My area of interest is centered on francophone Africa, the status of minorities and immigrants in Europe & media biases. Raised in Madagascar, I hold a Master of Public Policy from Princeton University at the Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs with a focus on international development & international relations and PhD in Medical Sciences from Purdue University. I can be found on twitter at twitter.com/lrakoto.
Latest posts by Lova Rakotomalala from October, 2013
Madagascar Presidential Elections: The Home Stretch
33 candidats se présentent aux élections présidentielles à Madagascar. Cependant seuls 16 d'entre eux ont eu une vrai présence pendant la campagne dans les médias. Certains se demandent où sont passés les autres.
Walk in a Homeless Person's Shoes via Twitter
October 17 was the international Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Four groups, the Abbé Pierre Foundation, France Inter, Génération réactive et la Fondation Agir contre l'exclusion de Seine-Saint-Denis decided to give four homeless persons a platform on twitter to narrate their everyday lives. They live in different cities of France:...
Why I'm Not Giving Up On Politicians (Yet)
Madagascar's political situation can seem hopeless, but Lova Rakotomalala has still decided to actively support one of the candidates in October 25's presidential election. Here's why.
Gift from French Investing Group Bolloré to Ivorian University Stirs Controversy
French investing group Bolloré [fr] made a donation of 6 electric buses to the University of Felix Houphouët Boigny at Cocody in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The first two buses were delivered on October 16 under great scrutiny from the Ivorian press and social media. In fact, the donation stirred a...
Léonarda, 15, Arrested During a School Trip and Deported
Léonarda Dibrani, 15, was on field trip with her schoolmates when she was detained by the french police, near Levier, France. She was later deported with the rest of her family [fr] to Kosovo as illegal immigrants. The Dibrani family fled Kosovo about five years ago because they are Roma. Léonarda...
Marking The 30th Anniversary Of The Beurs’ March For Equality
30 years ago (October 15, 1983), a march for equality against racism [fr] began in Marseille with 32 people, mostly of Arab origin, to ask for the right to vote and a 10-year resident card. The Beurs’ March (Beur is a colloquial french term for people with roots in Northern Africa) arrived in Paris on December 3...
French MP Heckles Female Colleague by Clucking in Parliament
French MP Philippe Le Ray came under fire with accusation of sexism because he was heckling a fellow colleague, Veronique Massonneau, during her speech at the national assembly. Below is the video of the incident [fr]: Cackling is often used as a derogatory term for women chatter in France. This...
Oktoberfest in Lomé, Togo
The month of October is most often associated with Beer fest in Germany. Yet it seems that it is also slowly becoming a tradition in Togo. LoveJoyce Amavi, a blogger in Lomé, The capital city of Togo, denounces the absurdity of such a fest in his city. He writes in...
Online Tool to Review Candidates Platforms in Madagascar
Malagasy website Madatsara created a comparison website to review every presidential candidates platforms [fr]. The platforms were categorized into 9 main topics to help citizens make an informed decision during the elections. The presidential election is set to commence on October 25, 2013 :
Central African Republic: “Don't Forget About Us!”
The Central African Republic conflict between the Central African government and Seleka rebels has worsened alarmingly since December 2012. The humanitarian situation is catastrophic in certain towns but especially in the interior of the country.
#EauSecours: The Hashtag Poking Fun at Water Shortage in Dakar, Senegal
Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, has been plagued with water shortage for the past 15 days [fr]. Senegalese on social media are coping with this dire situation with humor and patience. The hashtag #eausecours (#H2OUT) is currently used on Twitter and Facebook to poke fun at the ongoing lack of clean water,...
