The AMERICANNumber : 11 | June Qtr 2021 Preserving Madagascar's Cultural Identity despite Globalization P 6-7 Paul Rabary: FIHAVANANA - from consensus to ­compromise P 16-17 Full-Court Press : The­National­Basketball­Association­ Brings­its­Brand­to Madagascar. P 24-25 Lambahoany, The­diaspora’s favorite­attire? 3 things you may not­know­about­ © HEEDDIA the Ariary.­(p.18) Free1 contents editorial team The AMERICAN Contents Publication Director 4 Malagasy Cultural 24 Lambahoany: Scott­A.­Reid Independence and The­diaspora’s Preservation despite favorite­attire? Editor-in-chief Globalization: it’s­up­to­us. Kenny­Raharison 26 Mirado Rakotoharimalala: 6 Paul Rabary: “Soccer­facilities: Advertising manager FIHAVANANA - for­the­benefit­of­the Kenny­Raharison from consensus to local­community” compromise. Editors 28 WWF’s position on the .Volahanta­Raharimanana 8 Lova Ralitera Mitchell: UN’s­Decade­for­Ecosystem­ .Iangotiana­Rakotovao Being­Malagasy­American.. Restoration Contributors 10 How is Madagascar seen 30 Tsanta Randriamihajasoa, U.S.­Embassy­ by American­people? a­multi-instrumentalist­young­ man­and 2018­One­Beat­ Madagascar 12 U.S. – Africa: alumna.­ WWF­Madagascar advancing­long-standing­ Mirana­Haller­Zafintsiano partnerships 31 Tsiory Panöel Razafindrasata: A­young­and­qualified Paul­Rabary 14 Doing business in a country Malagasy­kitesurf­instructor­ Lova­Ralitera­Mitchell with strong cultural identity Ryan­Bradeen can­be­challenging­for­ 32 Why does country music multinational­companies. remain­so­popular­in­the­ Tsimbina­Andrianaivo United­States? Mirado­Rakotoharimalala 16 Full-Court Press: The­National­Basketball­ 33 “Afindrafindrao”: Dimbiniaina­ Association­Brings­its­Brand­ the­Malagasy­version­of­the­ Rakotojoelimaria to Madagascar. English­quadrille­dance? Samira­Mihaja­Moumini Ariary in the time of Covid-19: Where Tsanta­Randriamihajasoa 18 34 Two­or­three­things­you­may­ The Star-Spangled Roy­Cox not­know­about­the Ariary­and­ Banner came from Tim­Fallon why­it­does­matter­at­all.­ Fiona­Fitzgerald 22 LOVASOA 4C: Payton Hansen at the heart of Austin­Bergera the­history­of­Antsirabe Tsiory­Panöel­ Razafindrasata Idealy­Misandratra­Avo­ Fenohaja­Ravelojaona Graphic designer Tolotra­Tsiebo­ 2 The American­­June­Qtr­2021 amcham amcham team What’s AmCham Madagascar ? The­ ­ American­ ­ Chamber­ ­ of a­ theme­ developed­ by­ ­ a­ ­ Guest AMCHAM BOARD : Commerce­ ­ in­ Madagascar­ is­ a­ non- Speaker:­ ­ General­ ­ Director, OFFICIALS profit­ association­ of­ American­ and­ Minister,­Chairmen… President local­ business­ people.­ AmCham­ Annual Cocktail Dinatoire: ­­ Russell­Joseph­Kelly Mada­began­its­activities­in­November­ Networking­ ­ and­ Fundraising­ 2008­ and­ was­ officially­ recognized­ Event­ designed­ to­ kick-off­ Vice President by­ the­ government­ of­ Madagascar­ in­ AmCham’s­ activities­ that­ gathers­ Tom­Cushman February­2010. all­ together­ top­ business­ people­ Treasurer AmCham’s­mission­is­to: and­representatives­of­international­ Andrew­B.­Whang and­ diplomatic­ communities.­ One­ Enhance commercial ties between Guest­ of­ Honor­ is­ invited­ to­ open­ Secretary the­­United­States­and­Madagascar the­event. Harimahefa ­Uphold the highest standards of Francia­Ranaivoson English Discussion Group:­ The­ commercial­­practice AmCham’s­ EDG­ consists­ of­ 100%­ BOARD OF DIRECTORS Support­ the­ ­ expansion­ ­ of­ ­ an english­oral­practice­in­a­friendly­and English-speaking,­ Anglophone welcoming learning environment. Mirela­Comaniciu business­community­in­Madagascar. Anyone­with basic conversational Winifred­Fitzgerald Only­ the­ ­ formal­ enterprises­ ­ can English is eligible to­attend. There Andriamisa­ become­ members­ of­ the­ AmCham. are 2 categories, EDG for adults­ Ravelomanana AmCham­ has­ been­ influential­ in­ and­EDG­for­kids. John James Madagascar­and­is­committing­itself­to: Christmas Get Together: Networking Vigorously­ ­ defending­ ­ AGOA and­ Christmas­ Event­ for­ AmCham­ EXECUTIVE TEAM privileges­ ­ for­ Madagascar-based­ members­to­share­and­warmly­enjoy­ Chief Executive Officer companies Christmas­with­soft­music. Scott­A.­Reid Facilitating­ ­ business­ ­ deals Executive Secretary between­­AmCham­members Contacts details: Lalaina­Rakotoarison Introducing­ AmCham­ members­ to­ Address: international­ sources­ of­ technical­ Explorer­Business­Park­-­ Communication and­financial­expertise C1 Building­Ankorondrano­-­ Manager Antananarivo­-­Madagascar Defending­ ­ AmCham­ ­ members Kenny­Raharison Phone Number: interests with­local­and­international­ Communication +­+261­33­15­004­74 authorities. Assistants With­ this­ in­ mind,­ the­ Chamber’s­ Opening Hours: .Volahanta­ regular­activities­are: Monday­to­Thursday­: Raharimanana Thursday Morning Round Tables:­ 08:00­a.m­to­04:00­p.m .Iangotiana­Rakotovao Monthly­ TMRT­ gathers­ ­ all Friday:­08:00­a.m­to­01:00 Accountant together­ ­ top­ ­ business­ ­ people. Andriamiharisoa­Mihary The­TMRT­ aims­ to­ discuss­ about­ 3 editorial Malagasy Cultural Independence and Preservation despite Globalization: it’s­up­to­us. appy 61st anniversary of making­Ludwig­the­fourth­one.