Recent AASROC: Do we need a new Bandung?

Recent AASROC: Do we need a new Bandung?

Dmitry Kosyrev, Political Analyst RIA Novosti, Moscow

Do we need a new Bandung? Apparently, yes. The question is,
which one? I would sum up thus my personal impressions of the
recent session of AASROC -- a ministerial-level conference of
Afro-Asian Sub-regional organizations, held in on July 29-30 in
Bandung, Indonesia and dedicated to the preparation of the 50th
anniversary celebrations of the Bandung conference.

Would it be possible not to leave the impression that the
event resembles a memorial ceremony for the died hopes of the
"third world"?

Apparently, we must try to repeat the experience of the
original Bandung conference and give the developing world a new
ideology. After all, the first Bandung conference in 1955 laid
the foundation for such ideology, which existed for several
decades. Even today, some remnants of that ideology still exist.

The Non-Alignment Movement, inspired by that ideology and
represented by 117 countries is a strong international
organization and an instrument to achieve certain goals used by
many countries. There are numerous "third world" organizations
created, generally on the same ideological foundation. However,
can we trust this foundation completely, after all bitter
experience of the past decades?

A new Bandung is necessary not only for developing countries,
but also for their neighbors. The doctrine of the Kremlin with
regard to the "third world" is as follows: Russia would like to
help promote understanding, achieve closer ties and dialog
between developing and developed world, in particular, between
the Non-Alignment Movement and G8 countries.

Russia believes that with each year there are fewer
opportunities for individual countries, continents and "worlds"
to achieve isolation from the rest of the world; there is less
sense in dividing the world into blocs according to geographic
location or development status. However integration should not
mean the absorption of the entire world to a few superpowers.
Ideally, it should resemble the movement from opposite directions
to the common center.

Give Moscow a clear and attractive concept of a new Bandung
and it will help the Kremlin to conduct a policy in a more
orderly manner.

What would the ideology of "the new Bandung" be like?
First of all, such ideology should be devoid of prolonged
speeches and resolutions.

Bandung gave the "third world" concise and clear ideas. For
instance, the idea that during the war between communism and
capitalism there was another political way -- "non-alignment".
This concise and simple idea helped many governments conduct
sound policies.

The modern developing world is swept by the avalanche of empty
words press releases during regular forums. Nobody listened to
the speeches and nobody read countless pages of declarations.

It seems that those who want to be heard by the world should
attempt to create commercially effective and attractive global
media services like Al-Jazeera. The "third world" never managed
to assume a key role on the global arena because it failed to
reach every household in developed countries through clear and
accessible information about its problems, demands and
possibilities. The enemies of poor countries are not governments
with imperial attitudes, but, instead, pure human traits: Greed,
indifference, and self-conceit of the strong.

Those features can be seen all over the globe. We could only
use them for better purposes the way global news empires do every
day. Those 20 percent of the global population that possess 80
percent of the world riches often do not have the slightest idea
about what is going on with the remaining 80 percent of the
dwellers of our planet.

In addition, the developing world can and must announce its
values, the achievements of its cultures, religions and
civilizations loudly and decisively to make others respect them.
Many developing countries have used the non-alignment principle
to shield political incursions from the West and from the East
for decades. Even those who hated it had to respect and accept
it.

The principle of plurality of cultures, values and approaches
can also help many countries get rid of the complex of being
eternal students forced to take repeated "maturity and good
manners" exams under the scrutiny of other nations.

The changes in the approaches must be morally acceptable for
any person belonging to the "golden billion". And if the West
feels that it has the right to hold other countries accountable
by presenting lists of human rights violators, other countries
must possess this right as well. Such a method will work if the
appeals go directly to ordinary voters.

Further, while the developing world is still knocking on the
"golden billion's" door, threats in today's world are as useless
as supplications. Nobody will ever forget the 1990s, when
governmental aid in the area of global development dropped from
US$60 billion to $35 billion.

Thus the "first world" enjoyed the fruits of its victory over
the "second world" -- the victory, which allowed it to avoid
spending funds on bribing certain "third world" regimes. Only the
fear of terrorism forced the developed world to consider the
return to the previous aid levels.

The same fear mixed with the sense of military superiority led
to the tragedy in Iraq. Still, there are factors even stronger
than weapons -- greed and the envy of businesspeople. Money
attracts money, and success attracts success.

This means cooperation along the South-South axis. Developing
countries can achieve success along these lines if they manage to
show that at least some of them are sufficiently rich and
influential to survive on their own.

The world is barely aware of the fact that the South can
successfully trade with the South, even if that includes a few
countries such as India, South Africa, Malaysia and several
others. South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana C. Dlamini Zuma
promised recently in Bandung to create a new strategic
partnership among developing countries in the sphere of politics
and economy. Very well.

Let this new partnership, which will attract the interest of
companies and organizations, instead of governments, emerge
alongside the world of dollars and regulations of the World Trade
Organization, and make it become envious and willing to
cooperate with a new economic reality.

Give us a new Bandung -- simple, understandable, and
attractive for a billion of voters in the developed world -- and
they will force their governments to cooperate with this emerging
reality themselves.