefendherplate moreadroitlythan aweaker sibling Twochildren ofthesame father thoughtheybeborn40years apartb ydifferentwomen areincompetition Thus iftheyliveinthesamehouse oreven inthesamevillage isintheinterestofthe40 oldsister youngster ignorant unhealthy possible forwhenshe theyoungersiblingwilltakeherplaceand maywithholdthesamefromher Thatbeingsaid family themostimportant social inMadagascar Allimportant decisionsinvolvethewholefam Theoldestmaleisthe patriarch andto disobeyhisorders agravesocialinfraction Afamilyliveswithin itscaste mixing others social status after As Malagasypower structure dominatedby being orgrandsonofa certainperson fixesyourownplace Thus political observersneed understandwhose father didwhatiftheywanttoknowhowministerialandambassado rialappointmentswill Thecentury oldclich6thatMadagas isdominatedby200 families stilla political reality In everyday terms caste system means people ofthesamegeneration inthesameservice Education Police Agriculture Mining always fierce compe titionwitheachother andwiththose other services Theresult isagovernmentadministrationdividedinto35com petingministries seekingthefavorofthePresident orthe other times The castesystem complicatesthe actual processofgovern Very often common caste bureaucrat tribe sentto carryoutgovernmentaldirectivesthat affectthewealth being ofanother tribe nobles Naturally thebureau isostracizedfromthelocalcommunityandignored althoughhemaysendinglowingreportsfromthe field which inturnusedas abasis forinternational loans nothingever happens Road building projects often suffer local kingsandnoblesarenotalwaysanxious tobein contactandcom petitionwith other tribal leaders Onebyproductofthe castesystemistheriseofenormously wealthyChineseandIndo Pakistanimerchants Themerchants haveused their position resident outsiders formerly playedbyFrenchc olonials toprovideservicestoobasefora caste person tooexpensivetomanageforacommoner toomuchin contactwith others descendant slave In revenge theMalagasyfrequentlyrefuse givethemerchants passportsorresidentcards despitegenerationsoflife inMada gascar AMalagasy isaMalagasythroughthecasteofhisan cestors anoutsiderandhisdescendantsremainoutsiders reasonmanymerchantshave foreign passports The caste systemworks fractureMalagasy society Dur ingPresidentDidierRatsiraka firstreignhesoughttotrans formMalagasy societyalongcommunal communistlines He failedmiserablyandeveryonceinawhile willrunintopeople adrift thewake ofthe system hopes The mostblatant examplewasaCtier metinAntalaha Hehadspentfiveyears Kiev learning aeronautical engineering Hespoke Russian French Englishandthe officialhighlandMalagasy nottomen hisownAntankarana dialect HehadworkedinEurope andhewasnowservingCokesto tourists arundownhotel HisnamewasJoarivo thedescendantsofJoab eingthetraitors whogaveawaytheAntankaranakingto highlandMerina acenturyago Hehadno father noconnections andabso lutely future In country where percent population everbeen secondary school talents acommunityloss CONCLUSION InMadagascar itisthesupremacyoftheindividualbutnot community existence modern society vidual rights individual obligations cause ofthe society problems Dueto isolation ancestralbe liefsandirradicable socialcastes theMalagasyfindthemselves aloneagainstothersoftheirownkind Insteadoftryingtohelp their neighbors exploit Instead ofbuilding schools thecommunity richestsendtheirownchildren private institutions Instead training doctors vestinginhospitals theMalagasypraythattheywillnotfall AslongastheMalagasycannotsolve their socialproblems theywillbeunabletosolvetheireconomiconesand thepov ertywillcontinueindefinitely Thecur rentprivatizationofstate dustries notsaveMadagascar Quitethecontraritwillcon centrate economicpowerin thehands ofafew sociallypowerful nobles Theonlywaytochallengethecultureofgreed selfish nessanddishonestyinMadagascartodayistoexposetheflaws ofthe centered culturetotheoutsideworld Madagascar recentopeningto foreigners isthe first InstituteofCurrentWorld Affairs The Institute ofCurrentWorldAffairs FOURWESTWHEELOCKSTREET HANOVER NEWHAMPSHIRE03755 ADDRESSCORRECTION REQUESTED Chosen basis character previous experience promise InstituteFellowsareyoungprofessionalsfundedto spend minimum years carrying designed programsofstudyandwriting outsidethe United States The Fellows required reporttheirfindingsand experiences field month They write subject asformallyorinformallyastheywish The resultisaunique reporting analysisand periodicassessmentofinter national events issues Author Robinson Joh B Title ICWA Letters SubSaharan Africa ISSN Imprint Institute Current World Affairs Hanover NH Material Type Serial Language English Frequency Monthly Other Regions East Asia South Asia Europe Russia Mideast North Africa The Americas