UI opens Non-Aligned Movement study center

By Achmad Nurhoeri

JAKARTA (JP): The prestigious state University of Indonesia has established a center to study the development of the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM), of which Indonesia is now chairman.

The Center of Analysis for NAM Studies hopes to produce studies that could be used by the 112-nation movement as the basis of its policy-making decisions.

Although Indonesia is past the half way mark of its three-year term and will end its chairmanship next September, the proponents of the new center did not think that they have arrived late.

And judging by the remarks of proponents at the inauguration on Wednesday, the center could present a major departure from the tone of Indonesia's leadership at NAM, which is seeking cooperation rather than confrontation with industrialized countries.

They fully support Indonesia's insistence that the movement, founded in the early 1960s to accommodate countries not wanting to be dragged into the superpowers' Cold War, is still relevant to this day as a forum for developing countries.

Dr. Hero Kuntjoro-Jakti, head of the university's international relations department, said at the inauguration that NAM, whose members largely comprise of developing countries, needs to be able to stand up in the face of domination by the wealthy industrialized countries.

Hero suggested that NAM should be united in facing economic giants rather than trying to meet them individually.

He said, at best Indonesia could only play a moderate role as NAM spokesman in view of reliance on aid and trade from the industrialized countries. Even Malaysia, whose prime minister Mahathir Mohamad is an ardent critic of the West, has its limits because it too depends on the United States and Europe for a large portion of its trade, he added.

Soesiswo Soenarko, chief director of the NAM study center, said one of NAM's chief difficulties is that it is a movement and not a proper organization.

He also noted that some NAM members have doubts about the relevance of the movement after the end of the Cold War.

"Indonesia, as its chairman, needs every input it can get to solve the matter and that is why this center was formed," Soesiswo said.

The center was formally inaugurated in the presence of Sundaru Rachmat, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Research and Development Agency.

The center, which will be manned by scholars of the university's School of Social and Political Sciences, has also been retained by the Ministry under a five-year contract to help with some studies and come up with solutions to a number of problems.

Inputs

Zainuddin Jafar, who will be running the center's day to day activity, said the sheer size of NAM makes leading the movement more difficult. He pointed out that NAM is the second largest forum in the world after the United Nations.

"They need inputs from scholars to create formulas that really work," Zainuddin said.

The center has established seven divisions, based on issues facing the movement, including the debt problem of developing countries.

The center also has plans to establish multi-disciplinary studies in cooperation with schools in the university. It also hopes to develop a data base that monitors the political and economic trends in all NAM member countries.