Paul Rabary, sociologist and former Minister of National Education, throws some light on how the FIHAVANANA is lived within the 21^st-century Malagasy society.

How could we picture a traditional community governed by Fihavanana values in the ancient times?

As a first step, let us define what FIHAVANANA is. It is a deliberate and conscious act of making “HAVANA”. “Havana” is assumed to be someone’s kin, or any other person related in some way with them, be it though blood or through marriage. Therefore, Fihavanana is the willingness to accept and to live together in a community where that community takes precedence over the individual. That image sends us back to a proverb: “Velona Iray Trano, Maty Iray Fasana” – which loosely translated means “Alive in the same home, dead in the same tomb”. Then, being excluded from the family vault would be the ultimate curse. That is why Malagasy people live with a constant concern for respect of the rules or “Dina”, the traditions or “Fomba”, and the customary prohibitions or “Fady”. Besides, an individual should ensure not to offend the community before every single act. That is called “Miala tsiny” or asking for forgiveness.

Fihavanana is then an endless search for harmony and consensus with the community, with the ancestors who are believed to intercede with the Creator or “Zanahary”, as well as with the cosmic order governing the unfolding of human lives. This explains how important it is to consult a “Mpanandro” who assesses if an individual or collective project is timely or not.

Was Fihavanana demonstrated in different ways in different regions of Madagascar?

Fihavanana is a common concept to the whole Malagasy society regardless of the regions they live in. According to Madagascar’s settlement history, Malagasy people come from many waves of African, south-eastern Asian, and Arabian immigrations. Fihavanana is therefore one of the keys to understanding the Malagasy culture based on the respect of others and above all on obedience to the community.

What does the 2020’s version of Fihavanana look like?

Modernity, acculturation and poverty have weakened the Fihavanana to say the least. Today, the individual overrides the community. Fihavanana has become a very bandied out term and has been deflected from its intended meaning. Today’s Fihavanana is reduced to practices during family events such as births, circumcisions, baptisms, weddings, burials, etc.

Fihavanana that was once a way to reach out to others finds itself curled up in family or friends. Fihavanana has transitioned from its purpose of “living together” to a mere tool at the service of kins, a mere tool to favor family members, parents, and acquaintances in administrative, professional and/or political actions.

The “consensus” in the original Fihavanana has turned into a “compromise” in its contemporary form. Poverty, culture of mediocrity, intellectual laziness, and unbridled individualism are some of the factors that explain this sectarian drift of Fihavanana.

Can Fihavanana sometimes be considered as a deterrent to freedom or a handicap to development?

Fihavanana is rooted in the Malagasy culture and identity. Thus, it cannot be judged either as a brake or a development for anyone. Moreover, we need to define what freedom and development we are talking about and looking for. Culture evolves, but fundamentals must remain. Otherwise, it loses its value, its points of reference and its identity. Unfortunately, that is what happens today, hence a certain disintegration of morals and, by extension, that of society.

What form of Fihavanana do we need today to restore some social cohesion?

It is not for me to define or enact what should or should not be Fihavanana in the current context. This is neither my pretension nor my role as a sociologist. However, the are misunderstandings of what the Fihavanana was, is, and will be. That is what can be discussed. We cannot achieve social cohesion without putting the will to live together back at the heart of society and without providing meaning to a community of shared values and common immutable good.

What role do our leaders play in the process of restoring social cohesion?

Much remains to be done in this regard. But we must restore simple things that we have forgotten: Respect, Discipline and Goodwill.

This article is also available in the 11th release of "The American" magazine. The full PDF version of magazine is available for download here.

Interview by Kenny Raharison