Soekarnos Speech at the Opening of Asian-African Conference 18 April 1955

This twentieth century has been a period of terrific dynamism. Perhaps the last fifty years have seen
more developments and more material progress than the previous five hundred years. Man has learned to control
many of the scourges which once threatened him. He has learned to consume distance. He has learned to project
his voice and his picture across oceans and continents. lie has probed deep into the secrets of nature and learned
how to make the desert bloom and the plants of the earth increase their bounty. He has learned how to release
the immense forces locked in the smallest particles of matter.
But has man's political skill marched hand-in-hand with his technical and scientific skill? Man can
chain lightning to his command-can be control the society in which be lives? The answer is No! The political skill of
man has been far outstripped by technical skill, and what lie has made he cannot be sure of controlling.
The result of this is fear. And man gasps for safety and morality.
Perhaps now more than at any other moment in the history of the world, society, government and
statesmanship need to be based upon the highest code of morality and ethics. And in political terms, what is the
highest code of morality? It is the subordination of everything to the well-being of mankind. But today we are
faced with a situation where the well-being of mankind is not always the primary consideration. Many who are in
places of high power think, rather, of controlling the world.
Yes, we are living in a world of fear. The life of man today is corroded and made bitter by fear. Fear
of the future, fear of the hydrogen bomb, fear of ideologies. Perhaps this fear is a greater danger than the danger
itself, because it is fear which drives men to act foolishly, to act thoughtlessly, to act dangerously. .
All of us, I am certain, are united by more important things than those which superficially divide us.
We are united, for instance, by a common detestation of colonialism in whatever form it appears. We are united
by a common detestation of racialism. And we are united by a common determination to preserve and stabilize
peace in the world. . . .
We are often told "Colonialism is dead." Let us not be deceived or even soothed by that. 1 say to
you, colonialism is not yet dead. How can we say it is dead, so long as vast areas of Asia and Africa are unfree.
And, I beg of you do not think of colonialism only in the classic form which we of Indonesia, and our
brothers in different parts of Asia and Africa, knew. Colonialism has also its modern dress, in the form of economic
control, intellectual control, actual physical control by a small but alien community within a nation. It is a skilful
and determined enemy, and it appears in many guises. It does not give up its loot easily. Wherever, whenever and
however it appears, colonialism is an evil thing, and one which must be eradicated from the earth. . . .
Source : (Excerpt taken from Africa-Asia Speaks from Bandong, (Djakarta Indonesian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, 1955, 19-29)

Answer the questions below based on the speech you have understood.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Do you think politics has changed much since the time of President Sukarno?
Why did President Sukarno want everyone to be united?
What is the new kind of colonialism that President Sukarno is talking about? Does it still exist? If yes,
please describe in what ways? Support your answers with examples.
From this article, can you figure out President Sukarno's hopes and dreams for the world? Explain.
What are your hopes and dreams for the world and especially for your country? Describe.
Do you think President Sukarno was able to realize his dreams and hopes? If yes, how?
According to President Sukarno, peace is very important. What do you think? Discuss.
If you were given a chance to give a speech in front of all the presidents and prime ministers of the world,
what would you talk about? Discuss in details.

