The Spirit of Bandung lives on 40 years later<\/p>\n
By Santi W.E. Soekanto<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): Forty years after the Asia Africa Conference in
\nBandung, which gave birth to the \"Ten Principles\" that honor
\npeace, conflict remains as rife as it was before the 1955
\ndeclaration.<\/p>\n
Many countries, however, believe that the Bandung Declaration
\nis still very relevant and plays a role, at least as a guide, in
\nany attempt to establish peace in the world.<\/p>\n
Therefore, today's celebration of the 40th anniversary of the
\nmeeting, which led to the birth of the Non-Aligned Movement
\n(NAM), is also crucial in reminding the world that effort must be
\nexerted to keep the spirit of peace alive.<\/p>\n
The last 40 years of conflict shouldn't cause the campaign to
\ndiminish.<\/p>\n
\"History never proceeds in a straight line, there are bound to
\nbe ups and downs,\" Hasnan Habib, NAM Ambassador for Latin America
\nand the Caribbean told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The former Indonesian ambassador to the United States pointed
\nout that the wars fought by countries that signed the declaration
\nshouldn't be the sole yardstick with which to judge the relevance
\nof Bandung.<\/p>\n
\"This world is getting more and more complicated, and more
\nchaotic,\" he said. \"We are facing an increasingly greater
\nchallenge...but the Spirit of Bandung should still be our guide.\"<\/p>\n
\"The relevance of the Declaration does not hinge on whether
\nthe signatories have gone to war, but on the commitment itself,\"
\nHasnan said. \"The relevance lies on the question whether the
\ncountries that are currently busy clawing one another are willing
\nto return to that commitment.\"<\/p>\n
International politics expert Juwono Sudarsono of the
\nUniversity of Indonesia agreed that the historical value of the
\nDeclaration hasn't diminish, even though the countries involved
\nhave engaged in one conflict after another.<\/p>\n
\"I believe that even then, there were already seeds of
\nconflicts due to differences in history, in economic interests,
\nin geopolitical considerations,\" he said. The declaration is
\nvaluable in itself because at the time of its birth, it
\n\"symbolized reform\".<\/p>\n
The forty years that have passed, he said, have inevitably
\nbrought about changes and transformation in politics, economics
\nand culture. The acceleration with which those changes has been
\ngaining also contributes to the marked differences that the
\ncountries experience now in NAM, he said.<\/p>\n
\"But the declaration is still relevant even now,\" Juwono
\nasserted.<\/p>\n
The historic meeting was held between April 18 and 24, 1955,
\nin the Merdeka (Freedom) Building in Bandung, some 180 kilometers
\nsouthwest of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Presided over by Ali Sastroamidjojo and attended by the
\nleaders of 29 nations, the conference sowed the seeds which
\nresulted in the 1962 foundation of NAM which now has 111 members
\nand is currently chaired by Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The legacy of the conference was intended to be a peaceful
\none, promoting talk instead of war as a way to solve disputes.<\/p>\n
The event united delegates from newly independent Africa and
\nAsia countries caught in the increasingly tense Cold War, which
\npitted the world's superpowers against each other and threatened
\nworld security.<\/p>\n
The idea was to encourage emerging nations to combine the
\nstrength of their respective populations to create a unified
\ndiplomatic force which could achieve its ambitions through
\nnegotiations instead of going to war.<\/p>\n
Yet, since the signing of the conference's final communique,
\nmost of the 29 countries represented at the meeting have gone to
\nwar either among themselves or with other nations.<\/p>\n
North and South Vietnam, both present at the conference and
\nnewly partitioned following a decade of anti-colonial struggle
\nagainst the French, were in 1955 about to embark on a conflict
\nwhich would epitomize the Cold War for 20 years.<\/p>\n
Even the nations which proposed the Bandung conference-- India
\nand Pakistan, -- were not able to avert armed conflicts with each
\nother. Of the Middle Eastern countries present at Bandung, Syria
\nbecame involved in a long war in Lebanon, Iran and Iraq fought an
\neight-year war, while Saudi Arabia battled Iraq in the 1991 Gulf
\nWar.<\/p>\n
There were other wars. And many of the leaders of the states
\nhave passed away. But Indonesia is still optimistic as to the
\nvalue of the declaration.<\/p>\n
