NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT: STILL RELEVANT TODAY?

The RAPID DECOLONISATION process that followed after the SECOND WORLD WAR brought into existence numerous states in AFRICA, ASIA, and THE CARRIBBEAN which were mostly SMALL or MIDDLE-SIZED and were UNDERDEVELOPED and POLITICALLY WEAK. They faced twin tasks of NATION-BUILDING as well as TACKLING the INTERNAL dissenting forces within their societies. Alongside they had a HERCULEAN task of COPING up with UNDERDEVELOPMENT and working towards DEVELOPMENT. It is these nations whose governments came together under the Umbrella of the NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT (NAM).

The NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT (NAM) belongs to the DEVELOPING WORLD and is a COALITION of SMALL and MIDDLE-SIZED STATES of the DEVELOPING WORLD, mostly “FORMER COLONIES”. Taking its roots from the BELGRADE CONFERENCE in 1961 with the participation of 25 countries, NAM has grown over the years through several conferences and now more than 100 countries are its members. The NON- ALIGNED MOVEMENT (NAM) is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. The MOVEMENT originated in the 1950s, as an efforts by some countries to avoid the POLARISED WORLD of the COLD WAR between COMMUNIST and CAPITALIST STATES. The BANDUNG CONFERENCE of 18-24 APRIL 1955 in INDONESIA was an AFRO- ASIAN CONFERENCE, and it marked the beginning of the NON-ALIGNMENT MOVEMENT although it was formally initiated at the BELGRADE CONFERENCE in 1961. Post- Second World War also witnessed the outbreak of COLD WAR resulting in the hostilities of the two major powers, THE UNITED STATES and THE SOVIET UNION. The COLD WAR was further fuelled when the USA adopted a policy of CONTAINMENT OF COMMUNISM throughout the world, as the USSR was doing the same. The newly independent states that wanted to tide over their own problems of development and shared a similar kind of EXPLOITATIVE COLONIAL PAST, wanted to belong to neither of the camps and envisioned a POSITION OF NEUTRALITY- NON ALIGNMENT. The NAM originated under the leadership of JAWAHARLAL LAL NEHRU (INDIA), MARSHAL TITO ( YUGOSLAVIA), KUSNO SUKARNO (INDONESIA), KWAME NKRUMAH (GHANA), and GAMAL ABDEL NASSER (EGYPT). They forged a strong coalition of states from ASIA, AFRICA, EUROPE, THE ARAB WORLD and LATIN AMERICA and the CARRIBBEAN. NEHRU made it very clear, that INDIA would belong to ONE-CAMP- “THE CAMP OF PEACE” “GOODWILL” and “COOPERATION”. The NON-ALIGNED countries devised a flexible organisational structure and they meet from time to time in different regions of the world to garner support for some specific issues and also to promote their objectives. The NAM has been a major Movement in INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, primarily aiming at changing the existing GLOBAL STRUCTURE and creating a more JUST, EQUAL AND PEACEFUL WORLD ORDER. In essence, it is an ANTI- IMPERIALIST MOVEMENT. WHAT ARE ITS OBJECTIVES? Well, there are many OBJECTIVES OF NAM, BUT listed some of the important ones:. * Peace and disarmament, especially the reduction of tensions between the major powers. * Independence, including the right of self-determination of all colonial peoples and the RIGHT OF EQUALITY BETWEEN ALL RACES. * ECONOMIC EQUALITY, and many more! The NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT (NAM) which was born in the backdrop of the COLD WAR TENSIONS between the two super powers, worked for PEACE, COOPERATION, SECURITY, DISARMAMENT, INDEPENDENCE, DEVELOPMENT, among NATIONS. There have been many questions amongst various scholars and writers about the relevance of NAM today. IS IT STILL RELEVANT TODAY? EVEN AFTER THE END OF COLD WAR? WELL, why this question even arises? Perhaps it will be not an exaggeration to say that today we are living in an all together- new world! The breaking up of USSR into 15 new REPUBLICS, the UNITED GERMANY and a new EUROPE as a new socio-economic, political entity. Some people argue that, the NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT (NAM) was the product of the COLD WAR and BIPOLAR ISM: and that since the COLD WAR Is ended, and SOVIET UNION is no more, NAM has lost its RELEVANCE. According to some others, the task approached by the NAM , has been accomplished. For instance, COLONIES have gained INDEPENDENCE leading to no more COLONIZATION OF COLONIES, APARTHEID is being dismantled, the COLD WAR IS ENDED. SO, hence, there was no need and relevance of it.

But, as we say there are always two sides of COIN: and hence, RELEVANCE OF NAM can be classified as follows: *Earlier, the NAM was a POLITICAL MOVEMENT, but now the movement is shifting it’s Political concept to ECONOMIC. It is also true that the BIPOLARITY of the world is ENDED, after the COLD WAR but still, the world has an economic gap between the DEVELOPED AND THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. Obviously, as long as the ECONOMIC GAP exists between these countries, the NAM continues as RELEVANT in today’s world order too! * NAM continues to hold relevance,to maintain WORLD PEACE! It mainly aims to establish a peaceful and prosperous world. * NAM as an international organization is still relevant due to its principles. The idea of preserving the INDEPENDENCE of every NATION, to save it’s TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY and SOVEREIGNTY still holds its relevance.

Hence, in the end we can say that NAM can never be irrelevant. As whatever the world is- MULTIPOLAR, UNIPOLAR, OR BIPOLAR, NON-ALIGNMENT as a FOREIGN POLICY of the THIRD WORLD STATES will continue to remain Valid. Therefore, it is still believed that the NAM has significant relevance in the present day world.