Youth Leads, Government Responds: The Spirit of Solidarity Confirmed in Madagascar

 

 

On June 6, the 3rd Peace Festival was held in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Madagascar, HWPL, and IPYG, the event marked the beginning of the Youth Engagement & Peacebuilding Working Group (YEPW) in Antananarivo. It also established a foundation for young people to participate continuously in peacebuilding activities within their communities.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Madagascar has organized the Peace Festival annually based on Fihavanana, a traditional Malagasy value that represents solidarity, harmony, and mutual coexistence. As the importance of youth participation and social cohesion has grown during the country’s reconstruction process, the Ministry proposed a partnership with HWPL and IPYG to support youth-led peace initiatives. Through this collaboration, the YEPW was actively launched to connect the government, civil society, and young people in a unified peacebuilding effort.

 

 

The Ministry provided the event venue, Palais des Sports Mahamasina, and deployed police officers to ensure the safety of the Peace Walk, demonstrating its active administrative support. With this governmental backing, civil society organizations and youth leaders took the lead in organizing and implementing the festival’s programs.

20 civil society organizations participated in preparing the festival, including the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), Femmes Plateforme pour l’Équité (FPFE), Dis-Moi Madagascar, and Mouvement Jeunesses et Citoyenneté.

 

 

The festival began at 8:00 a.m. with the Peace Walk starting from Ambohijatovo. A total of 779 youth leaders marched through downtown Antananarivo, sharing the values of Fihavanana with local residents. The march was followed by a large group photo and a flash mob performance, delivering messages of peace and unity to the public.

During the official opening ceremony, Alain Désiré Rasambany, Minister of Youth and Sports of Madagascar, emphasized: “Peace is not merely the absence of war. It begins with respecting one another, standing in solidarity, and practicing tolerance and love. We must come together beyond regional, religious, and cultural differences to build a harmonious society, and it is the youth who will lead this transformation.”

 

 

Following the opening ceremony, participants took part in workshops and interactive programs prepared by the YEPW. They explored practical approaches to building peace in their communities by discussing a range of topics, including youth and women’s empowerment, peaceful conflict resolution, and interfaith understanding. Exhibition booths also showcased community-based peace initiatives while providing opportunities to build collaborative networks with local NGOs and media representatives.

Through the YEPW, which was begun through this Peace Festival, we look forward to continued peacebuilding efforts driven jointly by the government, civil society, and young people. We also hope that the spirit of Fihavanana will spread throughout Madagascar, inspiring greater unity, solidarity, and lasting peace across the nation.