In a bid to rekindle the spirit of the historic Bandung Conference of 1955 and address the pressing issues facing Palestine, the Council for Social Development (CSD) in collaboration with the India International Centre (IIC), and Bandung Network India, hosted the Bandung Day Symposium 2024 in New Delhi.
The Symposium, held in anticipation of the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference in 2025, focused on the theme ‘Building the World Anew’, with a special discussion on ‘The Future of Palestine’. Distinguished speakers, including Achin Vanaik (Former Professor, University of Delhi), and Anuradha Chenoy (Former Dean, School of International Studies, JNU), addressed the audience. The session was chaired by Manoranjan Mohanty (Former Professor, University of Delhi).
The event commenced with a welcome address by Nitya Nanda (Director, CSD) and introductory remarks by Rityusha Mani Tiwary (Convener, Bandung Network, India). The opening theme song was performed by Pratidhwani, led by Professor Subhendu Ghosh.
The Symposium aimed to engage in meaningful dialogue regarding the future of Palestine, reflecting on the Bandung Spirit and its relevance in contemporary global affairs. Going back in history, the Asian-African Conference in Bandung in April 1955, marked a pivotal moment. Leaders from newly independent Asian and African countries convened, proposing alternatives to superpower hegemony and birthing the Bandung Spirit Movement. The latter embodies a call for peaceful coexistence between nations, advocates for the liberation of the world from the dominance of superpowers, colonialism, imperialism, and opposes any form of one country’s domination over another. Additionally, it promotes racial and national equality, solidarity with the poor, weak, and marginalized communities, and their development.
The Bandung Day Symposium 2024 comes at a critical time as the world witnesses the ongoing crisis in Palestine. Prof. Mohanty noted, “The future of Palestine determines the future of the world, as issues of sovereignty, peace and equality, and ubuntu [mutual co-existence] would be tested”, irrespective of what the outcome is. As the violence and suffering inflicted upon the Palestinian people demand immediate international action, the Symposium aligns with the Bandung Spirit Network to urge nations to recommit to the Bandung principles.
Notably, during the Bandung Summit of 2015 too, participating nations reaffirmed their support for the Palestinian cause, condemning human rights violations and violence against Palestinians. The summit emphasized the need for a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the relevant United Nations resolutions. The Symposium saw it as imperative that the international community works together to ensure the rights, dignity, and safety of all people, regardless of race or nationality.
In honoring the legacy of Bandung, the Symposium sought to reaffirm the commitment to a world built on peace, justice, and equality. It concluded by urging nations to rekindle the goals of the 1955 Bandung Conference, emphasizing the need for peace, equality, and solidarity with the marginalized.