Presentation of the International “Young Talent” Trophy to Max Fontaine for Bôndy's actions.

Presentation of the International “Young Talent” Trophy to Max Fontaine for Bôndy's actions

PUBLISHED ON: JANUARY 16, 2023

Among the goals of sustainable development, peace education is now an essential principle for all countries in the world. It is complementary to citizenship education since both aim to improve lives within and between peoples. Peace education is a principle applied by several organizations and businesses, large and small, in several regions. In Madagascar, several initiatives work, whether directly or indirectly, for the establishment of peace: peace between people and peace with the environment or nature. It is in this context that Social Enterprise Bôndy, represented by its CEO Max Fontaine, was present at the 22nd International Conference on Peace Education, in November 2022 in Seville (Andalusia, Spain) to receive the International “Young Talent” Trophy. To what extent are Bôndy's activities in line with peace education in accordance with the goals of sustainable development and what was his message during this event?

The Escuela Cultura de Paz Association (School for the Culture of Peace)

La Escuela Cultura de Paz is a non-profit association located in Spain in Seville. It also consists of a development cooperation agency and a United Nations advisory body on women's and youth issues. After twenty-two years in the service of the education of Andalusian youth (children and adolescents) without social distinction, she obtained the status of special consultative body with the United Nations Economic and Social Council in July 2014. Although, at the beginning, it consisted mainly of teachers, its work focused on young people allowed for wider awareness among the communities where its actions are located. Its actors are involved in working for peace, respect for human rights, tolerance and democracy. Since 2011, the Escuela Cultura de Paz has been conveying these principles with and with young people, through sport, music and volunteering.

The 22nd International Conference on Peace Education in Seville.

On November 21, 2022, the Andalusian Parliament hosts the XXII Conference of the School for the Culture of Peace in Seville. Among the participants, there will mainly be young people from all walks of life, both high school students and students, whose example illustrates the urgency of acting positively in order to be able to offer a better environment to future generations.

An international vision that identifies peace initiatives.

‍In its calendar, the 22nd International Peace Education Conference traditionally takes a moment to reward local and foreign initiatives committed to creating solutions for a peaceful society. It promotes diversity through the knowledge of other cultures as well as the strengthening of everyone (children, young people and adults) in their role as actors and citizens of the world through courses of action for a more united and more just world. Indeed, “It is from debate and the sharing of ideas that the best, most coordinated initiatives and those that will provide the best solutions to society are born.” (Article Parlemento de Andalucia of 21/11/2022).

For the 2022 edition of this conference, the actions for peace and prosperity undertaken in Madagascar were particularly welcomed with:

Scope of the International “Young Talent” Trophy at the Seville Parliament.

The Young Talent Trophy rewards individuals and entities that can be considered role models for young people. During his speech at the Andalusian Parliament, Max Fontaine addressed more particularly the youth present, as a Young Talent selected during this event. It is through the story of the Bôndy project that it testifies to the desire of young people to make things happen in the face of the consequences suffered by southern countries such as Madagascar.

Overview of reforestation and rural development in Madagascar

Reforestation.

To be able to talk about reforestation in Madagascar, it is first necessary to report on deforestation. From 2001 to 2020, Madagascar lost 4.13 million hectares of tree cover, which is equivalent to a 24% decrease in tree cover since 2000 (according to AdCom Madagascar 2022). The main causes of reforestation are “tavy” slash-and-burn cultivation, logging and the cutting of wood for domestic purposes (charcoal). It can be said that deforestation, population growth and the country's poverty are closely intertwined. To respond to this, reforestation campaigns follow one another from one year to the next. However, without reforestation based on good practices and oriented towards sustainable development, we cannot hope for a real improvement in the situation.

Rural development

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Today, the Malagasy population remains essentially rural, i.e. 80.7% (INSTAT report, February 2021). As a result of this, its main economic activity, which is essential for its survival, is agriculture. According to IFAD, “The agricultural sector is the pillar of the Malagasy economy. Its three sub-sectors, agriculture, livestock and fishing, support 75% of the country's population and represent 86% of jobs and 60% of youth employment.”

Acting for rural development is essential in order to:

Achieving food security.

Contribute to the improvement of economic growth.

Improving the living conditions of the rural population.

Ensure the sustainable management of natural resources.

Reforestation and rural development are complementary and are factors of peace in countries such as Madagascar. Awareness is present and actions in this direction have been numerous, but so far, this has not made it possible to eradicate these phenomena.

Bôndy's active participation and capacity for innovation.

Bôndy was chosen by the Association Escuela de la Cultura de Paz for the response it provides to these two issues. Indeed, social enterprise has an ecological, economic, social and educational vocation oriented towards the restoration of destroyed ecosystems (solution for reforestation) and the valorization of local communities (solution for rural development). Born in 2019 from a common desire to meet the challenges of sustainable development, Bôndy is a social enterprise that offers a turnkey CSR service in environmental and social fields. Its technical department, which includes Research and Development as well as Social Affairs, is constantly innovating in order to have a positive impact to “transform the Red Island into a Green Island”. The Bôndy model thus really addresses the root causes of deforestation while strengthening local populations through viable economic projects.

Bôndy's message for young people‍

Following the presentation of the “Young Talent” Trophy at the Seville Parliament, Max Fontaine, CEO of Bôndy, wanted to share a strong message. It was on behalf of Bôndy and the Malagasy youth that he presented the current situation in Madagascar in the face of climate change. His objective was not, he said, to complain, but to take advantage of this exceptional forum to send a message to the young people present: “If you are afraid and want to act, do not wait for anyone, especially not your elders. If there is no climate justice, there is no peace. We are not defeated, because there is a generation that wants to change the destiny of its country.” (Max Fontaine, Seville Parliament, November 2022). By awarding Max Fontaine the International “Young Talent” Trophy, the Association Escuela de la Cultura de Paz wanted to reward Bôndy's actions for reforestation and rural development, but also the commitment of youth to education and peace. Education is the first lever in the fight against poverty, and without it there is no peace possible. Because everything starts with the education of young people, this prize is representative of the energy deployed by Bôndy as well as by young people in order to preserve the earth for future generations. “This award is not my personal price, but that of the entire Bôndy team in Madagascar, of all the beneficiaries of our project with whom we are changing the world, but every day and finally of all the Malagasy youth.” (Max Fontaine, CEO by Bôndy and voices of Malagasy youth).

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