Bandung Conference

Bandung Conference

The Bandung managed to create a personality of both Asia and Africa while still holding itself as a part of the rest of the world and not separating. The Bandung Conference is also termed as the precursor to the Belgrade Non-aligned conference because it gives ideas on how world peace can be attained and how the dangers associated with nuclear weapons can be reduced. The Bandung Conference is majorly attributed to the decolonization of third world countries.

Sukarno, who was the President of Indonesia at that time, was the one who brought up the idea of a summit conference of Asian African countries.  In April 1955, before the Bandung conference was held, fourteen representatives from the Asian nationalities decided to meet in Delhi (Acharya 652). In their meeting, they made a decision to unite with African countries in spite of their difference in both social and political systems. The two groups decided to establish unity and friendship with the objectives of promoting cooperation between African and Asian countries. They also aimed at examining social, economic, and political issues, evaluate any topic of interest to both Asian and African individuals, and to explore the position held by Asia and African countries in the world together with their contributions in increasing peace

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Intending to discuss the various ways through which individuals from Asia and Africa could increase economic production, cultural and political cooperation, and abolish racialism and colonialism, the Asian states met in April 1955 in Bandung, Indonesia (Fifield 508). The Conference took place from 18^th to 24^Th.  Of April 1955. Of the participants, 23 were from Asian countries and six from African countries.  The Conference played a significant role in enhancing mutual cooperation among Asian countries and African Countries. The Conference also helped in creating a favorable atmosphere to reduce international tensions and promotion of peace in the world. 

Only eight of the 29 members in the Conference followed the Non-alignment principle. This included India, Burma, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Egypt. Other countries had military commitments to the U.S., and thus their foreign policy dependent on their membership in organizations like  NATO, ANZAM, and SEATO. Among the nations include Iran, Japan, and Turkey.

The dominant Bandung spirit was unity and strength. The most important document of the Conference being the promotion of cooperation and peace in the world. All the members of the Conference agreed that all nations had the right to choose a political and economic system together with a way of life of maintaining the United Nations Charter principles (Fifield 510). They all created the principles of the inter-state relations that further led to the development of the principles of peaceful coexistence (Panchsheel principles).

The Panchsheel principles were:

• Honor for the United Nations charter
• Reciprocal honor for one another’s authority and territorial integrity
• Acknowledgment of equality of all races and countries whether they are big or small
• Non –intervention no interference in each other’s national affairs
• Honor for the right of every nation for personal or collective defense in conformity with the United Nations charter
• Abstaining from exerting pressure on other nations
• Refraining from exploiting agreement on collection defense of self-interest on the part of big powers
• Mutual non-aggression and use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any country
• Use of peaceful means to settle international disputes. This includes negotiation, arbitration, court settlement, or other ways that a party may select according to the United Nations Charter principles.
• Help in the interest and cooperation’s of every nation
• The honor of justice and international responsibilities.

During the Conference, the parties were able to know which nations were sincerely supporting the Non-alignment idea and which countries were compromising the concept of the development of an independent, peaceful state. Most of the participants were individuals from young countries that had been established because of the balance between democracy forces, on the one hand, and the other hand, freedom from colonialism and persecution.

Sukharno urged every individual not to limit their interests only to the problem facing their Asian continents but to consider the problems faced by other continents in the world. This is because a problem facing the world is a problem in their own country as well, and the solution is to solve the global problem. The Bandung Conference talked about the global problems facing Asia and Africa and the ways to increase economic, political, and cultural cooperation among the Asian and African countries (Acharya 652). They mainly discussed peace of the world, the security of individuals from Asia and Africa, friendliness among themselves, and the ways to get Africa and Asia free from colonialism and discrimination on a racial basis. It was, however, not easy for the participants to achieve the objective of the Conference due to their different ideas and opinions. However, they all wanted for African and Asian nations to attain peace, so they worked together to achieve the success of the Conference.

The Conference defended the fundamental human rights and the rights of the nations that were being oppressed and discriminated against and segregated because of their race. The Conference demanded unconditional observation of the right of self-determination together with segregation. It also condemned the custom of submitting countries to foreign exploitation and domination.

