During the Diplomat Forum on Entrepreneurial Spirit from 26th – 29th September 2007, the Malagasy Ambassador to Germany expresses the need to the Wittenberg Center to partner with the National Leadership Institute of Madagascar (NLIM)  in the field of ethical leadership development and fostering entrepreneurial spirit. Thereafter series of consultations were set up to develop a proper content on such a relationship which leads to the development of the Ethical Leadership Development – Fostering Entrepreneurial Spirit program for Madagascar.

On the 10th April 2008, the Wittenberg Center for Global Ethics (WCGE) signed a Working agreement with the NLIM in the presence of the President of the Republic of Madagascar, His Excellency Marc Ravalomanana.

This agreement was signed at a business roundtable organized by the GTZ (German Technical Cooperation), marking the 125th Anniversary of the 1st Treaty between Germany and Madagascar in Berlin, Germany. The President of the Republic of Madagascar along with leading representatives from business, political and the civil society, both from Germany and Madagascar were present.

The aim of this agreement was an official recognition by the state of Madagascar of the Wittenberg Center’s approach to Global Ethics, as well as the desire of the Wittenberg Center to assist the NLIM in providing responsible leadership training to Madagascar at all levels to enable them to realize the goals stated in the Madagascar Action Plan (MAP). With this agreement, the WCGE and the NLIM shall jointly organize training sessions, dialogue forums, summer schools, yearly executive trainings, targeting more than 5000 Malagasy people from the grassroots to senior ministerial level as well as in the Diaspora.

Managing Globalization: Challenges, Tools and Models for successful social cooperation (Mental Model Change)

Aim: To understand leadership challenges faced by the different sectors of the Malagasy society regarding the national agenda (MAP) as well as to carry out a pre-training of our partners to adapt the model of training to the Malagasy reality

The Wittenberg Center for Global Ethics and the NLIM carried out the first pilot and joint series of workshop in Antananarivo, Madagascar. In a multi-stakeholders intensive workshop, with about 30 participants from private sector, media (Print, Radio, and National TV), religious groups and different ministries, the participants were able to identify key issues that impede the implementation of the MAP as well as learn innovative tools to Managing the challenges and opportunities brought by the process of globalization in Madagascar. There it was agreed that further workshops should be carried out.

Presidential Consulting Session at the State Palace Iavoloha/Madagascar on Understanding the dynamics of Globalization: The role of competition in fostering solidarity, innovation as well as in strengthening the competitive advantage of the Republic of Madagascar.

Aim: Setting content and a roadmap for Ethical Leadership Development for the Malagasy government officials

This workshop was attended by the president, senior ministers as well as by about 40 high- level business representatives from the national tourism industry. The result was that the Wittenberg Center should organize more of such training with special focuses on the role of building trust, credibility, responsibility and entrepreneurial mind-set. As a follow-up the Wittenberg Center shall organize a workshop with Diasporas (professionals and experts of Malagasy origin currently residing out of Madagascar independent of their current nationality or status but who are willing to contribute to the sustainable development of Madagascar).

The aim of this Dialogue forum which took place in Lutherstadt Wittenberg was to assist the Malagasy government to mobilize resources and to improve the leadership quality of the Malagasy Diaspora, to be agents of change for their country. This forum was attended by approx. 60 participants mostly professionals, business leaders as well as dignitaries from the Madagascar embassy in Berlin. Guided by presentation from representative from the BMZ, the Madagascar Action Plan (MAP), Association of Expert in the field of Migration and Development Cooperation – AGEF and the Ambatovy Mining project in Madagascar, the participants developed concrete plans and projects in workshop on how the Madagascar Diasporas can better contribute to the sustainable development of Madagascar. The result were review with the  The forum was organized by the Wittenberg Center for Global Ethics, the Madagascar Embassy in Berlin, Germany in collaboration with the National Leadership of Madagascar (NLIM) and the Malagasy Diasporas in Germany and the Nordic countries.