192 4 McInerney Concluding Remarks Madagascar should re-examine its Nationality Code and its approach to granting citizenship. The law should do more to protect against statelessness and discrimination. But, that alone will not be enough. Initiatives to educate the public and make the citizenship system more accessible would help to create a more participatory democracy in the future that is representative of the population of the island. Muslim and Karana communities should work together to fight for these reforms, and the country should focus on efforts at achieving a more integrated society as a whole. Change is necessary because individuals have a right to be able to access citizenship and participate in the government that rules them. As Madagascar develops and a Malagasy birth certificate becomes necessary to access certain jobs and services, the minority communities will grow agitated. As a leader of the African Muslim Agency explains: [The] concern is not so much for the current generation but for the future, because with this atmosphere of rejection and seclusion, sooner or later a generation will come of extremist, and they will resort to violence to obtain something they think should be given to them. And only then we will have to go back to the situation now and try and correct things.44 Improving the citizenship system is also in the best interest of Madagascar’s growth because it creates incentives for those with the wealth to invest in the country. Reforming the system will not be easy because it is grounded in deep racial tensions that have a long history in Madagascar. The Government has the opportunity now to ensure that reform is peaceful and that it has the support of the Malagasy people. If the Government works for reform now, then there will be a strong foundation for a vibrant participatory democracy in the future. 5 Acknowledgements This article is an abbreviated version of the research paper ‘Citizenship Laws of Madagascar: Future Challenges for a Developing Nation’ which was written by the author as part of her studies at the University of Virginia School of Law and was honored with the 2013 UNHCR Statelessness Research Award Best Paper in 44 See Interview with the African Muslim Agency (n 44). tilburg law review 19 (2014) 182-193