The Spirit of Bandung: Asia-Africa Conference 1955-2015 SIXTY years ago, in post-World War II and an era of waning colonialism, the idea of gathering leaders of newly independent nations was ground-breaking. It did not take much for founding President Sukarno to convince new leaders like India’s Jawaharlal Nehru, China’s Zhou Enlai, Burma’s U Nu and Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser to convene in Bandung and declare their collective show of force. They were determined not to have to choose between East and West, so they formed the Third World and the Non-Aligned Movement. What is memorable about that historic event is how the Bandung spirit inspired more and more countries to become independent—like Algeria, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe and others. But times have changed, and so too global political confi gurations. Today’s struggle may be more about achieving economic independence.   Special Report: World Economic Forum AS 600 CEOs, government offi cials, academics and civil society gather in Jakarta this week to discuss the latest development issues, it is also a forum for the newly elected government of President Joko Widodo to reveal his agenda for Indonesia in the next fi ve years. The articles in this special feature include reports and analysis of the socioeconomic and political situation in Indonesia including its preparations to enter the ASEAN Economic Community, scheduled for launch at the end of the year.   Outreach: Water World ABOUT 20 percent of water sources in the Asia-Pacifi c can be found in Indonesia, yet most of the country’s population still fi nds it diffi cult to access potable water. In major cities, water is distributed by the Municipal Waterworks Company (PDAM), but it is plagued by uneven distribution and costly installation. But some communities have come up with innovative solutions. In Sibolga, North Sumatra, the community initiated the construction of a water treatment facility, sharing out the cost to install a network of pipes. At Sidrap and Pinrang, located in South Sulawesi province, the community paid for the installation of a piped-water grid through a cooperative credit scheme. Today, hundreds of families enjoy clean water in their homes. A Tempo English report to commemorate World Water Day on March 22.

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Asia-Africa Conference ,