Konferensi Tingkat Tinggi AsiaAfrika (disingkat KTT Asia Afrika atau KAA; kadang juga
disebut Konferensi Bandung) adalah sebuah konferensi antara negara-negara Asia dan Afrika,
yang kebanyakan baru saja memperoleh kemerdekaan. KAA diselenggarakan oleh Indonesia,
Myanmar (dahulu Burma), Sri Lanka (dahulu Ceylon), India dan Pakistan dan dikoordinasi oleh
Menteri Luar Negeri Indonesia Sunario. Pertemuan ini berlangsung antara 18 April-24 April
1955, di Gedung Merdeka, Bandung, Indonesia dengan tujuan mempromosikan kerjasama
ekonomi dan kebudayaan Asia-Afrika dan melawan kolonialisme atau neokolonialisme Amerika
Serikat, Uni Soviet, atau negara imperialis lainnya.
Sebanyak 29 negara yang mewakili lebih dari setengah total penduduk dunia pada saat itu
mengirimkan wakilnya. Konferensi ini merefleksikan apa yang mereka pandang sebagai
ketidakinginan kekuatan-kekuatan Barat untuk mengkonsultasikan dengan mereka tentang
keputusan-keputusan yang memengaruhi Asia pada masa Perang Dingin; kekhawatiran mereka
mengenai ketegangan antara Republik Rakyat Tiongkok dan Amerika Serikat; keinginan mereka
untuk membentangkan fondasi bagi hubungan yang damai antara Tiongkok dengan mereka dan
pihak Barat; penentangan mereka terhadap kolonialisme, khususnya pengaruh Perancis di Afrika
Utara dan kekuasaan kolonial perancis di Aljazair; dan keinginan Indonesia untuk
mempromosikan hak mereka dalam pertentangan dengan Belanda mengenai Irian Barat.
Sepuluh poin hasil pertemuan ini kemudian tertuang dalam apa yang disebut Dasasila Bandung,
yang berisi tentang "pernyataan mengenai dukungan bagi kerusuhan dan kerjasama dunia".
Dasasila Bandung ini memasukkan prinsip-prinsip dalam Piagam PBB dan prinsip-prinsip
Nehru.
Konferensi ini akhirnya membawa kepada terbentuknya Gerakan Non-Blok pada 1961.

Daftar isi

1 Kilas balik
2 Pertemuan kedua
3 Peserta
4 Lihat pula
5 Referensi
6 Bacaan lebih lanjut
7 Pranala luar

Kilas balik

Prangko peringatan 50 tahun Konferensi AsiaAfrika

Prangko peringatan 50 tahun Konferensi AsiaAfrika

23 Agustus 1953 - Perdana Menteri Ali Sastroamidjojo (Indonesia) di Dewan Perwakilan

Rakyat Sementara mengusulkan perlunya kerjasama antara negara-negara di Asia dan
Afrika dalam perdamaian dunia.

25 April2 Mei 1954 - Berlangsung Persidangan Kolombo di Sri Lanka. Hadir dalam
pertemuan tersebut para pemimpin dari India, Pakistan, Burma (sekarang Myanmar), dan
Indonesia. Dalam konferensi ini Indonesia memberikan usulan perlunya adanya
Konferensi Asia-Afrika.

2829 Desember 1954 - Untuk mematangkan gagasan masalah Persidangan Asia-Afrika,

diadakan Persidangan Bogor. Dalam persidangan ini dirumuskan lebih rinci tentang
tujuan persidangan, serta siapa saja yang akan diundang.

1824 April 1955 - Konferensi Asia-Afrika berlangsung di Gedung Merdeka, Bandung.

Persidangan ini diresmikan oleh Presiden Soekarno dan diketuai oleh PM Ali
Sastroamidjojo. Hasil dari persidangan ini berupa persetujuan yang dikenal dengan
Dasasila Bandung.

Pertemuan kedua
Artikel utama untuk bagian ini adalah: Konferensi Tingkat Tinggi AsiaAfrika 2005
Untuk memperingati lima puluh tahun sejak pertemuan bersejarah tersebut, para Kepala Negara
negara-negara Asia dan Afrika telah diundang untuk mengikuti sebuah pertemuan baru di
Bandung dan Jakarta antara 19-24 April 2005. Sebagian dari pertemuan itu dilaksanakan di
Gedung Merdeka, lokasi pertemuan lama pada 50 tahun lalu. Sekjen PBB, Kofi Annan juga ikut
hadir dalam pertemuan ini.

Peserta
Pelopor KAA

Ali Sastroamidjojo

Mohammad Ali Bogra

Jawaharlal Nehru

Sir John Kotelawala

U Nu

Afganistan
Arab Saudi
Burma
Ceylon
Republik Rakyat Tiongkok
Ethiopia
India
Indonesia
Irak
Iran
Jepang
Kamboja
Laos
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Mesir
Nepal
Pakistan
Filipina
Siprus 1
Sudan
Suriah

Thailand
Turki
Republik Demokratik Vietnam
Negara Vietnam (Republik Vietnam)
Kerajaan Mutawakkilyah Yaman
Yordania

Siprus yang belum merdeka dan masih berada dalam kolonialisme diwakili oleh tokoh yang di
kemudian hari menjadi presiden pertamanya, Makarios