The Non-Aligned Movement (

NAM) is an international organisation of states considering themselves not formally

aligned with or against any major power bloc. The movement is largely the
brainchild of Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, former president of
Egypt Gamal Abdul Nasser and Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito. It was founded in
April 1955; as of 2007, it has 118 members. The purpose of the organisation as
stated in the Havana Declaration of 1979 is to ensure the national independence,
sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of non-aligned countries in their
struggle against imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, and all forms of
foreign aggression, occupation, domination, interference or hegemony as well as
against great power and bloc politics.[1] They represent nearly two-thirds of the
United Nationss members and comprise 55 percent of the world population,
particularly countries considered to be developing or part of the third world.
[2]
Members have, at various times, included: Yugoslavia, India, Ghana, Pakistan,
Algeria, Libya, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Indonesia, Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, post-1994
South Africa, Iran, Malaysia, and, for a time, the Peoples Republic of China. Brazil
has never been a formal member of the movement, but shares many of the aims of
NAM and frequently sends observers to the Non-Aligned Movements summits.
While the organisation was intended to be as close an alliance as NATO or the
Warsaw Pact, it has little cohesion and many of its members were actually quite
closely aligned with one or another of the great powers. Additionally, some
members were involved in serious conflicts with other members (e.g. India and
Pakistan, Iran and