The Bandung Conference showed a different way of fighting the problems faced by humans and various ways of improving the principles of international political action, universal global cooperation, a necessity for both cultural and economic interdependence, and the desire for general peace and security. These show the latest facts of the international situation and are all part of nationalism. Through their refusal to have faith in democracy and communism, Non-alignment is able to change contemporary nationalism into internationalism.

The Conference aimed mostly at attaining the peace and security of many countries. Most of their anxiety was expressed during the cold war, atomic war menace and requested for a reduction of the arms, universal disbarment, and for nuclear weapons to be destroyed.  The Bandung conference served as a bridge for uniting Africans, Asians, Europeans, and Latin Americans.

“The spirit of Bandung” still exists even after the Conference. It is closely related to the unity of African and Asian nations to provide a joint solution for urgent international problems. This way, they are able to safeguard the peace of the world and develop the main features of peaceful coexistence. Sixty years after the Conference, decolonization occurred, and most developing countries are currently independent (Chakrabarty 4814). The Conference’s fundamental principles that are mutual interest, solidarity, and respect of national authority still play an essential role in guiding the relationship between third world countries.

The Bandung Conference was able to prove that despite the differences in the socio-economic lives of African and Asian countries, the Afro-Asian could still be united on a common platform to fight for the international peace and security. It marked the start of African and Asian countries working together as a group in the United Nations Organizations on different global problems.

The idea of Non-alignment was further established in Yugoslavia in July 1956 when Josip Broz Tito and Gamel Abdul Nasser met. They praised the concepts of the Bandung conference (Acharya 650). The Bandung conference also led to the development of the Non-Aligned Movement (N.A.M.) in 1961 and the Group of 77 (G77) in 1964 (“The Role of Developing Countries in World Politics” 50).  These groups enable developing countries to give their ideas in both political and economic issues in the United Nations and other international meetings hence enhancing unity among developing countries of the south. The South Centre and its precursor, the South Commission, also emerged due to the South-South spirit of the Bandung Conference.

Various regional initiatives that have occurred in Africa, Asia, and Latin America a few years back are also reflections of the concepts of the South-South cooperation and unity discussed in the Bandung conference. This is with the inclusion of the African Union, the Union of South American Nations (UNSAUR) and the BRICS grouping (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). Bank of South is considered relevant examples of the South-South vision from Bandung.

The Bandung Conference was comprised of  South nations and nations that arose from the Non-Alignment Movement, that is, countries from Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The states were socially and economically unstable compared to other nations; hence they were termed as Global South. Yes, it is fair to label these nations as “global south” (“The Role of Developing Countries in World Politics” 50). The World Bank uses the term Global South to refer to nations that have low and middle amounts of income in comparison to the Global North Nations that receive higher incomes.

Most of Global South nations are explained as newly industrialized or in the process of being industrialized. In terms of freedom, they have low-quality democracies, and the Northern States, specifically European, once colonized most. The countries are mainly situated in or near the tropical (Chakrabarty 4816). The Global South, however, does not necessarily mean geographically south because the nations are located at one half of the globally North-South divide, and it’s the Northern hemisphere that is inhabited. The term Global South is used as an alternative to the “third world.”

Conclusion

The Bandung Conference was established to help unite the Asian and African Countries.  The aim of the Conference was for the Afro-Asians to share their political and economic problems and find a solution together. The main principles of the Conference were solidarity, mutual interest, and respect for each other’s national authority. It’s through the Bandung Conference that most developing countries were able to be decolonized. This Conference has had a significant impact on both African and Asian countries because it is now easy for them to unite for a common goal. It has also enabled the developing countries to join the U.N.O. Nations that arose from the N.A.M. are termed as “global south” because they are considered to be socially and economically unstable compared to Global North.

Works Cited

Acharya, Amitav. “Global International Relations (I.R.) and Regional WorldsA New Agenda for International Studies.” International studies quarterly 58.4 (2014): 647-659.

Chakrabarty, Dipesh. “Legacies of Bandung: Decolonisation and the politics of culture.” Economic and Political Weekly (2005): 4812-4818.

Fifield, Russell H. “The five principles of peaceful coexistence.” American Journal of International Law 52.3 (1958): 504-510.

The Role of Developing Countries in World Politics. Address at the Third International Forum of the Friedrich –Ebert Stiftung in Tokyo, Japan. Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved. (2012):49-53