What is Non-Alignment? Examine the advantages of the policy.

Meaning of Non-Alignment. Non-alignment is a foreign policy under which a state refuses to take permanent sides with any of the rival power blocs, especially the Western bloc led by the United States and the Eastern bloc led by the former Soviet Union during the Cold War. A non-aligned state remains neutral, judges each international issue on its own merit, and maintains friendly relations with all nations irrespective of their ideology. It was formalised at the Belgrade Conference of 1961, and Nigeria adopted it as a plank of her foreign policy at independence.

Advantages of the policy.

1. Preservation of sovereignty and independence: It enables a state to take decisions freely on the basis of its own national interest without being dictated to by any power bloc.
2. Freedom to relate with all nations: A non-aligned state can trade and cooperate with countries of both blocs and so obtain aid, technology and markets from the widest possible range of partners.
3. Promotion of world peace: By refusing to join military alliances and by mediating in disputes, non-aligned states help to reduce international tension and the risk of war.
4. Objective judgement of issues: Each international question is judged on its merit, allowing the state to support what is just rather than what a bloc dictates.
5. Strength in unity: By coming together in the Non-Aligned Movement, weak and developing nations gain a stronger collective voice in world affairs and in bodies such as the United Nations.
6. Avoidance of the cost of the arms race: Resources that would have been spent on bloc military commitments can be channelled into national development.