Bandung 1955
In April 1955, an event that became a turning point in world history took place: the Asian-African Conference in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The well-known leaders of newly independent countries of Asia and Africa took part actively in the meeting: Chou En-Lai, Ho Chi Minh, John Lionel Kotalawela, Mohammed Ali, Nasser, Nehru, Soekarno, U-Nu and others. It is the first time in world history that representatives of the former colonised nations united their forces and proposed alternatives to the hegemony of the superpowers. It is the birthday of the so-called Third World countries, the New Emerging Forces, the Developing Countries. Since that time, the voice of marginalized peoples has been taken into account in the world order. It has led to the decolonisation of the whole of Asia and Africa and to the formation of a Non-Aligned Movement as the Third Way between the Two Blocs of Superpowers. It has contributed enormously to the evolution of humanity towards a more just and peaceful world.
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50 Years Later
50 years later, colonisation has officially disappeared, the Cold War has ended, the Non-Aligned Movement has almost lost its reason of being. Humankind has entered into a new era of civilisation generated by the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs): Globalisation. Yet, similar systems of domination by the powerful in the world order persists, wars continue to threaten humanity and injustice has appeared in more sophisticated forms and larger dimensions. Where is our world going? Is a better world still possible? Is there any alternative to the present course of globalisation? |
In Search of Alternatives
It is probably those questions that explain why the 50 th anniversary of the Bandung Asian-African was commemorated enthusiastically, not only by the governments of African and Asian countries, but also by peoples in Africa and Asia as well as in other parts of the world.
While the governments of African and Asian countries were united to celebrate the anniversary by organising an Asian-African Summit in Jakarta and Bandung in April 2005, civil society organisations commemorated the anniversary in diverse places, times and ways: Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mali, Srilanka, Thailand, USA, etc. |
Bandung of States and Bandung of Peoples
During the colonial period and the Cold War, the governments/states (of Africa and Asia) were the representation of their peoples' dreams. However, post-colonial development, especially since 1970s, has made appear the distinction between the aspirations of the peoples and the interests of the governments. The end of the Cold War has accentuated this separation, while the course of economic globalisation has provoked the emergence and the growth of transnational social and solidarity movements. The legacy of Bandung does therefore not only belong to the states, but also to the peoples beyond national boundaries. That is why the activities based on Bandung Spirit organised by peoples or civil society organisations should not be seen as competitors or opponents of the states or governments, but as expressions of peoples' participation in the collective search for alternatives to the present course of globalisation.
Logo
The logo of Bandung Spirit was designed for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Bandung Asian-African Conference 1955 which was organised by civil society movements in Indonesia in April 2005. It takes the form of a flower as a symbol of love and peace. The number of petals (50) refers to the 50th anniversary, while the five colours symbolise five continents and their cultural diversity. The composition of the petals is such that it gives the impression of a collective movement - following the movement of the hands of clock - and symbolises dynamism, interdependence and solidarity - following the time. The logo designer is Erwinton P. Napitupulu, Indonesian architect based in Bandung.
This website
This website is dedicated to Bandung Spirit-based activities organised by peoples and civil society organisations.
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BANDUNG SPIRIT BOOK SERIES
NEW PUBLICATION
THE RISE OF RELIGION-BASED POLITICAL MOVEMENTS:
A Threat or a Chance for Peace, Security and Development among the Nations?
Some Issues and Cases from Asia, Middle East and Arab World
With Comparative Views from Europe and Africa
Editor: Darwis Khudori
Publisher: ICRP (Indonesia): www.icrp-online.org
Co-publishers: CCFD (France); DCLI (France); GRIC (University of Le Havre, France); ILDES (Lebanon); PAX ROMANA (Switzerland); Secours Catholique (France); Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Thaksin University (Thailand)
Year: 2009
Dimensions: 15 cm x 22 cm; 314 p.
ISBN: 978-979-18746-0-1
More information
55 BANDUNG 55 FOLLOW-UP
INDONESIA, MOROCCO AND OTHER EVENTS
Dear Friends,
I would like to share with you some information, impressions, ideas and suggestions related to the 55 BANDUNG 55 process.
INDONESIA EVENT
The 55 BANDUNG 55 inaugural events have taken place in a modest way as planned. I like to call it a "self-help" meeting due to the self-financing of all the participants, including the international ones, especially related to the international travel and local accommodation. 13 international participants took part in the event, fully or partially.
Besides the participants (whose immense contribution and active role were essential), several Indonesian institutions and individuals have made the event a success, thanks to their financial as well as in-kind contribution and their enthusiastic volunteers. They were Jakarta-based (ICRP, IPI, NBI, Creative Culture, Alumni of the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Indonesia,...), Bandung-based (Erwinthon Napitupulu, Dodo Juliman, Jehansyah Siregar, Sony Soeng, Museum of Asian-African Conference), and Yogyakarta-based (YPR, SEPI, CRCS, LKiS, Karta Pustaka, Papuan Students Association, Pandeyan Kampong Inhabitants,...).
The last session of the Yogyakarta conference was dedicated to a reflection and follow-up of the event. All the speakers affirmed the importance of DIVERSITY ISSUES as federating theme in our collective work for African-Asian development. Inspired by the event, HE Wenping (female) from China and Mussolini LIDASAN (male) from the Philippines expressed their wish to organise a conference on ethnic minorities respectively in a Chinese province inhabited by ethnic minorities and in Mindanao where the ethnic and religious problems remain unsolved since 400 years. When? We wait for their news.
Meanwhile, Elmostafa REZRAZI from Morocco announced the coming conference on "Les enjeux de la crise économique pour la coopération Afrique-Asie" to be held in Rabat on May 29 and 30, 2009. This was to be integrated into the 55 BANDUNG 55 process.
Read the full text...
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