Letter to The Guardian

Dear Editor

Fifty years ago this newspaper printed a letter from the publisher Victor Gollancz calling for an end to the Korean War and the establishment of a fund to turn “swords into ploughshares”.

All in support were urged to send a postcard to Gollancz bearing the simple word “yes”. Four thousand people responded and development charity War on Want was born.

Since then War on Want has spoken out against the political and institutional causes of world poverty, making the link between poverty, political unrest and terrorism.

Today we are on the verge of a new conflict with a country already on its knees after years of bombing and punishing sanctions. The Iraqi regime is undeniably brutal and undemocratic, but protecting those groups that have suffered under Saddam is not the motivation for war. US strategic and corporate interests undeniably lie at the heart of this crisis.

War would destabilise the entire region and escalate the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. We are in favour of a holistic approach to the problems of the Middle East based on social justice, human rights and meeting human needs. We the undersigned believe that after 50 years, the only war worth fighting is the still the war on want.

For more details on War on Want’s anti-war campaign visit the website www.waronpoverty.org.

Yours sincerely

Louise Richards (Chief Exec War on Want)
Naomi Klein (author)
Ken Loach (director)
Ricky Tomlinson (actor)
Susan George (academic/activist)
Bill Spiers (STUC)
Isabel Allende (author)
Harold Pinter (playwright)
Sir John Mortimer QC CBE (author and playwright)
Mark Thomas (comedian/activist)
Mick Rix (Gen Sec ASLEF)
Tony Benn
Julie Hesmondhalgh (actress)
Mark Seddon (Tribune Editor)
Hilary Wainwright (Editor Red Pepper)
Jeremy Hardy (comedian)
Omid Djalili (comedian)
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (journalist)
Jenny Tonge MP
Tam Dalyell MP
Harold Best MP
David Taylor MP
Peter Kilfoyle MP
Simon Thomas MP
Alice Mahon MP
Harry Barnes MP
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Harry Cohen MP
Kerry Pollard MP
David Chaytor MP
Dr Ian Gibson MP
John Austin MP
Lynne Jones MP
Tony Worthington MP
John McDonnell MP
Kelvin Hopkins MP
Paul Marsden MP
Paul Flynn MP
Denis Murphy MP
Neil Gerrard MP
Adam Price MP
Jean Lambert MEP
Caroline Lucas MEP
Billy Hayes (CWU)
Martin Samways (President ASLEF)
Bob Crow (Gen Sec RMT)
Jeremy Dear (Gen Sec NUJ)
John Edmonds (Gen Sec GMB)
Paul Mackney (Gen Sec NATFHE)
Gerard Kelly (President NATFHE)
Ann Black (Labour NEC)
Judy McKnight (Gen Sec NAPO)
Bill Morris (Gen Sec TGWU)
Andy Gilchrist (FBU)
Rosie Eagelson (Gen Sec AMO
Ken Cameron
Mark Serwotka (PCS)
Gloria Ramirez (CUT)
Dave Knight (Vice President CND)
Milan Rai (ARROW)
Tom Phillips (artist)
Dean O’Loughlin (Big Brother)
Canon Paul Oestericher
Timberlake Wertenbaker (playwright)
Michael Kustow (artist)
Christine Shawcroft
Dr Nabil Shaban

WAR ON WANT PROJECT PARTNERS:

Association for the Realisation of Basic Needs, Bangladesh

Stree Mukti Sanghatana, India

Black Women's Centre, Santos, Brazil

Federation of Salvadorian Unions, El Salvador

TIE-Asia (Transatlantic Information Exchange), Sri Lanka