Paul Robeson
Source:
Spotlight on Africa, (Vol.. XIV, No. 4) April 1955; pp. 16-18.
Published by The Council on African Affairs, Suite 6, 139 West 125th
Street, New York, NY, USA.
Transcription: Juan Fajardo.
Fair Use: Marxists Internet Archive (2023).
PAUL ROBESON, Chairman of African Affairs, in his Message of Greetings to the Asian-African Conference, said in part:
“Heartfelt greeting to all of you, peoples come from the shores of the Ganges and the Nile, the Yangtze and the Niger, nations of the vast Pacific waters, greetings on this historic occasion.
“It is my profound conviction that the very fact of the convening of the Conference of Asian and African nations at Bandung, Indonesia, in itself will be recorded as an historic turning-point in all world affairs. A new vista of human advancement in all spheres of life has been opened by t his assembly. Conceived, convoked, and attended by representatives of the great majority of the world’s population in Asia and Africa who have long been subjected to colonial serfdom and foreign domination, the Asian-African Conference signalizes the power and the determination of the peoples of these two great continents to decide their own destiny, to achieve and defend their sovereign independence, to control the rich resources of their own lands, and to contribute to the promotion of world peace and cooperation.
“The time has come when the colored peopled of the world will no longer allow the great natural wealth of their countries to be exploited and expropriated by the Western world while they are beset by hunger, disease, and poverty. It is clearly evident that these evils can be eradicated and that the economic, social and cultural advancement of whole populations of hundreds of millions of people can be rapidly achieved, once modern science and industrialization are applied and directed toward raising the general level of well-being of people rather than toward the enrichment of individuals and corporations. The possibility and practicability of such rapid social advancement have been attested by those who have objectively examined the history of the Soviet Union since 1917 and developments during the last decade in the countries of Eastern Europe, in China, and in newly emancipated Asian countries such as India.
“I have long had a deep and abiding interest in the cultural relations of Asia and Africa. Years ago I began my studies of African and Asian languages and learned about the rich and age-old cultures of these mother continents of human civilization. The living evidence of the ancient kinship of Africa and Asia is seen in the language structures, in the arts and philosophies of the two continents. Increased exchange of such closely related cultures cannot help but bring into flower a richer, more vibrant voicing of the highest aspirations of colored peoples the world over.
“Indeed, the fact that the Asian and African nations, possessing similar yet different cultures, have come together to solve their common problems must stand as a shining example to the rest of the world. Discussion and mutual respect are the first ingredients for the development of peace between nations. If other nations of the world follow the example set by the Asian-African nations, there can be developed an alternative to the policy of force and an end to the H-Bomb war. The people of Asia and Africa have a direct interest in such a development since it is a well-known fact that thermonuclear weapons have been used only against the peoples of Asia. There is at present a threat to once more use them against an Asian people.
“I fully endorse the objectives of the Conference to prevent any such catastrophe, which would inevitably bring about suffering and annihilation to all the peoples of the world. Throughout the world all decent people must applaud the aims of the Conference to make the maximum contribution of the Asian and African countries to the cause of world peace.
“One of the most important causes of world tension has been and continues to be the imperialist enslavement of nations. Peace in Asia is directly linked with the problems of freedom and full sovereign rights for the nations of Asia. As for Africa, most of the vast continent, as we know, still groans in chains. In North Africa, in Kenya, East Africa, and in other areas imperialist terror has been unleashed in an attempt to keep freedom-aspiring peoples in subjection. South Africa feels the lash of the redoubled racist fury of her white ruling class. But this is the time of liberation, and Africa too shall shout in freedom and glory. Soon. Yes, now, in our day!”