Paper short abstract:

My paper offers a case study on Madagascar, whose political and moral landscape changed dramatically around 1900 when regular feuding and warfare was replaced by a pacified nation. Which lessons can be learnt from this turn towards the peaceful postcolonial Malagasy state?

Paper long abstract:

War was a common feature on the island of Madagascar up to the end of 19th century. French colonization marked an important shift towards a (relative) peaceful state, including a new self-representation of Malagasy themselves as a decidingly peaceful people. The moral concept of fihavanana (solidarity) is nowadays central to regulate and to avoid conflicts in all spheres of the Malagasy society, including politics and the ongoing negotiations to solve a deep political crisis.

My paper will first examine some of the specific historical aspects of the remarkable turn towards peace studied here, which seems to contradict much established wisdom on postcolonial wars and terror. Relevant aspects evoked are, among others, the construction of a new national identity, a shared antagonism against France and the development of moral concepts of the Malagasy Republic as well as its incorporation through family and education.

On a more general level it will suggested that the case seems to confirm again the long-standing observation of peace as an active process, and not just the non-existence of war. Consequently, one of the questions coming up is: How moral notions like the Malagasy fihavanana can be used for turning war into peace? And is it really possible to integrate consciously such moral concepts, as peace-building assumes, and to realize what was in the Malagasy case an involuntary turn into a peaceful society?