Episode 514: Madagascar in Motion: Gen Z’s Push for Change

Today, Jess, Jamil, Martha, and Les discuss the wave of Gen Z–led protests shaking governments across continents—from Madagascar and Nepal, where leaders have fled, to Indonesia and beyond.  Driven by unemployment, corruption, and economic strain, these youth movements are leveraging social media and grassroots organizing to challenge entrenched power structures and, in some cases, topple leaders.

Are we seeing a new wave of youth-driven revolutions—a social-media-era sequel to the Arab Spring? What does growing instability in strategic regions like the Mozambique Channel mean for the U.S.? And how should Washington rethink its aid, training, and partnerships as political landscapes shift under generational pressure?

Check out the sources that helped shape our experts’ discussion: 

https://apnews.com/article/madagascar-protests-rajoelina-ab1e1eb1aca45fe7e80e81314ebdb0c6 

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cqxr3y3788pt 

https://www.npr.org/2025/10/13/nx-s1-5573511/madagascar-president-flees-country-military-rebellion 

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/oct/14/this-generation-is-defiant-gen-z-protests-set-to-resume-in-morocco-despite-deaths-and-arrests 

https://www.dw.com/en/gen-z-protests-why-are-asias-youth-so-angry/a-74349495 

https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/protests-asia-gen-z-nepal-indonesia-rcna231096 

@nottvjessjones

@lestermunson

@jamil_n_jaffer

@marthamillerdc

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