Bandung conference

Kiera Glazer, Chair

Email: klg8353@nyu.edu

In April of 1955, as colonial empires declined, representatives of 29 countries from Asia and Africa came together in Bandung, Indonesia, facing a defining question: could they forge true independence when two superpowers demanded they choose sides? Fresh from decades of colonial rule, they convened to chart a path for their collective future, discussing peace, economic development, decolonialization, and the role of the “Third World” during the Cold War. The meeting covered the topics of self-determination, non-aggression and non-interference, equality, and respect for sovereignty. This conference set the stage for the nonaligned movement during the Cold War, and by its conclusion, attendees signed a communiqué covering a range of goals. Here, delegates will reenact these debates and discussions, creating their own version of the Bandung Final Communiqué and charting a course for collaboration between participating nations, both during the Cold War and beyond. But, as the US and USSR extend aid and make implicit threats, can delegates maintain solidarity when economic and political pressures mount?