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View all search resultsBRICS revives Bandung Spirit to unite Global South
The Bandung Spirit, first articulated during the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference in West Java, was the first major political expression of unity among formerly colonized nations. It emphasized principles of self-determination, non-intervention and equality in global relations, advocating independence from great power domination.
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(Left to right) Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China's Premier Li Qiang, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pose for a family photo during the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6, 2025. BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday are expected to decry US President Donald Trump's “indiscriminate“ trade tariffs, saying they are illegal and risk hurting the global economy. (AFP/Pablo Porciuncula)
D
uring his debut at the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, President Prabowo Subianto called on member nations to revive the Bandung Spirit and show united leadership in the face of escalating global tensions and the United States’ tariff policy.
An official statement on Monday reaffirmed Jakarta’s “full support” for BRICS’ economic cooperation vision, noting that Indonesia’s recent entry into the group aims to “strengthen” its global standing while promoting stability and shared prosperity.
Prabowo arrived in Brazil over the weekend after a stop in Jeddah, where he held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on recent developments in the Middle East. He received a warm welcome from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who mentioned him by name in his opening remarks and described BRICS as a modern embodiment of the Bandung Spirit.
Lula drew parallels between the current geopolitical climate and the Cold War era, invoking the legacy of the 1955 Bandung Conference, where newly independent nations gathered in Indonesia to reject bloc politics and assert a non-aligned stance in a polarized world.
“BRICS embodies the Bandung Spirit,” Lula told fellow BRICS leaders. “With multilateralism under attack, our autonomy is in check once again,” he added, as reported by Reuters.
Read also: Prabowo touts South-South cooperation at BRICS summit
In a closed-door session following Lula’s remarks, Indonesia reaffirmed its “firm support” for global peace through multilateralism and justice in international governance. Jakarta also called for deeper solidarity among BRICS members and concrete reforms to make global institutions more representative and equitable.
