Redressing imbalances

Redressing imbalances

There can be no denying that the first ever Asia-Africa
Conference, which was held in 1955 in the West Java city of
Bandung, pushed colonialism into a corner and inspired many more
countries to strive for independence.

It is worth noting that at the time the conference opened
there were only four independent countries in Africa -- Egypt,
Libya, Ethiopia and Sudan. The Bandung Conference had the effect
of a rolling snowball. After the Bandung example, new independent
countries emerged not only in Africa and Asia, but throughout
what is now known as the Third World.

The Bandung spirit further led Asian and African countries
towards the creation of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) six years
later. As most observers will admit, the NAM did much to prevent
the Cold War from deteriorating into a conflagration. Although
the NAM membership embraced only developing countries, its voice
was heard by the superpowers because it represented the majority
of the world's population.

The Bandung spirit also made many countries realize that by
joining military pacts with either the countries of the West or
those of the Socialist bloc they would only cause themselves to
be used as pawns in the global political forum.

Unfortunately it must be noted that in spite of those
achievements the condition of many of the world's developing
countries have remained deplorable. In a number of cases the
situation is even worse than before independence was attained.
Some of those countries have become enmeshed in poverty. Others
are strangled by foreign debts or are involved in wars with
neighboring countries. Worse still, some of them have become
embroiled in civil strife within their own borders which have
taken the lives of thousands of people.

It is for this reason that we believe the words of advice
spoken by President Soeharto during the commemoration of the 40th
anniversary of the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung on Monday
deserve the attention of leaders in the developing world.
Expressing regret over the fact that so many of the concerns
addressed by the 1955 Conference have remained unresolved,
President Soeharto reminded the leaders that great numbers of
people are being killed or maimed because disputes are not being
settled through negotiation or other peaceful means.

Furthermore, the current international situation in the wake
of the Cold War still deserves attention. In President Soeharto's
words: "Teeming millions in the developing world still languish
in the grip of poverty, ignorance and backwardness because of the
inequities and imbalances in international economic
relationships," Soeharto said. Therefore, he advised, "our
movement must continue evolving and growing in enlightenment, but
always within the framework of the principles and ideals that the
Asia-Africa Conference spelled out for all time 40 years ago."

In other words, solidarity and cooperation remain badly needed
in this shrinking world in order to improve social and economic
conditions in many of Asia's and Africa's relatively newly
independent countries. The global imbalances must be redressed in
order that the last say in world political and economic affairs
does not always belong to the industrial countries of the world.