ISSUE IV : Note from the Editor
Global South Dreams
By Sean Jacobs
This issue comes out as we mark 70 years since the Bandung Conference.
The conference took place in from 18 to 24 April 1955 in Bandung, Indonesia, which had recently gained independence. Delegates from 29 Asian and African nations, the majority of whom were also independent, gathered to discuss decolonization, world peace, and cooperation, laying the groundwork for the Non-Aligned Movement.
It is worth marking this anniversary, particularly as the United States appears increasingly intent on retreating from global engagement.
It is worth noting that a number of notable Black Americans attended the conference, including Adam Clayton Powell Jr., a Democratic congressman from New York, and the renowned writer Langston Hughes. Interestingly, both men embodied the complex and often contradictory politics of their generation—simultaneously loyal to the American Cold War agenda while also championing the aspirations of the Third World.
As Bandung was in session, the Algerian war of independence against France was in its second year, the Vietnamese had defeated the French colonists in Indochina one year before, and the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya was in its third year.
The Bandung Conference adopted ten principles that are now widely quoted. These include respect for human rights and the principles of the UN Charter, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the equality of all nations, large and small. The principles also call for non-interference in internal affairs, the right of nations to self-defense, and the abstention from using collective defense to serve the interests of major powers. They emphasize the peaceful resolution of disputes, mutual cooperation among nations, and respect for justice and international obligations. These principles aimed to promote peaceful coexistence and oppose aggression, laying a foundation for the Non-Aligned Movement, and to some extent the Tricontinental, the Third World, and eventually the Global South.
This issue explores Sri Lanka’s ongoing revolution, with Senani Dehigolla reflecting on Donald Trump’s return to the White House. She compares it to Sri Lanka’s 2019 election of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, a corrupt general, where people sought a strongman to reform politics. However, their correction came through civil uprising. Senani, a GPIA alum, sees a striking political déjà vu as Trump reignites dormant prejudices, placing democracy at risk in pursuit of a “greater America.” His policies—mass deportations, federal bans, and global democratic collapse—highlight the authoritarian path America often takes in its pursuit of greatness. Trump’s reelection reflects political frustration with the lack of progressive alternatives. But for Senani, the legacy of Sri Lanka's Aragalaya reminds us that political awareness and rejecting divisive politics can transform into a commitment to change and prevent the return of the past.
Thank you to the contributors to this issue: Mara Levi, Nikki Veltkamp, Emma Jehle, Roni Zahavi-Brunner, Ivan Pech Luna, Atash Nowroozian, Senani Dehigolla, Fernanda Rebelato, Alex Rossen, and Stefan Liebich. Finally, props to our designer Nirkhunan Kuppuram.