In Mumbai, a notice is served

From all over the world we have come to declare that there is a different and better way for our world to be run. We are united by principle...

From all over the world we have come to declare that there is a different and better way for our world to be run. We are united by principles and beliefs of equality and justice, yet our planet is divided by war and poverty.

The most exciting event of the past two years has been the growth of the global anti-war movement. Less than a year ago, on February 15th there were 600 simultaneous demonstrations on every continent. In London we attracted a million people into Hyde Park, the biggest ever demonstration in British history. I was inspired by the sight of these people, united in opposing war for US global corporate interests. The solidarity of ordinary people, most of whom had never been on any demonstration before, was fantastic. The following day I was in San Francisco where 400,000 Americans showed that Bush did not speak for them. We are not anti-American, just opposed to US military and trade policies. We are in unity with the poor of the US. The anti-war movement is genuinely international.

We were told it was a war because of weapons of mass destruction, none have been found; we were told it was a war for the justice of the region. Thousands have died from cluster bombs and depleted uranium and the corporations associated with Bush have benefited by millions of dollars in contracts. The wholesale privatisation of Iraq by his friends show who benefits from this war…

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But something else has also happened. Millions of people now see the world differently — they were not just demonstrating against a war, they were also demonstrating for something different and better. A world based on justice and humanity. Thus a few months later the World Trade Talks broke down because of the unity of the poorer nations against dumping of goods and because of the greed of the richest corporations. We have had enough of the world’s financial institutions telling the poor in all countries to pay more for privatised water and electricity and see the profits sucked out to foreign tax havens.

The reality is that the mass of the people of this planet do not want wars or the arms trade and recognise that injustice is cause of our ills. Colonialism de-industrialised and under-developed two thirds of the globe. The political independence movements have been undermined by economic controls and dependence. The new world order of globalism and military power is systematically making the poorest even poorer to the advantage of the richest corporations…

Let the world know that change is possible and coming from popular mass movements; here today in Mumbai, we are part of that movement.

Extracted from a speech by British MP Jeremy Corbyn at the World Social Forum in Mumbai