The Non-Aligned Movement could be again a force, if its member countries see how much they have in common, writes Mahmoud Murad The 16th session of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was held a few days ago in Tehran. Formed in 1961 by Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, and Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, NAM aspired to strike a balance between East and West. It remained the main voice of Third World countries throughout the Cold War, attracting to its membership dozens of newly independent countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Some may wonder today why, with the Cold War over, the members of NAM see a reason to hold on to their organisation. Now that the Soviet Union is no more and that colonialism in the old sense is nearly over, what exactly are NAM members aspiring to achieve? To start with, NAM was not just a movement by countries seeking to stay out of the Eastern and Western blocs. The countries of NAM had a broader vision of humanity. They had a commitment to human rights, to non-intervention in internal affairs, to non-discrimination, and to the cause of national liberation. NAM was not geared to oppose the policies of any particular group of nations. What it opposed was colonialism, oppression and exploitation in all its forms. These goals remain as relevant today as they were 50 years ago. The NAM countries still seek to promote the economic, social and cultural development of their people through a number of methods, including cooperation deals and the creation of joint ventures. Soon after NAM was created, Egypt, India, and Yugoslavia signed an agreement to encourage investment, reduce tariffs, and stimulate trade among them. Then India and Egypt agreed to make a fighter plane, with the Indians building the craft's body and the Egyptians making the engine and assembling the plane. The project met with initial success, but was ditched later for no good reason. The main goal of NAM is to improve quality of life for its member's peoples, which would translate into sustainable development in today's parlance. The nations of NAM have no shortage of scientists and natural resources, and if the potential of their research, production and marketing is tapped, their future will change. The room for cooperation is endless, from water management to land reclamation and industrial development. If they work on their cultural and media ties, explore the prospects of artistic cooperation, and find ways to cement their economic relations, NAM countries would discover that they still have a lot in common.
