This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Imagine being somewhere with 100,000 people who all feel that another world is possible, and also want to do something to help make it happen. It’s hard to describe the crowds, noise, colours, liveliness of the whole event.

Some of the highpoints for me were the non-stop demonstrations around the site. Monday saw a massive demonstration of trade unionists, other days there were demonstrations by hundreds of different groups and campaigns: anti-war groups, sex workers, Dalits, campaigns for safe, non-privatised water. One memorable demonstration was of school children, with the banner ‘Another Childhood is Possible’. I’ll never forget the wonderful comrades from the Korean group, All Together, who set a new trend by marching with placards and banners to every meeting they attended, thereby ensuring that there was a large audience!

Plays, music, art exhibitions, stalls selling books, handicrafts, and, very importantly food. The logistics of the organisation of the event were amazing. The volunteers turned a derelict industrial site into a wonderful venue. The meeting halls were amazing, the toilets worked, the signposting was accurate and helpful. The organisation of the event itself shows just what people are capable of when they work cooperatively.
It was easy to get swept along by the adventure of sitting in the shade of a tree watching the world march by. But there were so many meetings to go to. My experience of these was mixed. Some of the meetings I went to, the audience were expected to sit and listen: there was no chance to speak. Others were much more participative, with anyone who wanted the chance to speak simply having to line up in turn to have their say. I remember one point in a discussion about democracy when someone said ‘India is a democracy, but people don’t have the right to eat’. Back home in London, as we prepare for a cold spell of weather in Britain, in our ‘democracy’ elderly people don’t have the right to be warm, thousands die every year because they cannot afford to heat their homes. The anger about the lack of these crucial rights rang through the forum. People there definitely wanted a different world, and the debates covered what type of world people want and how we can achieve it.
On the last day there was an anti-war demonstration in the centre of Mumbai followed by a rally (at which Chris Nineham read the address). We were told that it was the largest demo in Mumbai for many years. We had a fantastic response from people lining the streets, waving clench fists in the air, clapping as we marched past and joining in the slogans (we all learnt the Hindi words for George Bush terrorist, Tony Blair terrorist .
It was an amazing experience we have to keep discussing the kind of world we want and continue the struggle to achieve it.
Maggie Falshaw - East London.