Transcription
Illegal wars are being waged against other countries where thousands and thousands of innocent people are being killed with bombs, with drones, and yet all that should be going towards building hospitals, towards building schools rather than killing innocent people. The United Nations has now become a toothless organization because those who are members of the Security Council are the ones who continue to violate all the laws and the rights. The principles of solidarity, of cooperation, and friendship are being challenged by the resurgence of narrow nationalism, prejudice, racism, and intolerance. The resurgence in unlawful wars of aggression and genocide in places like Palestine are linked to the ideologies of supremacy. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you comrades and friends.
Let me start off by thanking President Sanchez for inviting me to be part of the earlier meeting and also to be part of this rally and also to thank the organizers of this rally and I extend my greetings to the various leaders who are here coming from South Africa, from the southern tip of the African continent. It feels like coming home once again. And thank you for welcoming us here. It also feels like the good old days when many of you through your various movements supported our struggle against apartheid. I'm also here to extend our gratitude for the titanic struggles that you participated in to end apartheid, which was declared a crime against humanity. So we thank you and thank you and thank you once again.
We gather here in Barcelona when other crimes against the people of the world are being committed. When the world is in crisis, this is a time of aggression, of war, of conflict, of the violation of the basic human rights of many people in a number of countries around the world. And it is quite impressive to see so many of you standing up in this meeting today to be part of the global progressive mobilization to stand up to show those who are violating the rights of others that you are not afraid, that you are prepared to stand in defense of those who are weak, in defense of democracy, and to advance the human rights of others. The laws and the norms that have long defined relations between nations are willfully violated. Institutions of global governance are being undermined and mercilessly reposed. The United Nations has now become a toothless organization because those who are members of the Security Council are the ones who continue to violate all the laws and the rights. The principles of solidarity, of cooperation, and friendship are being challenged by the resurgence of narrow nationalism, prejudice, racism, and intolerance. The resurgence in unlawful wars of aggression and genocide in places like Palestine are linked to the ideologies of supremacy. Thank you. Thank you.
It was it was to challenge this notion of supremacy that South Africa took the initiative to take the state of Israel to the International Court of Justice. And even as we did, we were criticized. We were challenged. We were even insulted. But we stood firm. The reason we stood firm is that the father of our democracy said to us, "Our own freedom as South Africans will never be complete until the Palestinians have won their own freedom." So today we are happy and pleased that many other countries have realized that South Africans by taking the state of Israel to the International Court of Justice was not mad. They now see that real genocide is happening in Gaza as well as on the West Bank. And now illegal wars are being waged against other countries where thousands and thousands of innocent people are being killed with bombs, with drones. And yet all that should be going towards building hospitals, towards building schools rather than killing innocent people.
Well, at the same time, there is the threat of climate crisis that is continuing to deepen. Sea levels are rising and leading many countries around the world to be poor. Billions of people across the world go hungry, have no work, have few skills. Inequality within and between countries is growing. Many societies are becoming more fragmented and isolated. Political discourse and debate is being reshaped by algorithms that fuel extremism and hate. And it is good today that you all are participating in this global progressive mobilization to change the narrative to show the world that there are people who are progressive who want to see the right things being done in the world. I applaud you and I thank you for standing up for showing those who are powerful that you will not be cowed. This may be a time for crisis of crisis, but it is not a moment of doubt or despair. This is a moment for action. This is a moment for mobilization. This is a moment for renewal. For most of us alive today, there's never been a more important moment than now for global progressive revival. A revival that is confident in its values, clear in the purpose of its beliefs, and united in its resolve. This moment of severe crisis is at the same time a moment of unique opportunity. It is an opportunity to galvanize, to bring together the forces of progressive change, to forge a new path of peace, democracy, and social justice. This is the time that we must never waste. This is the time that we must embrace. And it is also an opportunity for a new generation of progressive people to emerge and to develop a vision of a better, more just and more inclusive world.
This comrades and friends is an opportunity to confront the forces of reaction. We have gained much ground by offering people easy answers to complex problems. They have exploited legitimate grievances about jobs, about security, about identity, and they have redirected people's fears and anger towards the most vulnerable. The progressive response cannot be only to oppose. We must offer something that is better. We must speak to the real concerns of working people, of communities that feel left behind, of young people who cannot see a future that makes sense to them. We must present a vision that is grounded in people's experiences, that recognizes their concerns, that addresses their pain and overcomes their fears. We must pursue a path that is empowering and inclusive across the world. We must build a united front of governments, and I'm greatly glad that there are quite a number of governments that are represented here today. Governments that clearly declare that they are not afraid. They are not afraid of one person in the world that they will stand up and speak for their people. That is what we want. It is good also to have political parties, trade unions, social movements, think tanks and influencers and social activists that are bound together by a shared desire of a better world. There is a better world that we can build together. This must be a united front against inequality and poverty. It must revive the drive towards the achievement of the 2030 sustainable development goals. This must be a movement for climate action. It must ensure that countries honor their commitments to curb emissions. We must build a global movement that enables countries to undertake just and inclusive transitions that drives social and economic development whilst protecting affected communities and workers across the world. We must build a world of genuine multilateral cooperation with global institutions that are representative. We must stand firm on the reform of global institutions, that the United Nations, that the United Nations cannot continue operating in the same way as it has in the past. We have many countries that should be represented in the United Nations Security Council. We have the whole continent of Africa with 1.4 billion people is not represented. We have Latin America. We have big countries like Brazil. We have big countries like India. We have big countries around the world that must be represented and have a voice. So we must advance peace through diplomacy, through dialogue, through multilateral organizations, and not have a few countries that are going to have a veto vote and block everything that talks about progress in the world. We must we must also address uncomfortable issues such as the debt burden that holds back many developing economies. We must reform the financial architecture of the world and close the financing gap for development. Yes, the IMF and the World Bank must also be reformed. It cannot be institutions that continue to represent western interests only. So the reform must be comprehensive.
A global progressive revival is underway. Your presence here speaks to that. In far-flung communities, in social formations and political parties, on university campuses and factory floors, on social media and across the airwaves, the clamor for progressive change is growing. And today here in Barcelona, this gathering in Barcelona provides greater impetus to this revival. I am certain that as we leave here today, we will leave more united, with a more cohesive voice, more purposeful, and more determined than ever when we arrived. So I leave back for Africa encouraged, elated, knowing that the people of Gaza, the people of Palestine, the people of Sudan, the people of Africa, yes, the people in the Middle East do not stand alone. They have your support. Thank you very much. Thank you.