We Are Many: Documentary about Global Protests Against War in Iraq on February 15, 2003

I got an email inviting me to the wearemany.tv website. I watched the video and all the feelings came back from that day and the hope that I felt in taking part in the largest protest in world history. Over 15 million people marched against the war in Iraq in over 800 cities around the world. It was astonishing. The solidarity of all those people letting it be known that we didn't want the war to start was so wonderful.

When the war started anyways, it was so disheartening. I don't think most people have ever recovered from it. What these people are telling us, though, is that we did make a difference even if we failed to stop the war in Iraq... that the Arab Spring that started in Egypt was inspired by all those people demonstrating on February 15 in 2003.

Hope swelled in my heart once more where I had little left. As I live and breathe, power to the people is my mantra. Here in Malaysia, I saw the determination of Muslim women, all wearing head scarves, who were assembling and getting ready to demonstrate in the Bersih movement for clean elections that took place in Kuala Lumpur in April.

I thought it was astonishing. I failed to make the connection with our demonstrations back then. A new template, a new meme was created, making it possible for people taking to the streets. Why just the other week, there were people out in the streets in Moscow. Today it doesn't make much to find a demonstration happening somewhere in the world. It's the first step, this getting active. It is empowering to take to the streets.

We failed to follow up with Martin Luther King's very effective strategy of demonstration linked with boycotts to hurt the corporate pockets of the companies that profit from war. So I suggest that anyone who has investments with the Carlyle Group to withdraw their money, as they have built their status as one of the largest private equity companies in the world based on financing armaments deals. Don't teach English at Wall Street English. It's a Carlyle Group subsidiary. Don't buy Samsung products. Don't invest in Lockheed Martin... I'm sure that you can add to this list.