Question

Do you think that the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has lost its sheen in today’s world? Give reasons to support your opinion.

Answer 1

Approach:

• In brief write about NAM
• Write why there is debate around the relevance of NAM
• Provide arguments whether it is relevant or not with reasons to support your opinion
• Provide Conclusion based on arguments provided.

The Non-Aligned Movement is a Movement of countries representing the interests and priorities of developing countries. The Movement has its origin in the Asia-Africa Conference held in Bandung, Indonesia in 1955. Non-Aligned Movement was formed during the Cold War as an organization of States that did not seek to formally align themselves with either the United States or the Soviet Union, but sought to remain independent or neutral.

With the disintegration of the USSR and the end of the cold war in 1991, non alignment, both as an international movement and as the core of India’s Foreign Policy, lost some earlier relevance and effectiveness. However, non alignment retained some core values and enduring idea, after the end of the cold war it started giving more importance to economic ideas.

NAM is still relevant today. This is because of the following reasons:

• NAM was based on the principle that decolonised countries share a historical affiliation and can become powerful if they all come together. This affiliation is still relevant.
• NAM stressed on the idea that it is not necessary for small and poor countries in the world to follow any powerful country if they are able to follow any independent foreign policy.
• NAM is also based on the value of democratizing the international system by thinking about an alternative world order to address several issues such as poverty and existing inequalities.
• With the emergence of neo colonialism ( use of economic, political, cultural or other pressure to influence former colonies), many newly independent nations were unable to take concrete decisions in the economic fields due to the pressure exerted by the powerful nations and organisations like the World Bank, WTO, IMF etc. Under such circumstances, NAM came forward to help these countries in trying to assert their economic rights.
• USA off late has emerged as a powerful nation. NAM has immense potentialities and experience to prevent the dominating of USA over countries like Iraq and Afghanistan.

Thus, NAM still remains an important and powerful force which aims at achieving international peace, disarmament and economic development. Non-Alignment has not lost its relevance rather it has stood the test of time. It has served the useful purpose of protecting and preserving the interest of the Third World countries well in the past, so it is also expected to serve their interest well in the future to come.