Bandung Conference Convenes

Setting the scene

By 1955, decolonization was accelerating—India, Indonesia, and others had gained independence, and many African nations were approaching it. The Cold War divided the world into U.S.-led and Soviet-led blocs, but newly independent nations sought a third path, avoiding alignment with either superpower. Leaders like Indonesia's Sukarno, India's Nehru, Egypt's Nasser, and Yugoslavia's Tito promoted non-alignment and South-South cooperation. The context was also the Korean War and growing tensions in Indochina.

What happened

From April 18-24, 1955, 29 Asian and African nations met in Bandung, Indonesia, for the Asian-African Conference. The attendees represented 1.5 billion people—over half the world's population. The conference, organized by Indonesia, Burma, India, Pakistan, and Ceylon, discussed economic cooperation, cultural exchange, human rights, and opposition to colonialism and racism. The final communiqué endorsed the 'Ten Principles of Bandung,' including respect for sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference, and peaceful coexistence—principles later incorporated into the Non-Aligned Movement.

Why it still matters

The Bandung Conference was the first major gathering of post-colonial nations and marked the emergence of the 'Third World' as a political force. It fostered Afro-Asian solidarity and led to the Non-Aligned Movement (founded 1961). Bandung demonstrated that newly independent nations could shape global politics independently of superpowers. The conference also highlighted tensions—China's Zhou Enlai attended, seeking to present China as a leader of the developing world. Bandung's principles influenced the UN's decolonization efforts and the 1960s civil rights movement (the term 'Third World' inspired 'Third World Liberation'). The conference remains a symbol of post-colonial solidarity and the Global South's agency.

Background

It helped seed ideas that fed later Non-Aligned Movement diplomacy.