At the 1955 Bandung Conference representatives of 29 independent Asian and African countries discussed matters ranging from national unity, decolonization, economic development and their role in international policy. The ten-point declaration of the conference, the so-called ‘Spirit of Bandung’, included the principles of nationhood for the future of the newly independent nations and their interrelations. After the Bandung Conference most ‘non-aligned’ Asian and African countries opted for philosophies of national unity to guarantee peace and stability. In the African case of Tanzania, the Ujamaa philosophy was secular although Tanzania had a ‘civic religion’. In the Asian case of Indonesia, the philosophy of Pancasila was ‘religious pluralistic’ by recognizing six ‘official’ religions. In both this and other countries, the philosophies of national unity are now contested. Therefore, 68 years after the Bandung Conference, experts from Africa, Asia and Europe address the questions:
- What philosophy, secular or religious, succeeds or succeeded in promoting peace and stability?
- Are there comparable philosophies of national unity from other countries?
This collective volume celebrates that 75 years ago the foundation was laid for the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Former and current staff members reflect on the changing meaning of engaged scholarship in relation to emancipatory issues. They offer a rich variety of essays about the shifting tension between engagement, emancipation and academic scholarship over the years.
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