With the world radically polarised by the war on terror, justice, sovereignty and peace could use a boost. They may find it yet, writes Mahmoud Murad* On the 46th anniversary of the founding of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the movement will hold a regular summit in Cuba. Two days ago, the Cuban foreign minister came to Cairo on a tour that will also take him to Algeria and Sudan, to deliver invitations for the summit, due to be held in Havana in September. This may seem an unremarkable event, and many leaders may decide to opt out. After all, the NAM has been in decline since the early 1970s. Many say that it's a spent force. But think again. Over the past three years, the world has had ample reason to resuscitate the NAM as a moral and political power. The movement, after all, was formed at a time when the world was just as troubled and divided. Developing countries joined the NAM in the second half of the last century because they needed to assert their independence in the face of imperialism. Now they need to assert their identity in the face of globalisation. As borders melt and sovereignty comes crashing down everywhere, the developing world may just want to find its voice once more. The NAM was born of the wave of national liberation that followed World War II. Its spark was in April 1955, when 29 countries -- including nine Arab countries -- met in Bandung in Indonesia. The men who made that happen were Gamal Abdel-Nasser of Egypt, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Ahmed Sukarno of Indonesia, and Josip Bros Tito of Yugoslavia. Through their tireless efforts, the NAM sprang to life in 1960. The NAM was a movement of positive neutrality; its members decided that the thing to do was not to join military pacts, but to stand for the right cause. The NAM backed countries and nations that fought for their national rights. It stood for freedom, justice and equality. As time went by, the movement boasted 130 members, including countries with considerable economic and political weight. Now more than ever, the NAM needs to summon its ideals and regain its momentum. The international scene has changed much over the past 30 years, and yet the NAM remains relevant. It remains relevant to every country that wishes to protect its independence and sovereignty against foreign infringement. The world can use the NAM, and the NAM can inspire a fractured and turbulent world. Some major powers, especially the US, have every reason to oppose a NAM revival. And yet there are signs that the NAM may gain renewed support among a considerable segment of the international community. For the past decade or two, the US has been throwing its weight around on the international scene. The US has been extending its influence east and west on the pretext of spreading freedom and democracy. But fewer people take US rhetoric at face value in today's world. From Bosnia to Palestine, from Iraq to Darfur, from Syria to Iran, the US has been scheming and double dealing. And the world has been watching and learning. In the Arab region and Africa, in Asia and Latin America, a new momentum is picking up. Many leaders are coming up with new ideas. Lula da Silva of Brazil hosted an Arab-Latin American summit in autumn of last year. Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has railed against globalisation and hegemony. This is the second time Cuba is to host the NAM summit. And there is a fair chance the summit may prove fruitful. President Fidel Castro has been personally calling leaders around the world to make sure they attend. The summit is in eight months from now, enough time for all the participants to think up a viable agenda. The NAM is not just a political movement. It is a movement that has room for cultural, economic and scientific cooperation. Ahead of the September meeting, various aspects of cooperation could be discussed in preliminary panels. A set of specific recommendations may prove vital once leaders convene. The NAM, one would think, can use some help from civil society organisations. Hopefully, NAM members may begin preparing for the summit as early as possible. The NAM, one has to say, is not a political pact or an alliance with a hidden agenda. It is a movement hoping to bring together all those interested in world peace and independent and sovereign life. * The writer is Al-Ahram 's deputy editor-in-chief.
