Full Description:
A forum of nations, primarily from the Global South, that refused to formally align with or against any major power bloc (the US or the USSR). It represented a rejection of the Cold War logic that demanded every nation choose a master.
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) emerged from the spirit of Bandung, institutionalizing the desire of newly independent nations to chart their own path. It was not merely about neutrality or passivity; it was an active assertion of agency. Member states sought to democratize international relations, pushing for nuclear disarmament and the restructuring of the global economic order.
Critical Perspective:
NAM challenged the arrogance of the superpowers, who viewed the world solely as a chessboard for their ideological struggle. By refusing to be pawns, these nations asserted that the “peripheral” world had its own interests, distinct from Washington or Moscow. However, critics note that the movement often struggled with internal contradictions, as many member states were themselves authoritarian regimes.
