Another kind of justice

Maintirano Madagascar

August, 2011 

The Melaky region of western Madagascar is often referred to by locals as the nation’s “wild west.”  Cattle bandits, or “malaso” roam the region armed with spears, self-made muskets, and magical relics, tied around their necks, that supposedly turn bullets to water. Following the break down of governance and security caused by Madagascar’s military-backed coup of 2009, the wild west got a lot more wild. Locals report that malaso started stealing more than cattle, often raiding villages for jewelry, farming tools, and even pots and pans, the latter being melted down and sold for their aluminum content. 

Not only did banditry spike after the coup, but also petty theft, murder, fraud, and other kinds of crime, disorder and chaos. The social bonds of trust and civility came apart at the seams with disastrous results. Trade between regions dwindled, people both in the countryside and in towns began to barricade themselves in their houses at dusk, and perhaps most worryingly, many people gave up raising livestock -- their main form of savings as well as buffer against food insecurity. According to one source, the price of beef rose 500% per cent. 

Today, things are back to normal. In fact, they are better than normal: the nightlife in the region’s capital, Maintirano, is thriving, and people can be seen wandering (and stumbling) the streets late at night without fear. Livestock numbers are growing and beef prices are falling. Everyone reports that theft has nearly disappeared. 

So what happened? More police? An election? The new transitional government reasserted control? None of the above.  According to nearly everyone we’ve spoken to what reversed this trend of criminality was a growing movement of citizen justice. Tired of what is perceived to be a corrupt and inefficient state justice system, citizens took matters into their own hands and convened their own, independent justice system based on traditional laws or Dina. At its most extreme, the new Dina stipulates that offenders receive capital punishment. Already, more than 10 people  --reportedly all armed robbers or murderers -- have been killed by mobs of citizens, led by a committee of regional elders called the Committee of the Dina Tsy Mipoly (the “irreversible dina”). 

Surprisingly, the regional authorities and courts, in contradiction with national law against capital punishment, recently ratified the Dina Tsy Mipoly. According to the president of the Dina Tsy Mipoly Committee, the authorities recognised the popular appeal of the Dina while also recognising that insecurity in the region was threatening even their own safety. 

One citizen described to us an intense meeting between the Dina committee and regional authorities, when the Dina was first accepted by regional authorities.

According to this source, the committee supposedly gave regional authorities an ultimatum - recognise the committee’s authority and come under their protection, or stay outside their protection and deal with the malaso by themselves. At first, authorities declined to join, preferring to stick with the “regular” justice system. However when the committee suggested that without the Dina the lawmakers themselves would get no help from their neighbours in the event that they or their families were attacked by malaso, they changed course and decided to join up. The Dina was subsequently legalised, despite some  significant contradictions with national law, which forbids corporal punishment). 

It’s not entirely clear what to make of all this. Critics of the system argue that capital punishment is morally wrong; others worry that corrupt ringleaders will hijack the system to kill off innocent people.  But proponents say that the system works: crime seems to have disappeared and many locals say they are very satisfied with the Dina. Personally, I believe that the issue underscores the fact that a functioning society requires a a functioning justice system It’s a tragedy that the official justice system has failed so terribly in this region as to force local people to take matters into their own hands. We can only hope that a resolution to the political crisis will eventually allow the vigilantes to trust the former system enough to lay down their spears once and for all. 

Next Step: Blue Ventures

As many of you already know. I am now on my way back to madagascar. I was home from Dec. 23rd 2008 until today, the 27th of January. I'd like to say thank you to all the friends that I saw. It was a great joy to see you all again and to catch up on all that's changed in the last year and a haf. Thank you for your generosity, enduring support, and lasting friendship. To those that I didn't manage to see, I apologize. I'll be back in just a few short months (late September) for a friend's wedding, so I hope to catch you then.

I am returning to Madagascar with yet another new mission. I have left my position as project coordinator with Reef Doctor in Ifaty, Tulear. I will retain an advisory role there and may yet return sometime in the future. For now, however, I am heading to Blue Ventures in Andavadoake (4 hours South of Morambe). I will be project coordinator there as well. The organization is very similiar to Reef Doctor. They are a british NGO focused on marine conservation. I would encourage all of you, if you have not already done so, to have a look at their website: www.blueventures.org.

