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The Malagasy Mosaic: Regional Beliefs and the Meaning of Mosavy

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In Madagascar, beliefs about witchcraft and spiritual harm are not uniform. The meaning of mosavy changes according to region, history, community, kinship, and relationships with ancestors and ritual specialists. It is therefore important not to describe “Malagasy witchcraft” as a single system. Different communities have different explanations for illness, misfortune, social conflict and spiritual power. Merina: The Central Highlands Among Merina communities, particularly in Imerina, mosavy has historically been associated with harmful mystical action, illness, misfortune and disruption of the social order. Traditional specialists, including ombiasy and diviners, may be consulted to interpret whether a problem has a physical, social, ancestral or spiritual cause. The same specialist may be regarded as a healer by one person and viewed with suspicion by another. Historically, accusations of mosavy could also become connected to political authority and social punishment. This shows how ...
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The Malagasy Mosaic: Belief, Misfortune and the Biology of Fear

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Introduction: One country, many traditions Madagascar is not culturally uniform. Beliefs about ancestors, spirits, healing, curses and witchcraft vary between regions, ethnic communities, religious traditions, and urban and rural settings. The purpose of this post is not to label these beliefs as backward. It is to understand how people interpret illness, misfortune and conflict—and how fear can sometimes become a form of social control. 1. Belief is not the same as accusation A belief in ancestors or spiritual protection can provide identity, comfort and community. It becomes more dangerous when misfortune is attributed to a specific person and that accusation leads to: - ostracism; - threats or violence; - financial exploitation; - forced rituals; - denial of medical treatment; or - pressure to confess or submit. The central question is not whether people are religious. It is whether belief is being used to protect people or to control them. 2. Regional variation Rather than presenti...
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The Witch Trials of History: How England Moved from Fear to Reason

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The Witch Trials of History: How England Moved from Fear to Reason When I was a boy growing up in Guernsey, the word "witchcraft" felt like a relic of a distant, darker age. We heard the stories, but they were just that—stories. The world had moved on. England, and the West more broadly, hadn't just "stopped believing" in witches; they had undergone a profound, centuries-long transformation. They had traded a system of fear for a system of law. But this transition wasn't a natural accident. It was a brutal, hard-won fight for Agency. The Era of the "Invisible Wall" In the 16th and 17th centuries, England was a place where the "Invisible Wall" of fear was very much alive. Misfortune—a crop failure, a sick cow, a sudden fever—was rarely seen as a structural problem. It was seen as the work of a neighbour , a curse, or a spiritual attack. The law reflected this fear. In 1542, Henry VIII introduced the first Witchcraft Act, making it a felony...
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The Digital Frontier: Is Social Media Breaking the Silence?

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We looked at how traditional media in Madagascar is controlled through state broadcasting, elite ownership, and the "quiet" censorship of legal threats. But there is a new variable in this equation: Social Media. For a long time, social media was viewed as the ultimate tool of Agency. It allowed citizens to bypass the "gatekeepers" of the traditional press, share videos of protests, and organize around issues that the state wanted to keep quiet. But as we have seen globally—and increasingly here in Madagascar—the state is not just watching; they are adapting. The Two Faces of the Digital Space 1.  The Tool of Agency: Social media has undeniably lowered the barrier to entry for truth-telling. When a student posts a video of a local injustice or a citizen shares a report on a missing person, they are exercising their agency. They are creating a record that the "official" media cannot ignore. This is the "Agency-First" potential of the digital age. ...
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​When Peaceful Agency Becomes a Threat

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The detention of youth activist Rakotoarijaona Vonimahery, known as Mahery, and former presidential candidate Sylvain Rabetsaroana raises an important question about power in Madagascar: who is allowed to participate in public life, and on what terms? According to Amnesty International, both men are being targeted for peacefully exercising their rights. The organisation is calling for their release, arguing that detention should not be used to punish political expression, activism, or criticism of those in authority. This is a clear example of control overriding agency. Agency is the ability to speak, organise, question decisions, stand for public office, and take part in shaping the future of one’s country. These are not privileges granted by government; they are fundamental rights of citizenship. Control operates differently. It narrows the space in which people can act. It treats criticism as disloyalty, activism as disruption, and political competition as a threat. When peaceful ac...
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The Proxy Narrative: How Global Interests Shape Our Local News

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Recently, we saw a local journalist invited on a press tour to the Donbas region, hosted by Russian interests. When the reports returned, they didn't just cover the conflict; they mirrored a specific, foreign state narrative. The West was painted as a source of misinformation, while the Russian perspective was presented as the objective truth.  This is not journalism; it is narrative capture.  Why This Matters for Madagascar This isn't just about a single trip or a single article. It is part of a broader strategy where foreign powers—Russia, China, and others—are actively building ties with local media and influencers.  *   The "Hybrid" Tool: In a hybrid system like ours, the government doesn't have to control every newspaper. Instead, they allow foreign-funded narratives to flourish because those narratives serve a dual purpose: they distract the public from local structural issues (like the tax reforms or budget deficits we’ve discussed) and they provide a conve...
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The Architecture of Silence: Who Controls the News in Madagascar?

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In our last post, we saw how the "Global Chill" is creating a permissive environment for the suppression of press freedom. Now, we turn our gaze to the reality here in Madagascar. We have to ask: How is the information landscape actually controlled? If you look at the media landscape in Madagascar, it appears pluralistic on the surface. We have radio stations, TV channels, and newspapers. But if you look closer, you see a system designed to ensure that the "Agency" of the public is kept in check. The Three Pillars of Control 1.  State-Controlled Broadcasting: Public broadcasters like RNM and TVM are the "voice of the state." They don't just report the news; they follow government communication directives. Because they have the broadest national reach, they are the primary tool for shaping the national narrative, especially in rural areas where access to other sources is limited. 2.  The "Elite" Ownership Model: Much of the private media lands...
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