Question

Read the excerpt given below and answer the questions that follow:

‘Cruel Genocidal Act’: Non-aligned Movement condemns Israel’s assault on Gaza The five-day summit of NAM member states which began on 15 January, 2024 was held in Uganda, where President Yoweri Museveni officially assumed the chairmanship of the summit and the NAM for the next three years. The body “strongly condemns the illegal Israeli military aggression on the Gaza Strip, the indiscriminate attacks against Palestinian civilians, civilian objects, the forced displacement of the Palestinian population and further calls for an immediate and durable humanitarian ceasefire”. It urged the implementation of a UN Security Council resolution to allow humanitarian aid into the besieged strip. The New Arab, January 21, 2024

1. With reference to the above excerpt, state the relevance of NAM at present.
2. Explain how Non-alignment is neither neutrality, nor isolation, nor non-commitment.
3. Give any four objectives of NAM.

Answer 1

1. Relevance of NAM at Present:
   • Collective Global Platform: NAM provides a unified voice for 120 developing nations to collectively address global security crises and geopolitical imbalances.
   • Advocate for Peace: The movement actively promotes international stability by demanding immediate humanitarian ceasefires and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
   • Upholds Human Rights: It acts as a powerful moral authority by publicly condemning military aggression, illegal civilian displacements, and human rights violations.
   • Enforces Global Coordination: NAM pushes powerful international bodies to act, urging the enforcement of UN Security Council resolutions to secure global humanitarian aid.
     
2. • Not Neutrality: Neutrality means remaining silent or passive during a conflict. Non-alignment is active because nations take a firm diplomatic stand and judge every international issue independently on its own merit.
   • Not Isolation: Isolation means completely cutting off relations and withdrawing from world affairs. NAM nations remain deeply involved in global trade, diplomacy, and international organisations.
   • Not Non-commitment: Non-commitment means avoiding any global responsibility. NAM is deeply committed to active international cooperation, defending human rights, and building a fair global financial system.
3. Objectives of NAM:
   • Oppose Foreign Domination: To firmly stand against colonialism, neo-colonialism, imperialism, and racial discrimination across the world.
   • Protect Sovereignty: To safeguard the national independence, territorial boundaries, and sovereign equality of all member nations.
   • Promote Disarmament: To actively campaign for global peace by advocating for universal disarmament, especially the complete eradication of nuclear weapons.
   • Encourage Peaceful Coexistence: To settle international disputes through peaceful negotiations, diplomacy, and mutual respect rather than using military force.