Asia Africa partnership and progress

Bali Moniaga, Jakarta

Fifty years ago, the Asia-Africa Conference (AAC), also known as the Bandung Conference, convened in Bandung from April 18-24, 1955. It was organized and sponsored by Burma (now Myanmar), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), India, Indonesia and Pakistan. Just ten years after the end of World War II, the leaders of 22 Asian and seven African nations, which had recently freed themselves from the grip of colonialism, gathered within the walls of Gedung Merdeka in Bandung, and discussed problems of common interest and concerns.

Together, these 29 leaders successfully crafted a new ethos to govern the relationship between nations in Asia and Africa. The philosophy soon became widely acclaimed as the Bandung Spirit and acted as the precursor to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Through the Bandung Spirit, leaders at the AAC hoped to achieve fuller economic, cultural and political cooperation in order to promote international peace and security, as well as mutual prosperity. Although the 1955 conference had great historical significance and forced the world to recognize the potential power of the non- aligned nations in world politics, it achieved little substantive results.

Nations across the two continents still face significant common barriers that have caused a lag in their economic and social development. This further marginalizes a majority of Asian and African countries from benefiting from the prospects of globalization. At the time of the 1955 meeting, colonialism was still a great threat to world independence, peace and progress that the leaders envisioned.

Now in the year 2005, as we mark the golden jubilee of the Bandung Conference, the gap between actual progress and envisioned progress must be bridged.

Although colonialism no longer poses a threat to Asian and African nations today, it is important to bear in mind the words of then president Sukarno who once said, "colonialism is connected to security; security is connected to the question of peace and disarmament; and disarmament is connected to the peaceful progress of the under-developed countries." This interconnection between problems of common concern undoubtedly means that the core principles of the Bandung Spirit are still relevant in the world today.

Although countries in Asia and Africa have achieved significant advancements on the political front, and now enjoy greater freedom and sovereignty; the reality remains that many nations are still lagging behind on the economic front. As an effort to bridge the gap between the two continents in order to move together toward prosperity, Indonesia and South Africa have put in motion a chain of events that will ultimately lead to the 2005 Asian-African Summit here.

The world today presents many obstacles to the shared progress of Asian and African nations. However, it is widely agreed that the most pressing concern among nations not only within the two continents, but also worldwide, is the issue of rampant poverty. Since the Bandung Conference 50 years ago, the number of people in Asia and Africa that are subjected to the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty has risen to over a billion. The suffering of these one billion people range from severe malnutrition, epidemic disease outbreaks, famine and war.

In order to successfully eradicate poverty and make the right to development a reality for everyone, it is necessary to create an environment that is conducive to the eradication of poverty, at both the national and global levels. Such an objective would rely on good governance at the national level and on transparency in monetary and trading systems. It would also be imperative to address the special needs of each individual country, and design sustainable programs that are relative to the country's level of development and debt.

With such objectives in mind, there is much to expect from the upcoming Asian-African Summit. The Summit with its theme of Reinvigorating the Bandung Spirit: Working Toward a New Asian- African Strategic Partnership, will launch the much-anticipated New Asian-African Strategic Partnership.

The idea of an Asian-African partnership is not new. Together, the continents of Asia and Africa are home to 4.6 billion people or 73 percent of the world's population. Possessing tremendous natural resources, the countries of the two continents have a combined Gross Domestic Product of over US$9.3 trillion.

Therefore, the potential for growth and development amongst Asian-African nations is truly enormous. Many barriers however, have prevented the realization of their collective potential. It is hoped that the NAASP will guide Asia and Africa toward a more successful, progressive and peaceful future based on collective self-reliance and mutual benefit in political, social and economic spheres.

Looking back to the time during the convening of the Asia- Africa Conference, nations in Asia and Africa can note with satisfaction that their efforts over the years have freed them from the scourge of colonialism, racism and apartheid.

However, now that they are all independent, sovereign and equal nations, countries in the two continents are faced with a set of common concerns that are just as challenging, perhaps even more now than ever before. With the establishment of the NAASP, we might visualize a new Asian-African region characterized by genuine partnership, peace and stability, equitable growth, sustainable development and real progress.

The writer is a director of Africa Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The article represents his personal views. He can be reached at bali_moniaga@yahoo.com.