Have you come across the GLOBAL SOUTH yet? I started to hear the notion some time ago and wondered what exactly it could possibly mean, or how it could be sensible to divide the world just into “south” and “north”?
I first found the concept in the context of climate change. Here the idea was to promote a necessary discussion about how to fairly allocate and “compensate” the burden of carbon dioxide reduction between industrialized and developing economies. Whilst even here a North-South argument is simplistic, the logic was compelling…
However, it didn’t stop there. Increasingly, it appears a legion of self-appointed (mostly western) “critics” use “Global North” and similar expressions (the worst I found was: WEIRD = Western, Euro, Industrialised, Rich, Democratic) to lambast a “neo-colonial” attitude by Industrialised nations who continue to… well, not export slaves from, but somehow import bad ideas into “the South”…
The most enthusiastic voices of those who, often in obscure ways, understand themselves as legitimate advocates of those exploited by western (or “northern”?) culture intend a wholesale criticism of a westernized “system” and way of life. Sadly, arguments excel often through unexamined dogmatism rather than thoughtful or intelligent reflection. Above all, in all my discussions it remains rather undefined what “the South” is — and how it could ever be defined as one homogeneous construct. It seems to mostly symbolize some pastoral idyllic place in the minds of those protesting, somewhere between Che Guevara and Jamaica, rather than let’s say the war in Yemen or hunger in Venezuela. Moreover, what this “against the North movement” is advocating (beyond often some rudimentary natural mysticism or social primitivism) is uncertain — and why ideas of human rights, freedoms or democracy are bad imports for some of those territories that fall under their superficial categorisation is unclear.
What remains is often just a hostile, loud and self-promoting discourse that — above all — is FOR nothing concrete, that has no specific policies or new ideas about how to improve lives in either North or South, and that draws energy from being AGAINST everybody else.
Whilst of course it is highly legitimate to feel frustrated with aspects of modern life, and lots can be said about the challenges of our capitalist system, I reckon people using such concepts, even with good intentions, should sometimes be careful not to step into a colonialist attitude themselves. Seeking to attain power by being the loudest voice in the room, and trying to shame others into linguistic submission with highly divisive slogans is not necessarily a healthy or mature way to improve the situation, especially when serious argument would quickly surface the shortfalls of any such rather unsophisticated ideology…
Maybe a better idea would be to start acting in some concrete ways to unite and improve our lives, both near or far, wherever they might fall on a map…
From: “Sunday Morning Thoughts on LinkedIn” — I will report some of the interesting LinkedIn dialogues here, paraphrased and applying the Chatham House Rule — trying to protect some of the sentiments, thoughts, and above all our stimulating discussions from oblivion ;-)