I'm hoping to start updating this website more often so check back frequently or subscribe to the RSS.

Project Coordinator PBD

I'm still alive. Sorry for not posting / emailing / writing letters. Two weeks ago I was made Project Coordinator for Reef Doctor. Until we find a replacement for me, I will have to do the job of two people. I've been a bit busy. I also haven't been into Toliara for more than a few hours in 2 weeks.

So, you might wonder what Project Coordinator means. In a word, it means: Boss of Everyone and Everything. Well, ok, maybe not. But, I am in charge of the day to day operation of the Reef Doctor team in Ifaty. I am responble for coordinating the various scientific activities and development projects that RD has undertaken and for helping to plan our next steps. Roderick is the company director and therefor is still the boss of me. That's alright though, because he's a smart guy and works hard to get us funding. He started Reef Doctor and has lots of experience working with government officials, the big NGOs and other assorted noobs. Besides, he doesn't mind the draconia "efficiency beatings" and "productivity torture" policies that I've instituted.

Our current team in Ifaty consists of 4 (3 Malagasy and one British) Science Officers, a French Head Science Officer, 2 Volunteers (one American and one check) working on agricultural development projects, a american masters student (from the University of Cape Town) writing a masters thesis on environmental management, 2 boatmen, 1 socioeconomic data collector, 2 guards, one cook, one washwoman, and one cleaning woman.

The Vezo soundtrack

My reed hut sits 3 meters from the ocean. Our complex (6 huts, a house, a mess hall and a small boat) is a 6 minute walk along the beach from the village of Ifaty. Except for those relatively few occasions when a funeral, marriage, seance or volleyball match send pulsing beats of bass, childish shouts of excitement, or high-pitched whistles and cheers, the village is out of earshot. Walking toward the village, the soft silence of our compound is overtaken by the energy and chaos of Ifaty.

Under the glossy sparkle of starlight the gentle waves flop morosely onto the shore. A light rumbling of voices and portable gas generators drifts in and out of the ear as the ocean`s breath inhales and exhales gently. Distant dogs ring out a low bassline accompaniment to the scattered and hurried beat of multiple speakers playing a multitude of music. The sweet and newbie flurry of children`s singing rises ahead ending in frustration and cheers. A passing man violently interrupts your thoughts with an exasperated `Bonjour Vazaha!` A bleating goat pulls you back into concentration as you pass a crackling fire and snapping sail whipped around by an excited gust. A gush of laughter whooshes around you as children grab at your hand screaming `Soni, Soni, Soni!`

 
<<Tonga Zaho>> I've arrived. This is Ifaty.

The details

Hello all. I`m back in Toliara for a bit. I came in yesterday and I go back tomorrow. I`ve had 2 steaks and 2 ice creams and several showers with running water. Life is good.

I thought I`d use this post to explain exactly what I`m doing here since I was a little sketchy on the details before I left.

 I work for an NGO called, Reef Doctor. We are a tiny NGO that works only in the Bay of Ranobe here in Madagascar. Our main objective is to organize a community resource management scheme for the entirety of the Bay in order to preserve the reef system and therefore the lives and livelihoods of the people who leave there. The first step toward this goal was reached last year with the formalization of a traditionally protected piece of coral known as `The Rose Garden`. Reef doctor worked with the local community, local officials and the national government in order to put in place the first officially (legally) recognized community managed Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Madagascar. From here the goal is to use the legal framework already developed to create several more MPA`s in the bay as well as to set up rotational fishing areas (where fishing is closed for months at a time) in order to relieve fishing pressure on sensitive areas during breeding times.

Secondary to this main project, Reef Doctor does marine research and runs environmental education and community development programs. My primary task is to help organize the education and development programs. To this effect I will be taking over coordination responsibilities for the local women`s group that we helped organize, the sunday kids club where we teach kids about the environment and also get them out of there normal work chores for a bit of fun. Additionally, I am working to further develop the Pirougers club which is an association of local guides who take tourists out snorkeling on the reef. Also, I`m going to be working with the local primary schools to introduce a new environmental education program and also a weekly art class.

So there. That`s what I`m doing. So far I`ve found the villagers to be friendly, open to new ideas, and very receptive to our ideas. It`s going to be a busy year, but one that I know will be highly rewarding and meaningful. Life is good.