Madagascar’s president calls on Adventists to be “green”
mongabay.com
May 8, 2007
Madagascar’s president Marc Ravalomanana told some 30,000 Seventh-day Adventists gathered at a church outreach event that they need to help make the country “green” again after decades of deforestation have left the Indian Ocean island nearly denuded, reports the Adventist News Network.
Ravalomanana said the church could play an important role in restoring Madagascar’s environment as well as the “moral health” of the country.
Ravalomanana is a vocal Christian who is currently the head layman of the FJKM (Reformed Protestant) church in Madagascar, a position that has been controversial, according to Wikipedia.org.
Ravalomanana was re-elected president last December. He is highly regarded by development agencies for his sound fiscal policies and anti-corruption measures. Ravalomanana is also revered by environmentalists who have been buoyed by his aggressive conservation initiatives to protect the island’s unique wildlife, which includes dozens of species of lemurs.