Teaplomacy: A Peace Project

CO-WEST-PRO's founder, Jaq James, believes that exposing Western propaganda that manufactures consent for conflict is merely one string to the 'peace and security bow'. Grassroots citizen diplomacy is another string.

Jaq has had a long-time passion for tea culture. She studied tea science and tea culture in China's Mount Wuyi (the birthplace of black tea and oolong tea) and has written articles about tea for Tea Journey Magazine. She sees the tea ceremony as a way to bring people from different walks of life together for peace and diplomacy talks and friendship ties. This is why Jaq plans to run a 'teaplomacy' project alongside her CO-WEST-PRO work.

Teaplomacy is about Australians sharing their love for tea with tea lovers of Global South nations. Why the Global South? Because it is these regions that have borne the brunt of wars and coup d'états triggered by the West through propaganda. Using tea as a social lubricant to help conversation along, Jaq hopes her fellow Australians can develop a deeper understanding of why conflict must be avoided at all costs and why we should support our Global South tea friends in forging their own unique governance for their homelands.

'Teaplomats' have the identity of a learner. It is okay to be ignorant or hold pre-set prejudices, as long as you make an effort to learn about other perspectives and try a little harder to be a citizen diplomat. All teaplomats are works-in-progress.

Jaq hopes she will be allowed to return to China soon so she can work towards establishing a 'Teaplomacy Teahouse' so that tea lovers around the world have a place to meet in-person to work on building peace together.

If you would like to be a teaplomat and join Jaq for teaplomacy chats, you can follow Jaq on Instagram and download her tea flavour table (PDF).