Quite possibly the saddest thing I’ve read all week, it appears that not only are the forests being pillaged for rare, exotic and illegal wood, but for lemurs. To be used as food. Because the political situation is so screwed that there is no one to enforce laws in the rain forests and protected areas where the lemurs live. At first you think, ‘Hey, these folks must be hungry. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s not their fault.’ But in this case, hunger is not the issue. It’s greed. Thanks capitalism. Here’s an excerpt from the article on Mongabay, but be careful, the photos are really graphic and disturbing:

“What is happening to the biodiversity of Madagascar is truly appalling, and the slaughter for these delightful, gentle, and unique animals is simply unacceptable. And it is not for subsistence, but rather to serve what is certainly a “luxury” market in restaurants of larger towns in the region. More than anything else, these poachers are killing the goose that laid the golden egg, wiping out the very animals that people most want to see, and undercutting the country and especially local communities by robbing them of future ecotourism revenue.”

…

“This is what happens when the global community attempts to punish a nation’s leaders by cutting virtually all aid. We need to rethink the global response to political upheavals in the future, and not to place the greatest burden on those most in need.”

-Russ Mittermeier, President of Conservation International

I’ll be meeting with Conservation International when I arrive in Madagascar to discuss this lemur issue, as well as sustainable ecotourism matters. This news is horrible, but not too surprising. Food is food, and most people don’t think about how cute or innocent the animal is that is nourishing (or in the case of most Americans, stuffing) them. What is surprising is that restaurant-owners are thinking to serve them as a delicacy to set their fare apart from the others.

The BBC has an article as well, I think this is not the last we’ll be hearing about this, and I’ll certainly search for more information while I’m there, and try to let people know that all restaurants that serve lemur as a ‘delicacy’ will be boycotted by any traveler or tourist. Or I will, at least. And I’ll blacklist them in my travel guide.

I’ve been out of commission for a few days, doing some exciting things, some boring things, and a lot of driving. On Tuesday, Tori Hogan of Beyond Good Intentions premiered her film series at Middlesex Lounge in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She showed three short videos, just to give us a taste of what’s to come, and they were so well-made and powerful, I was completely inspired. Tori launched BGI in order to answer the question ‘What works in international aid?’ She challenged herself, and is now challenging the world, to go beyond good intentions and find real solutions to global problems.

I found the BGI website a few months ago, and was instantly drawn to the organization, especially since Tori’s is a question I’ve been asking, myself, for years.  I’ll be following up on some of the stories Tori collected from Madagascar when I return to the Red Island in September. Here is their website, please check it out and join the discussion!

www.beyondgoodintentions.com

In Madagascar news, the UN has asked for $35.7 million for humanitarian aid, a Cyclone Jade has killed 9, affected 40,000,and wiped out the east coast yet again (though CARE International was putting together a disaster relief plan last year, I recall…). This cyclone couldn’t have come at a worse time:

The National Office for the Management of Risks and Catastrophes said the heavy rains left in its wake threaten serious flooding, which would further damage homes and contaminate drinking water with salt water.

Sondra left Madagascar last week, and is now in Senegal, contemplating her trip to Guinea. I just got this interesting news item this morning on Reliefweb, though, which doesn’t bode well for her journey:

ADDIS ABABA, April 10, 2009 (AFP) -The Inter-Parliamentary Union on Friday suspended Madagascar and Guinea after coups in the two African nations, its secretary general Anders Johnsson announced Friday. “IPU has suspended this morning the membership of Madagascar and Guinea because they have no parliament anymore. Because there have been coups in these countries, they have decided to suspend their parliament, and we cannot accept that,” Johnsson told a press briefing.

Ravalomanana still pledges to return to power in Madagascar, from various locations throughout mainland Africa, the latest of which is Addis Ababa. He’s meeting with officials of the AU as well as Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, and is planning on going ahead to meet with Khadafi early next week. I have absolutely no idea what shape this is going to take. Especially since I’ve heard reports that Tiko, R8′s company, has been closed down and 3,500 people have been let go. You can read more about the closing, and Tiko’s history, at TGoose’s blog, which is one of many blogs about the political crisis. I’m going to start having to write about other things

Every paper is reporting on this (well, not really the American ones) but I’ll just stick the whole article from BBC on here:

Madagascar defence minister quits

Security forces are out on the streets of the capital amid a tense calm

Madagascar’s defence minister has resigned after police shot dead 28 opposition protesters at the weekend.

Cecile Manorohanta said her conscience could not endure the bloodshed. She was replaced by the chief of military staff, Mamy Ranaivoniarivo.

It comes amid a bitter power struggle between President Marc Ravalomanana and opposition leader Andry Rajoelina.

Up to 5,000 people held a memorial for the dead protesters in Antananarivo on Monday and later dispersed peacefully.

As a mother, I do not tolerate this violence Cecile Manorohanta A very deadly power struggle In pictures: Madagascar violence Madagascar’s ‘militant mayor’

Mr Rajoelina on Saturday organised a large rally attended by some 20,000 people during which he announced a “transition authority” and named his own prime minister.

In addition to some 28 people who died as security forces opened fire on demonstrators marching towards the presidential compound, more than 200 people were wounded.

The minister, once a close ally of the president, read out a resignation statement on the private radio channel Antsive on Monday.

She said: “In this period of political crisis, I extend my condolences and moral support to the families who suffered losses.

“As a mother, I do not tolerate this violence. It was agreed at government level that the security forces were meant to protect the population and its property.”

‘Sadness’

Meanwhile, Haile Menkerios, the UN assistant secretary general for political affairs, expressed concern at events in Madagascar after meeting President Ravalomanana on Monday.

He said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon felt “extreme sadness” over Saturday’s deaths and was calling for those responsible from both sides to be brought to justice.

Opposition leader Andry Rajoelina is a 34-year-old former DJ

The UN envoy is also meeting Mr Rajoelina.

The weekend’s rally followed last week’s dismissal of Mr Rajoelina as mayor of the capital, Antananarivo.

The 34-year-old former DJ has accused President Ravalomanana of being a dictator and of misspending public money.

The president, who is also a former mayor of Antananarivo, has accused the opposition leader of trouble-making.

Saturday’s bloodshed brings to more than 100 the death toll since anti-government protests erupted at the end of January.

Madagascar, the world’s fourth-largest island, has become a destination for tourists as well as foreign companies, searching for oil, gold, cobalt, nickel and uranium.