Posted by Chester Morton / Sunday 19 February 2017 / No comments
The features of the non-aligned movement
Introduction
The Non-Aligned Movement refers to a group of countries who
have decided not to openly side with the eastern nor the western bloc when it
comes to international geopolitics. In other words, members of this
international organization believe that no developing country has any business
in assisting any of the super powers in the Cold War. Membership is drawn from
the less developed countries of Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and
Europe.
The Movement started in Belgrade in 1961 with the Presidents
of Yugoslavia, India, Egypt and Ghana at the time. Initially, the Movement started
with twenty-five members but currently, there are one hundred and twenty member
states and fifteen observer nations.
FEATURES
Opposed to colonialism and racial discrimination
One of the features of the Non-Aligned Movement is that it is
opposed to colonialism and racial discrimination in any form. The Movement
supported the struggle in the then Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, to gain freedom from
the British and also condemned the racial discrimination that was prevalent in apartheid
South Africa.
Independent opinion on international issues
Another feature of the Non-Aligned Movement is the freedom a
member country has to decide what its opinion is on any issue of international
importance. Every international issue is carefully considered based on its own
merit, not based on the pressures that are brought to bear on them by other
power players in the scheme of things.
Democracy in international issues
The Non-Aligned Movement believes that every individual country
of the world must have a say in issues that pertain to the survival of the
world. Non Alignment urges and insists that the weaker nations of the world
must not be coerced to bury their opinions on world issues, they must rather be
allowed to air them as in every democratic environment.
The attraction of economic assistance
Another feature of the Movement is to try to attract as much
economic assistance from the developed world as possible regardless of whether
it comes from the Western or the Eastern powers of the world. The ultimate goal
is to use the resources of both the East and the West to engage in the rapid
development of their various countries.
Promotion of world peace
The Non-Aligned movement is committed to the promotion of
world peace and where peace has been achieved, to the maintenance of that very
peace. Consequently, the Movement is opposed to the use of force to settle
disputes in every region of the world.
Opposed to the proliferation of arms
The Non-Aligned Movement is opposed to the proliferation of
arms and ammunitions of all kinds, including nuclear weapons, especially where
it finds its way into the hands of non-state actors and rogue nations of the
world.
Opposed to military alliances
The Movement is opposed to any nation that forms military alliance
with any of the two super-powers of the Cold War. This is their way of
preventing the creation of areas of influence which could subsequently promote the
arms race and heighten tension in several parts of the world.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. a. What is Non-Aligned Movement? (2 marks)
b. Highlight six
characteristics of the Non-Aligned Movement. (10 marks)
