The Non-Aligned Movement

Indonesia

The Bandung Conference was held in Indonesia in 1955. It was called by President Sukarno of Indonesia and was attended by 23 Asian and 6 African countries. This conference was based on the five principles of Panchsheel and served as an important precursor to the formation of NAM. India hosted the Asian Relations Conference in 1947, not the Bandung Conference. Egypt and Yugoslavia were important in later NAM developments but did not host the Bandung Conference.

Formation of military alliances

Formation of military alliances is NOT part of Panchsheel. In fact, it goes against the very spirit of the five principles. The five principles of Panchsheel are: (1) Mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, (2) Non-aggression, (3) Non-interference in internal affairs, (4) Equality and mutual benefit, and (5) Peaceful coexistence. These principles emphasized peaceful relations and non-interference, which is completely opposite to forming military alliances that could lead to conflicts.

Two

After World War II, the world was divided into two major power blocs: the American Bloc (led by the USA) and the Soviet Bloc (led by the USSR). The USA formed NATO with European allies, while the USSR established the Warsaw Pact with Eastern European countries under its control. This bipolar division created the Cold War tensions that newly independent countries wanted to avoid by forming the Non-Aligned Movement. Three, four, or five blocs did not exist as major divisions during this period.

Belgrade Meeting, 1956

The Belgrade Meeting of 1956 was the immediate precursor to NAM formation. This informal meeting between Nehru (India), Nasser (Egypt), and Marshal Tito (Yugoslavia) in July 1956 gave practical shape to the ideas from Bandung and led directly to the decision to hold the first NAM summit in 1961. The Asian Relations Conference (1947) was too early and general. The Bandung Conference (1955) was important but not the immediate precursor. The Cairo Conference (1964) was the second NAM summit, not a precursor.