Colombo, Sri Lanka | June 2, 2025, Marking a historic milestone in the pursuit of global justice, the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference is being commemorated today and tomorrow (June 2–3) at Olympus Hall, Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS), Colombo. The international conference titled “70 Years After Bandung: Challenges and Struggles on the Road to Self-Determination and South–South Solidarity” brings together scholars, policymakers, activists, and thought leaders from Asia, Africa, and Latin America to reflect on the enduring legacy of Bandung and chart a path forward for the Global South.
The event is jointly organized by International Development Economics Associates (IDEAs), BCIS, and Yukthi, to critically examine the contemporary relevance of the Bandung principles and invigorating conversations around self-determination, decolonization, and economic sovereignty in the Global South.
Remembering Bandung, Reviving Solidarity
The 1955 Bandung Conference in Indonesia marked a watershed moment in postcolonial history, as it brought together 29 newly independent nations from Africa and Asia. The Conference laid the foundation for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and produced the now historic Ten Bandung Principles,a declaration for peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and resistance to imperialism. Seventy years later, the struggle for sovereignty, equity, and a just world order remains unfinished.
“Today, the Bandung spirit is more relevant than ever,” said one of the organizers during the opening session. “From debt dependency and climate injustice to militarization and corporate extractivism, the Global South continues to confront new forms of imperial domination. This conference is about reclaiming that spirit of unity and reimagining pathways to collective liberation.”
A Two-Day International Dialogue
Held at the BCIS, an emblematic location that hosted the 5th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, the conference provides a timely and symbolic platform for renewing South–South dialogues. Day One commenced with an inaugural session attended by distinguished guests, setting the stage for in-depth discussions on Bandung’s legacy and the enduring challenges to self-determination.
Day Two will feature three high-level panel discussions, addressing:
- The historical and contemporary relevance of the Non-Aligned Movement
- The socio-economic and political crises confronting the Global South
- Emerging strategies and alliances for South–South cooperation and solidarity
Responding to Contemporary Crises
Participants from Sri Lanka, India, South Africa, Brazil, and other countries are expected to explore pressing issues such as economic inequality, geopolitical realignment, climate colonialism, food insecurity, and the weaponization of finance. They will also reflect on how Global South countries can assert greater control over natural resources, promote people-centric development, and resist coercive tactics by global powers.
Discussions will emphasize the decolonization of international financial institutions, the resistance against unilateral sanctions, and the need for democratic multilateralism in global governance.
The Way Forward
As the world contends with an escalating polycrisis—from war and displacement to pandemics and ecological collapse—this conference urges the Global South to return to the Bandung ethos: mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and collective resistance to domination.
More than just a commemoration, the Colombo event is a call to action—to build new solidarities across borders, shape a fairer world order, and strengthen the struggle for economic, political, and ecological justice.
Agenda for the Conference
70 YEARS AFTER BANDUNG: Challenges and Struggles on the Road to Self-Determination and South–South Solidarity 02nd & 03rd June 2025 at Olympus Hall, BCIS
Agenda
| TIME | EVENT | |
| Day 01 Monday, 02nd June 2025 (03.00 PM-05.30 PM) | 03:00 PM – 03:30 PM | Registration and Tea |
| 03:30 PM – 03:45 PM | Welcome and Introduction by Ms. Priyanthi Fernando (Sri Lanka), BCIS | |
| 03:45 PM – 04:10 PM | Keynote Professor C.P Chandrasekhar (India), IDEAs | |
| 04:10 PM – 05:30 PM | Response to the Keynote Chair: Ms. Priyanthi Fernando, BCIS Speakers: Dr. Aziz Salmone Fall (Senegal), Dr. Zhun Xu (The People’s Republic of China), Dr. Bruno Martarello De Conti (Brazil), and Dr. Farwa Sial (United Kingdom) |
| TIME | EVENT | |
| Day 02 Tuesday, 03rdJune 2025(9:00 AM –5:00 PM) | 09:00 AM – 09:30 AM | Registration |
| 09:30 AM – 10:00 AM | Keynote Professor Anil Jayantha, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Sri Lanka | |
| 10:00 AM – 11:15 AM | Panel 01: Crisis, Planning and Industrial Policy Chair: Dr. Ahilan Kadirgamar (Sri Lanka), University of Jaffna Speakers: Dr. Nimrod Zalk (South Africa), Dr. N’dongo Samba Sylla (Senegal), andDr. Amali Wedagedera (Sri Lanka) | |
| 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM | Tea Break |
| 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM | Panel 02: Decolonization, Bandung Spirit and the New International Economic Order (1974)Chair: Dr. Sakuntala Kadirgamar (Sri Lanka), LST Speakers: Dr. Sabatho Nyamsenda (Tanzania), Dr. Farabi Fakih (Indonesia), Mr. Balasingham Skanthakumar (Sri Lanka), and Dr. Javiera Maria Manzi Araneda (Chile) | |
| 01:00 PM- 02:30 PM | Lunch Break | |
| 02:30 PM – 05:00 PM | Panel 03: New Multilateralism, South-South Solidarity, and AlternativesChair: Professor C. P. Chandrasekhar, IDEAs, Dr. Freedom Mazwi (Zimbabwe), Mr. Ameed Faleh (Palestine), Dr. Andong Zhu (The People’s Republic of China), Ms. Jahnavi Sen (India), Ms. Swastika Arulingam (Sri Lanka), Ms. Varsha Gandikota (India) | |
| 05:00 PM | Tea and End of the Conference |
For live updates and panel summaries, follow @Bandung70Colombo on social media and visit yukthisl.org or BCIS.lk.
Media Contact:
Yukthi Collective for Economic Justice or Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS)
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Phone: +94 11 268 2110
Twitter:@YukthiSL or @BCISLanka
YouTube: Yukthi TV, Law & Society Trust Sri Lanka
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