Fihavanana is a
Malagasy word encompassing the
Malagasy concept of
kinship
In anthropology, kinship is the web of social relationships that form an important part of the lives of all humans in all societies, although its exact meanings even within this discipline are often debated. Anthropologist Robin Fox says th ...
,
friendship
Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague.
In some cultures, the concept of ...
,
goodwill between beings, both physical and spiritual. The literal translation is difficult to capture, as the Malagasy culture applies the concept in unique ways. Its origin is ''havana'', meaning kin.
Malagasy culture is full of proverbs related to fihavanana: “Ny Fihavanana no taloha ny vola”, which loosely translated means “The relationship is more important than the money”. But fihavanana is more than just “relationship”. It comes from the belief that we are all one blood and that how we treat others will eventually be reflected back to us; and that we should be proactive about goodwill for the good of the world. Fihavanana is not limited to the present but can also be applied to our relationship with the spiritual world.
The concept is thus similar to the Southern African
ubuntu (philosophy)
Ubuntu () is a Nguni Bantu term meaning "humanity". It is sometimes translated as "I am because we are" (also "I am because you are"), or "humanity towards others" ( Zulu '). In Xhosa, the latter term is used, but is often meant in a more philo ...
References
*
*
*
*
*{{cite web, url=http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/ethnohistory/v048/48.1sharp.html, title=Project MUSE - Login, publisher=muse.jhu.edu, accessdate=2015-11-09
Malagasy culture
Malagasy words and phrases