- Reflection on the riots in Madagascar, 2025
By Denny JA
HATIPENA.COM – In the long story of nations, crisis is never merely a wound — it is often the womb of rebirth.
This is the awareness that emerges when one contemplates the story of Madagascar’s unrest in 2025.
History whispers this truth again and again: countries that once fell apart have later risen stronger than ever.
After the Second World War, Japan lay in ruins — two cities erased, millions in despair. Yet from the ashes, it built a miracle of discipline and technology, transforming tragedy into one of the world’s greatest economic revivals.
South Korea, after the Korean War in the 1950s, was one of the poorest nations on earth, its GDP per capita below that of many African states. Today, it stands among the top economies, leading in innovation, electronics, and pop culture.
And Rwanda, once torn apart by genocide, found unity through justice and vision. It turned pain into policy, chaos into clarity, and became a model of stability and green growth in Africa.
Each of these stories carries the same message: a nation’s greatest strength often emerges not before, but after its darkest night.
Crisis is the fire that forges national character.
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Now, the fire burns in Madagascar.
The streets of Antananarivo echo with chants of Gen Z protesters — young, fierce, and fearless.
What began as frustration over water shortages and power outages has erupted into a nationwide cry for justice, equality, and hope.
According to Reuters, President Andry Rajoelina, pressured by mass protests, dissolved his cabinet and promised a “national dialogue.” But to many, this feels like a whisper in the storm.
The young generation no longer wants promises — they want transformation.
The Guardian describes these youths as “the last hope” of a nation tired of repeating the same mistakes.
They are digital natives in a disconnected land. They post their pain online, marching offline, demanding that leaders see what the world already sees: the disconnect between the nation’s natural wealth and the poverty of its people.
Since late September 2025, protests in Madagascar spread to eight cities, with over 22 deaths and 100 injuries reported amid clashes.
The movement ignited by arrests of opposition politicians and ongoing utility shutdowns reflects deep frustration over corruption and inequality. It intensifies the demands for President Rajoelina’s resignation and systemic reform.
Meanwhile, Le Monde warns of a dangerous turn — the president’s appointment of a military prime minister. This move that could calm the unrest or ignite it further.
The delicate balance between civilian and military rule trembles, as the scent of tear gas still lingers in the air.
The drama in Madagascar is not merely political — it is existential.
It is the cry of a nation rich in land but poor in trust, abundant in youth but bankrupt in opportunity.
A land blessed with gold, vanilla, and biodiversity — yet cursed by fragile governance and inequality.
The protesters’ anger is not chaos; it is love unexpressed, love for a country that has forgotten how to love its own.
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Three Pathways to Renewal
1. Turn Protest into Policy.Invite the youth into government task forces, city councils, and reform committees.
Make them co-authors of change, not just subjects of repression.
2. Invest in the Basics: water, light, food, and homes.Give the people what they demand most — dignity in daily life. Subsidized housing, clean water pipelines, rural electrification — these are not luxuries, they are justice made visible.
3. Rebuild trust through dialogue and transparency.Establish an independent commission of reconciliation involving civil society, clergy, and youth leaders.
A nation divided cannot rise — but a nation that forgives can fly.
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If Japan rose from atomic dust, if Rwanda rose from blood,
Madagascar too can rise from anger.
The rage in its streets today may one day be remembered as the moment when a generation refused to surrender — when the children of the island demanded the rebirth of their motherland.
Growth after crisis is not just an economic idea. It is a spiritual law of nations.
The seed must break before it can bloom.
The fire must burn before gold can shine.
And Madagascar — aching, shouting, trembling — is already becoming that gold.
“From the ruins of despair, nations rise not because they are rich in resources,
but because they are rich in resolve.”
Yet, lasting renewal demands more than spontaneous hope and individual sacrifice. Policymakers must grapple with hard realities: entrenched corruption, fragile institutions, and the pressures of global economic forces.
Madagascar’s journey will test the integrity of its courts, the transparency of its budgets, and the inclusiveness of its reforms.
International partners must support—not direct—the process, ensuring aid builds local capacity rather than dependence. Only by addressing root causes—land inequality, education gaps, and the absence of effective civil oversight—can meaningful change endure.
To anchor hope in action, Madagascar could launch a Youth Innovation Fund-allocating 5% of mineral revenues to grassroots projects led by under-30s.
By pairing ancestral wisdom (e.g., fihavanana kinship values) with tech-driven solutions, this hybrid approach honors identity while building tangible bridges between protest slogans and sustainable progress.
The true measure of a nation’s rebirth is progress that outlasts headlines and sets foundations for generations to thrive. (*)
Jakarta, 9 Oct 2025
Further Reading
1. Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson – Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty (Crown Publishing, 2012)→ Explains how inclusive institutions — not mere resources — determine whether nations collapse or rise after crises.
2. Jared Diamond – Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (Viking Press, 2005)→ A global reflection on how societies that faced environmental, political, and moral crises managed either to destroy themselves or to rebuild stronger.
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Hundreds of essays by Denny JA—on the philosophy of life, political economy, literature, religion and spirituality, democratic politics, history, positive psychology, travel reflections, as well as reviews of books, films, and songs—
can be found on Facebook: Denny JA’s World.
