Asia Pacific Research Network in cooperation with International League of People’s Struggle Study Commission No. 2 invites you to

Bandung in the 21st Century: Continuing the struggle for Independence, Peace against Imperialist War and Globalization APRIL 14-16, 2005 Bandung, Indonesia

Hosted by:
Institute for Global Justice
Aliansi Gerakan Reforma Agraria
Konsorium Pembaruan Agraria

RATIONALE
The famous Bandung Conference of 1955 has been regarded by most scholars as the first and the most emotional and visionary conference of non-aligned countries ever to be held in the 20 th century. Coming at the heels of the tenth year after the end of World War II, when people throughout the world won great victory in their fight against fascism and significant changes took place in the world politics—the collapse of the colonial system. In Asia and Africa , a great number of new national states were born after gaining independence.

In this backdrop, the Bandung Conference was convened with a view of eradicating war and oppression. It became an opportunity for Asian and African people to openly denounce colonial and neo-colonial rule and to enter the international political arena. With its resounding anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist declarations, delegates from 23 Asian and 6 African States representing more than half of the world’s population met in Bandung, Central Java, Indonesia, in April 18-22, 1955 and called for an indigenous and self-reliant development in Africa and Asia based on cultural and economic cooperation and solidarity.

The 1955 Afro-Asian Summit in Bandung not only discussed mutual interests and strategy in economic development and cultural cooperation but it also ultimately led to the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961. The term “Non-alignment” itself was coined by Jewaharlal Nehru- the then Prime Minister of India. Nehru founded the five principles which formed the basis of all international relations. 1. Respect for territorial integrity 2. Mutual non-aggression 3. Mutual non-interference in domestic affairs 4. Equality and mutual benefit and 5. Peaceful Coexistence.

The world's "non-aligned" nations declared their desire not to become involved in the East-West ideological confrontation of the Cold War. Rather, they would focus on national struggles for independence, eradication of poverty, and economic development. Bandung marked a significant milestone for the development of NAM as a political movement. The Bandung Conference adopted the Ten Principles of Bandung, which further extended and entrenched the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

The Bandung Conference symbolized continuing efforts to establish regional organizations designed to forge unity of policy and economic cooperation among Third World nations.

The spirit of Bandung was able to bring together all the great Asian and African leaders of that time and to unite them in the defense of political freedom and national independence.

Today, 50 years after that historic meeting in Bandung , we find ourselves in a world that is run by the international institutions that control global finance in alliance with those that control global production and global trade. These institutions include the World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the giants known as Transnational Corporations (TNCs). We find ourselves amidst colonial and imperialist wars and a new world order of monetarist, neo-liberal globalization endorsed, sanction and policed by the single super-power of the contemporary world, namely the United States of America .

As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, we sincerely hope that through the joint efforts of the people of all countries, a new order of international politics and economy established on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence will materialize. This will help realize prolonged world peace and a beautiful future for all mankind.

We believe that the vision of struggle against any form of domination and exploitation, the spirit that searched for alternatives to the existing world order is what the Bandung conference is all about.

But the question remains, what is the significance of the Bandung conference in context of today’s current affairs? What is the significance of the Bandung conference for civil society in its relations with governments of the developing countries in the light of post-Cold War globalization? How can the efforts for national patrimony and independence be preserved and promoted? What is the impact and role of people’s movements in this context?

These are the questions that this International Research Conference on the Golden Jubilee of the Bandung Conference seeks to answer.

OBJECTIVE

The International Research Conference on the 50 th Anniversary of Bandung aims:

  • To deepen the study and analysis on issues of development and globalization, the issue of independence and the principles of peaceful coexistence in the light of a post cold war world dominated by the US as the sole superpower creating a world not based on peace and peaceful coexistence but on global security and the “war on terror”;
  • To identify issues for advocacy and topics of research and to create interest in conducting research on the issues of independence and the role of the people in the context of various issues relating to neo-liberal globalization and war;
  • To promote cooperation in developing strategies for people’s action including lobby, especially coordinated researches on the continuing struggle for independence against imperialist globalization and war.

CONFERENCE DETAILS

This is an international research conference, which focuses on the issue of independence against imperialist globalization and war. The proposed theme is “The Spirit of Bandung: Continuing the Struggle for Independence Against Imperialist Globalization and War.”

The Conference will cover three main thematic areas:

  • Research reports on country trends and issues of development and economic globalization
  • Research reports on country trends and issues of independence and the doominance of the US as global superpower with an agenda of global security,
  • Research reports on country trends and issues of independence and the “war on terror”

The Conference will be held in Bandung , Indonesia on 14-16 April 2005. The Institute for Global Justice based in Jakarta and its partner peasant organization, Aliansi Gerakan Reforma Agraria (AGRA) and Konsorsium Pembaruan Agraria (KPA) based in Bandung will be the hosting this event. IGJ is an organization mainly focused globalization and WTO issues while the Bandung-based AGRA and KPA are peasant-based coalitions.

While the conference will be open to all members of civil society including academics and also to interested representatives of third world governments, APRN members are expected to attend the Conference. The first two days shall be open to the public. The APRN Secretariat shall announce the Conference to its international network of organizations while IGJ shall take care of the national announcement in Indonesia . Participating organizations

close window