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Towards 50th Anniversary of Bandung
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To
all national committees and friends,
The
year 2005 commemorates the 50th anniversary of the historic Bandung of
1955. The five decades that passed has seen tremendous changes in the
world. The great advancement of the Information Technology has made
world smaller and people are in a position to get to know the daily
happenings of the world in a matter of few minutes. These achievements
certainly are a great step forwards for the well being of humankind.
The
world also has made many advances in other fields such as in Education,
Health and Agriculture. But the hegemonistic globalisation has created
serious impediments to reach these achievements to great majority of the
people. As a result poverty, disease and illiteracy are increasing
specially in the South. Uneven distribution of wealth has made rich,
richer and poor, poorer. The huge resources of Africa, Asia and Latin
America are controlled by transnational corporations. Over a billion of
people today earn less than a dollar a day. More children in the South
go to sleep without a proper square meal a day. Violence is spreading
everywhere. The civil society is confronted with enormous challenges.
How
should the people face these challenges? Can globalisation be reversed?
Is there a way out to overcome these challenges? Many more such
questions are before the people today. It is the duty of the civil
society to analyse this situation rationally. As we all know
globalisation is irreversible. But peoples' power is capable to turn
globalisation from hegemony to solidarity with a people-centred agenda.
In the recent past we have seen the immense mobilisation of millions of
people through out the world against war, WTO, IMF and World Bank. The
World Social Forum continues this process as we have seen in Mumbai.
Similarly, the Civil Society could be mobilised to campaign to make
internet a province of the United Nations and to break the monopoly of
transnational corporations which only serve the interest of the few.
Bandung provided a new dynamism and dimension to the hitherto subjected
nations who were awakening after dismantling colonialism. Both
Afro-Asian Peoples'
Solidarity Organisation and the Non-Aligned Movements were the result
of the Bandung spirit. The historic conference brought the two
continents of Africa and Asia together for a collective movement of
development through solidarity; which later was extended to Latin
America. Bandung was a conference of new leaders of these two
continents. Nehru, Chou-Enlai and Sokarno from Asia; Gamal Abdul Nasser
and Kwame NíKrumah from Africa and several others. It laid the formation
for a world where dignity of humankind was enshrined with equal respect
to all the nations irrespective of its size. The Bandung conference
proposed the ten principles known as Dasa Sila. These principles were
based on the five principles (Pancha Sila) enunciated between the
leaders of China and India in relation to inter-state co-operation.
The
ten principles which the conference accepted on April 24, 1955 as
follows:
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Respect for fundamental human rights and for the purposes and
principles for the Charter of the United Nations.
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Respect for the sovereignty and territories integrity of all
nations.
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Recognition of equality of all races and of the equality of all
nations large and small.
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Abstention from intervention or interference in the internal affairs
of another country.
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Respect for the right of each nation to defend itself, singly or
collectively, in conformity with the charter of the United Nations.
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(A) Abstention from the use of arrangements of collective defence to
serve the particular interests of any of the big powers.
(B)
Abstention by any country from exerting
pressures on other countries.
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Refraining from acts or threats of aggression or the use of force
against the territorial integrity or political independence of any
country.
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Settlement of all international disputes, by peaceful means, such as
negotiation, conciliation, arbitration of judicial settlement as
well as other peaceful means of the parties' own choices, in
conformity with the charter of the United Nations.
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Promotion of Mutual interest and co-operation.
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Respect for justice and international obligations.
The
countries which attended and accepted these principles in the
conference, 18-24 April 1955 were Burma, Ceylon, India, Indonesia,
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Peoples' Republic of China, Egypt,
Ethiopia, Gold Coast, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia,
Libya, Nepal, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Turkey,
Democratic Republic of Vietnam, State of Vietnam and Yemen.
Bandung spirit was a pillar of the United Nations. It enshrined the
United Nations Charter as the corner stone of nation building in
consolidation of peace and stability in the world. It rejected the
hegemonism of big and firmly campaigned for the democratisation of
international relations. In the historical perspective Bandung spirit is
still relevant and need to be consolidated for a benefit of humankind.
At a
time when there is a great challenge from hegemonism, to the very
existence of the United Nations, it is the duty of all those concerns to
uphold the spirit of Bandung to protect and enhance the United Nations.
The Non-Aligned Movement which was born out of Bandung was a formidable
force in the 60s and 70s. But today it has been much weakened for which
the NAM countries are primarily responsible. It is owing to the
departure from the ten principles by the NAM countries that strengthened
hegemonosim. Hence all these countries have to be reminded of the ten
principles of Bandung
which should be implemented if a meaningful economic development in
their respective countries is to take place.
There
is no basis to point a finger outside and "cry for wolf"
when the wolves were within the movement who were well protected and
nurtured to destroy their own people.
The
Permanent Secretariat appeals to all National Committees and our friends
that this heavy task has fallen on the shoulders of the people of
Asia-Africa and Latin America to mobilise to re-invigorate the Bandung
principles.
The
Permanent Secretariat is preparing to hold a seminar on Bandung +50 and
we request our national committees to do the same in their respective
countries.
Nouri Abdul Razzak
Dr.Morad Ghaleb
Secretary-General
President
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