West

We are facilitating a meeting on transfrontier conservation efforts linking Mozambique and Tanzania. It has been a nice atmosphere so far; informal, engaged and productive.

Hibiscus or tamarind juice is regularly served during the snack break of meetings I attend. They are both an acquired taste. Someone remarked that they would be sold for 15 dollars as health foods in the West. They are correct, in the way we commonly understand the term, and the consumer behaviour of those seeking to be at the forefront of wellbeing movements. Some trendsetter must be responsible for the very expensive cartons of coconut water sold in Marks and Spencer, available for free in the tropics, as long as there is a knife handy.

I find ‘the West’ a wildly outdated, insulting and over-simplified term, synonymous with an apparent heightened state of development. The term is usually applied to reflect badly on countries not included in ‘the West’.

Geographically it makes no sense, and it should be looked at. Where is the point from which the West is gauged? West of me are the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and the Atlantic Ocean.