Why Asia-Africa?

On April 22 and April 23, Indonesia will host a major summit bringing together 106 delegations from Asia and Africa. More than 53 state leaders have confirmed their attendance at the summit, which will be followed by a gathering to commemorate the historic 1955 Bandung Conference.

At a time when the country is still mourning the horrific devastation of the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami -- coupled with the emergency brought about by last week's earthquake near Nias island -- it is appropriate to ask whether it is necessary or decorous to be hosting such a lavish gathering.

Though foreign donors will cover a large portion of the event's costs, does the country need to expend time and resources on such a high-profile meet-and-greet?

Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda has been quick to deny the meeting will simply be an emotional journey to the past. He insists the summit will begin work on institutionalizing a cooperative process between the world's two largest continents, something that has been sorely lacking.

The timing of the summit was somewhat unavoidable, given that the Bandung Conference's golden jubilee has provided the momentum for the initiative.

There are certainly merits to this argument, and Indonesia's foreign policy should be based on idealism rather than the simple pragmatism of dollars and cents or the alignment of superpowers.

The Asia-Africa initiative is evidence of our commitment to establishing a cooperative global environment in which nations are equally respected, regardless of their domestic economic and political circumstances. In this respect, we should lend our support to the summit.

Indonesia has a proud history of a free and active foreign policy. Whether siding with the underdog or rejecting hegemonic domination, this summit demonstrates Indonesia retains its constitutional goals in foreign policy.

As president Sukarno said in his address to the 1955 Bandung Conference: "We can inject the voice of reason into world affairs. We can mobilize all the spiritual, all the moral, all the political strength of Asia and Africa on the side of peace."

But man cannot live by idealism alone. And it is the challenge of the foreign ministry to prove that this multimillion dollar conference can provide tangible results that benefit all Indonesians.

The ministry must respond to skepticism over summit diplomacy and criticism from individuals who believe that cooperation with Africa should be more selective, based on bilateral agreements with nations that have clear trade potential.

Officials directly involved in the process sometimes scoff at such remarks, putting them down to ignorance at the usefulness of grand multilateral diplomacy.

But these officials should be reminded that the country has seen its share of summit diplomacy, and few Indonesians can explain how any of these summits have improved their lives, other than providing them a new jargon.

Concrete cooperation that promotes short-term action and yields long-term results must be a highlight of the coming summit.

Any sense of exclusivity or extravagance should be avoided. It is imperative that organizers avoid the perception that a lavish party is being thrown at the expense of ordinary Indonesians.

It is also important for officials to project at the conference the post-New Order values that have imbued the country. The activism of Indonesian diplomacy is not just to show that "we're back". It must exhibit that Indonesia is back on the international stage with a vigor for democratic values that celebrate human dignity, political rights and economic equality.

It is in this aspect that the meeting may stumble over its paradoxes. Many Asian and African nations are notorious for being flagrant violators of political and economic rights.

Genocide and oppression are contemporary events plaguing many nations on the two continents. Sadly, many of the leaders and officials Indonesia has invited to the summit are the perpetrators of some of these heinous acts.

While it is not our intention to poke our fingers into other countries' domestic politics, Indonesia, which suffered a great deal to embrace democracy, should make clear that any cooperation between Asian and African states must be based on ethical and moral standards.

Sukarno, in remarks to delegates at the 1955 conference, said society and government "need to be based upon the highest code of morality and ethics".

He also warned that colonialism had a modern guise in the form of "control by a small but alien community within a nation". It would be regrettable not to recognize that this "alien community" is often the ruling regime of a nation itself.