Managing heritage in Antananarivo, Madagascar

This paper discusses heritage management in Antananarivo, Madagascar. It is argued that in this city, which contains a significant African Diaspora, heritage is part of everyday practice. Heritage is also influenced by global processes of change which include the inscription of sites on a UNESCO World Heritage List and the advent of international tourism and commoditisation. The 2009/2010 political and economic crisis is also affecting heritage management in Madagascar. However, these processes do not necessarily make heritage less salient in the lives of or relevant to the local Malagasy people. Instead heritage, which is defined as enduring cultural practices, remains a fundamental and enduring aspect of identity in Madagascar. The discussion in this paper concludes that the resilience of heritage can be attributed to the dynamism of culture and its diverse appropriation and transformation by the Malagasy. The paper also concludes that because of culture's resilience it may not be necessary to have heritage institutions in order to preserve and sustain cultural heritage.