What is meant by the term Non-Alignment?
Topic: Meaning of Non-Alignment
Answer
Non-Alignment means keeping away from military alliances — the policy by which the newly independent countries refused to join either of the two power blocs, the American bloc or the Soviet bloc, during the Cold War.
It is not neutrality or isolation: a non-aligned country takes an independent stand on each international issue, judging it on its merits, and actively works for world peace.
The definition must contain two elements for full marks: staying out of the two blocs, AND judging each issue independently on its merits. The distinction examiners look for is that non-alignment is ACTIVE, not passive — it is neither neutrality (taking no side) nor isolation (staying out of world affairs). Founding facts worth adding: NAM was formally launched at Belgrade in 1961 by Nehru, Tito and Nasser.