­Cross- through­communicative­practices.­The­ recovering Independence cultural­ marriages­ like­ ours­ lead­ to­ chain­ of­ positive­ and­ negative­ effects­ Hto all Malagasy and to our having­ multicultural­ children,­ hence­ of­ Globalization­ is­ growing­ further.­ beloved Madagascar! May we live our we­welcomed­the­fifth­generation:­our­ What­ is­ important­ to­ realize­ is­ that­ daily lives according to the lyrics of two­sons.­In­honour­to­my­origins,­we­ Globalization­itself­is­neither­good­nor­ our National Anthem: https://www. named­ our­ boys:­ Lova­ (Malagasy­ for­ bad,­ it­ just­ depends­ on­ how­ people­ hymne-national.com/en/national- Heritage),­ and­ Fanilo­ (Malagasy­ for­ deal­ with­ all­ the­ possibilities­ in­ the­ anthem-madagascar/. As an historical Flame Torch)­who­is­autistic.­Our­boys­ future.­Globalization­leads­to­significant­ reservoir, culture is an important factor have­a­German­father­and­a­Malagasy­ changes­ on­ major­ aspects­ in­ most­ in shaping identity. Being a Malagasy mother­ and­ were­ born­ in­ Namibia.­ countries:­Economics,­Politics,­Culture,­ citizen living in Namibia for over 15 Therefore,­ they­ are­ exposed­ to­ three­ Industry,­and­Technology.­ years, happily married to my German- different­cultures.­We­decided­to­take­ Professor­ Mark­ Lilla­ –­ Columbia­ Namibian husband for over 16 years, the­ best­ from­ all­ three­ and­ merged­ University­ –­ answered­ the­ questions­ being the proud mother of our two them­ into­ one­ new­ culture,­ hence­ a­ from­ Dubai­ future­ foundation:­ “What boys, we agreed to carry on owning new­identity­for­them.­ will be the impact of globalization on our and developing our individual cultural Since­ culture­ is­ defined­ as­ the­ identity? Will governments be able to identity. Mine is strongly rooted on characteristics­ and­ knowledge­ of­ a­ foster the same kind of civic duty as they Malagasy Culture – Kolontsaina. It is particular­group­of­people,­defined­by­ do now?” His answers were: “I believe rich, beautiful, colourful, and reflects the everything­ from­ traditions,­ language,­ that our problem of identity up to now inputs of prominent groups migrating to religion,­cuisine,­social­habits,­to­music­ has really been multicultural problems, Madagascar centuries ago, especially and­ arts,­ every­ new-born­ inherits­ a­ having to do with the confrontations from Southeast Asia and East Africa. cultural­identity­which­most­individuals­ of people from different cultures. It also includes some influences from will­keep­throughout­their­life.­Cultural­ What is starting to happen now is new Western Asia and Europe. identity­ refers­ to­ identification­ with,­ identity politics which is a reaction to When­Ludwig­and­I­were­married­for­ or­ sense­ of­ belonging­ to­ a­ particular­ the monocultural that has followed on just­over­a­year,­we­moved­to­the­lovely­ group­ based­ on­ various­ cultural­ globalization in the sense that certainly town­ of­ Swakopmund­ in­ Namibia,­ categories:­nationality, ethnicity, race, people of a certain class no longer on­April­ 13th,­ 2006.­We­ used­ to­ reside­ gender, and religion.­It­is­constructed­ belong to where they were born. They in­ Antananarivo,­ the­ capital­ city­ of­ and­ maintained­ through­ the­ process­ float around in the world, they speak Madagascar.­This­was­my­second­time­ of­ sharing­ collective­ knowledge:­ different languages, they eat different on­Namibian­soil,­it­was­the­first­day­of­ traditions, heritage, language, sorts of food and that is going to be our­new­life­and­it­promised­to­be­an­ aesthetics, norms, and customs.­ our destiny, certainly the destiny of our exhilarating­ experience.­We­ took­ over­ As­ individuals­ typically­ affiliate­ with­ children who are growing up. I think it striving­ businesses­ and­ properties­ more­than­one­cultural­group,­cultural­ is especially important for governments his­ father­ has­ built.­ Ludwig’s­ family­ is­ identity­ is­ complex­ and­ multifaceted.­ around the world to think about what originally­ from­ Germany,­ his­ mother’s­ In­this­globalized­world­with­increasing­ kind of glue is going to hold them grandfather­ settled­ in­ Swakopmund­ intercultural­ encounters,­ cultural­ together after the disappearance of in­ 1896,­ making­ him­ among­ the­ 1st­ identity­ is­ constantly­ enacted,­ some of the very traditional culture-ties Generation­Germans­settling­here­and­ negotiated,­maintained,­and­challenged­