May the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you always. To all the leaders at all levels of the country, to all the Malagasy people and to people of good will. May the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you always! Twice a year, we members of the Bishops' Commission for Justice and Peace in Madagascar hold a General Assembly. In this year 2025, 1the first meeting was held from 08 to 12 May in Madiorano- Diocese of Toliara...

Our meeting focused mainly on strengthening Justice et Paix's operating methods and examining the situation on the island: we found that the majority of Malagasy people live in poverty, yet Madagascar is overflowing with a wealth of natural resources on the sea, on land and underground: precious and ornamental stones, gems and industrial minerals, chromite, mica, graphite, zircon, ilmenite, nickel, cobalt, iron, titanium, uranium, copper, gold, coal, limestone, gypsum, piezoelectric quartz, diamonds, mercury, sapphires, etc. .. Rare earths in many areas such as Ampasimanjava, not to mention the old gold deposits at Betsiaka near Ambilobe, at Maevatanana, etc. These resources are attracting many profit-seeking countries such as France (which has already openly expressed an interest), Japan, the United States, Australia and China... Agricultural products such as vanilla, cocoa, coffee, etc. and maritime resources (blue economy) are also priceless riches that are supposed to bring development and lift the country out of poverty, but unfortunately the results are far from being achieved.

On the one hand, there is anarchic exploitation that wastes resources, destroys the environment and fails to respect human dignity. On the other hand, there are companies that strive to respect human and environmental standards. In this respect, Justice and Peace affirms that: ‘Wealth is wealth if it is productive and produced for the good of all’. The reality is that natural resources are already being exploited, but only a few minorities are benefiting from them, creating an enormous gap between all Malagasy. This wealth is no longer real wealth for the country, because the people are not benefiting from it. Unfair and illegal mining increases corruption in all sectors and is a cause of poverty, insecurity and instability.

There are few honest people, law-abiding people who listen to their professional conscience among civil servants ct citizens, and it's no sccret for anyone that the Earth is really crying ... the poor cry ... The earth cries out, the cry of the poor, as Pope Francis says in the Encyclical Laudato si': ’These situations provoke the cry of our loved ones, which joins the cry of those abandoned by the world, with another demand on our part’. The Pope makes a special appeal to all the baptised: ‘Christians who do not protect creation, who do not promote it, are Christians who do not value the work of Dien, that work born of God's love for us’. (n° 217).

Let's all agree: if the Church doesn't care about the poor and the excluded, who will welcome them? That's why Pope Francis often says that the Church must be the continuation of the field hospital ... This duty of the Church is underlined by Pope Francis in Laudate si': “Today, we cannot fail to recognise that a truly ecological approach is always transformed into a social approach, which must include justice in the environmental debate, in order to listen to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”. (n° 49). In this respect, only the implementation of justice and equity guarantees the ability of all Malagasy, without exception, to enjoy their wealth. The first encyclical written by Pope John Paul II, ‘Redemptor hominis’ (The Redeemer of Man), states that dignity and respect for the human person and human rights are the path that the Church proposes for true development and progress. The Church has emphasised that it is her duty to care for the poor, the marginalised and those who are marginalised in society, and that she cannot remain indifferent or powerless, which is why she urges everyone to take responsibility and be accountable. We have now reached an inevitable turning point in terms of direct action and responsibility to change this unjust reality.Let's not forget that people are the first and foremost resource:
-change attitudes and behaviour towards the extraction of natural resources;
-give priority to public health and the health of employers;
-the application of the law, particularly with regard to irresponsible individuals;
-fair and transparent distribution of wealth from the bottom up (return on investment);
-Close monitoring of artisanal miners to ensure they are legal and receive fair benefits;
-education, training and information and awareness of the law and the facts;
-establishing clear strategies and concrete actions for the restoration of and respect for the ‘common home’.
common home’.

It is therefore necessary to put in place effective decentralisation, so that wealth contributes to the integral development of all people. Always remember that it is the products that are marketable, but never the values. The truth is that in Madagascar, everything is a priority and nothing should be neglected. This is why we call on all people of goodwill to assume their responsibilities properly, honestly and in accordance with the law, always bearing in mind that human dignity and rights are above all else, and that serving the country is a sacred and inescapable duty. May Sainte Marie, Queen of Peace, protector of Madagascar, and Blessed Lucien Botovasoa pray and implore God's mercy for us.

Madiorano (Toliara), 11 May 2025.

On behalf of all the members of the Madagascar Justice and Peace Commission.