Dasasila Bandung: A 70-Year-Old Moral Compass for a Divided World

More than seven decades ago, the city of Bandung in West Java became the birthplace of a radical idea: that nations — regardless of size, wealth, or military power — could engage as equals on the world stage. The Bandung Ten Principles (Dasasila Bandung), forged at the 1955 Asian-African Conference, laid the groundwork for the Non-Aligned Movement and offered a vision of sovereignty, dignity, and peaceful coexistence.

Today, that vision is being pulled from the archives and thrust back into the spotlight — because the world needs it again.

A World Forced to Choose Sides

Global polarization is no longer abstract. It is trade wars, escalating regional conflicts, and an intensifying pressure campaign by major powers that forces developing nations into binary alignments. The multilateral order that has long shielded smaller states is under strain. Narrow interests are chipping away at global solidarity.

In this environment, the Bandung Principles have found fresh relevance — not as historical artifacts, but as a working framework for resistance and cooperation.

What Are the Bandung Principles?

The ten principles, adopted on April 24, 1955, by 29 Asian and African nations, include:

Respect for fundamental human rights and the UN Charter
Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations
Recognition of equality among all races and nations
Non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries
Respect for the right of individual and collective self-defense
Abstention from collective defense arrangements serving major-power interests
Abstention from exerting pressure on other countries
Refraining from aggression or the use of force
Peaceful settlement of international disputes
Promotion of mutual interests, cooperation, and respect for justice

These were not idealistic platitudes. They were a direct response to colonialism and Cold War bloc politics — a declaration that newly independent nations would not be pawns.

Megawati’s “Bandung Conference 2.0”

On April 17, 2026, former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri — daughter of Sukarno, who co-hosted the original 1955 conference — proposed reviving the spirit of Bandung through a new initiative she called “Bandung Conference 2.0.”

Speaking in Jakarta, Megawati argued that the original principles could serve as a moral compass in today’s fragmented global order, particularly as developing nations face mounting pressure to pick sides in great-power competition. She called for renewed dialogue between Asian and African nations to strengthen multilateralism and prevent the world from fracturing into competing blocs.

The proposal has drawn support from academic institutions and civil society groups across Asia and Africa, who see the Bandung framework as a vehicle for addressing climate change, public health crises, and economic inequality through South-South cooperation.

However, analysts note significant hurdles: divergent national interests, the complexity of modern alliances, and the absence of a unifying anti-colonial narrative that defined the original movement.

Indonesia’s Diplomatic Bridge

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry has signaled it will continue promoting the Bandung Principles in international forums. Ministry spokesperson Vahd Nabyl A. Mulachela stated that Indonesian diplomacy will uphold these values particularly in advocating for world peace amid ongoing global conflicts.

Syaroni Rofi’i, an international relations expert from the University of Indonesia, notes that the principles align with those of the United Nations — including respect for universal values, sovereignty, and a just global order.

“The values and spirit remain relevant. What is needed is to amplify them into a new moral movement among Asian and African countries.”

The challenge, he adds, lies in aligning perspectives on a shared future agenda. The complexity of today’s global issues requires concrete programs capable of bringing Asian-African countries together — not just declarations of solidarity.

Principles Into Policy

The Bandung Spirit is not merely a historical memory. It is a choice that must be renewed by every generation that inherits it.

Its relevance lies not in how often the principles are cited in speeches, but in how deeply they are reflected in real policy: resisting external pressure, upholding justice, and having the courage to challenge dominant narratives. Indonesia’s recent diplomatic engagements — including simultaneous visits to both the United States and Russia, which officials framed as reflecting its “free and active” foreign policy — suggest the Bandung DNA remains embedded in Jakarta’s decision-making.

As a key initiator of the original conference, Indonesia carries a unique moral responsibility to keep this vision alive. In a world that increasingly rewards alignment over independence, the Bandung Principles remind us that peace is not a gift from powerful nations — it is a right that must be pursued collectively by sovereign and dignified states.

The world does not need more competing power blocs. It needs a space where nations can engage as equals, speak openly, and build a shared future without fear.

That is the Bandung Promise. Seventy years on, it still holds.