Fifteen years ago, President Soeharto during the 25th
\nanniversary celebration of the conference, said that \"the spirit
\nof Bandung will not disappear with the passing away\" of the
\nparticipating state leaders.<\/p>\n
\"...because what they have voiced was none other than the
\nvoice of the innermost feelings of the human race,<\/p>\n
\"They have voiced the determination of mankind to build a new
\nworld with peace, tranquility and happiness of every one of us,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The Ten Principles of Bandung include the principles of mutual
\nrespect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all
\nnations, of refraining from intervention and interference in the
\ndomestic affairs of the other countries, and from aggression or
\nthe use of force against political independence of other
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
\"These principles...became even more suitable to the needs of
\nour world today,\" Soeharto said then.<\/p>\n
Hasnan and Juwono believe that what's even more important is
\nto prepare nations to face the challenges of a more complicated,
\nchaotic world. Courage to undertake the campaign could and should
\nbe derived from the Spirit of Bandung.<\/p>\n
Juwono said that differences and conflicts notwithstanding,
\nevery nation committed to the peace building should rely on
\npartnership and cooperation.<\/p>\n
\"These are the key words,\" he insisted. In terms of the
\ncurrent global condition, the two concepts become even more
\nimportant and should be applied in regard of the relationship
\nbetween the developing countries in the south and the
\nindustrialized ones in the north.<\/p>\n
Juwono pointed out that the main themes of the current peace
\nefforts are \"partnership and cooperation with the north\".<\/p>\n
\"There's no use for us to take a confrontational stance
\nagainst the Western countries, because they have the political,
\neconomic, culture, trade and military equipment, and they are the
\nones who dictate world order,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Confrontation is not feasible, so it rests upon us to
\nconvince the West that it's in their own interest to cooperate,\"
\nJuwono said. \"At the same time, the developing countries in the
\nsouth have to get their own houses in order, build their
\npolitical stability, economic development and social equity.\"<\/p>\n
Juwono also said that most of the nations in the Asia Africa
\nneed to attend to the basic issues of population control,
\nsecurity establishment and debt management, and also adhere to
\npolicies of sustainable development.<\/p>\n
\"These points should echo throughout the regions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He listed a number of tasks that the regions need to handle in
\norder to better face the greater challenges of the world,
\nincluding enhancing partnership amongst developing countries in
\nthe south.<\/p>\n
In addition, there should also be a campaign to encourage the
\nricher nations to help \"the poorest of the poor\", he said.<\/p>\n
Juwono and Hasnan believed that the significance of
\nIndonesia's roles and leadership both at the Asia Africa
\nconference and in NAM lies on the fact that the nation has been
\ncampaigning the need to follow up words with deeds.<\/p>\n
\"The strategy laid down by President Soeharto is that every
\nnation should first put their house in order before they take
\ncare of other people,\" Juwono said. As for the approaching
\ntransfer of the leadership of NAM to Colombia, Juwono said that
\n\"We haven't finished perfectly, but for the first time in NAM's
\nhistory, the chair of the movement, Indonesia, has implemented
\nwhat the movement has planned to do.\"<\/p>\n
\"We'd hope that our basic strategy will be followed up by the
\nnext chairman, so that there will be a continuous, persistent
\nstruggle toward realizing the spirit,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hasnan said that the effort to return to the Bandung Spirit
\nshould now be funneled through the United Nations and through
\nimproving the functions of the international body.<\/p>\n
\"I believe this campaign to return to the spirit would fare
\nbetter if we are able to change the structure of UN, especially
\nin its Security Council,\" Hasnan said.<\/p>\n
Only with those changes can other forms of cooperation,
\nincluding NAM, have more leeway. \"But that's a hope...if it
\ndoesn't work out, we'd still be building friendship through other
\nforms of cooperation, like in ASEAN, OIC and others,\" he said.<\/p>",
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