Building the world anew is not a call but is a must

"To Build the World Anew" is the title of a speech delivered by Indonesia's founding father, the late president Soekarno, before the general assembly of the United Nations on Sept 30, 1960.

Soekarno's daughter, Indonesian President Megawati Soekanoputri, quoted him in her speech at the ministerial meeting in Bali for the upcoming Earth Summit in Johannesburg.

The three-day ministerial meeting, involving 173 countries, aims to reduce the exploitation of natural resources.

Many countries, including Indonesia, have benefitted by recklessly exploiting their natural resources instead of implementing sustainable development, as declared in Sweden in the early 1970s.

The spirit of building the world anew is not only a dream but is a must. The world should be built based on democratic principles which appreciate the right of living things to exist in this planet.

The Bali meeting reminds us that we are part of an international community. Our attitude toward Mother Nature will have a global impact, not only today but also in the future.

-- Kompas, Jakarta