A study ordered under the Clinton Administration, and conducted by the US Depy of Health & Human Services was to demostrate that non-custodial fathers did not care to be involved with their children. The study titled, "Survue of Absentee Parents" was to be a fifty state study. After just five states were done, preliminary results were reported that 60% of non-custodial father filed enforcement actions wuth the courts to see their children within six months of receiving their visitation orders. But, within five years, ended up losing all contact with the children.
As a result of these preliminary results, funding for the remainder of the study was withdrawn. (See the letter at the end of the preliminary results report)
"I salute the commitment to fatherhood evidenced by Jeffery Johnson and the other organizers of the 2009 National Rally for Responsible Fatherhood, and I salute Obama for his involvement. However, there’s an obvious omission both in the rally and the article: many fathers, including African-American dads, are not able to play a meaningful role in their children’s lives because of the children’s mothers’ interference and the indifference and/or hostility of the family law system."
Ivan Butcher II, Harlem born Artist, designed and copyrighted in 1975, The Black Evolutionary American Flag, with the Library of Congress.
With the approaching Bi-Centennial, Butcher realized that the Media was ignoring a Legacy of Black (African Americans) accomplishments made into the progress of this Nation, not to exclude the Indians(Native Americans)
As an Artist compelled to create a symbol, that would express the Contributions that African Americans have made, he designed a Flag. Inspired by words from one of Malcolm X's speeches, for us as an oppressed people not to disrespect the American Flag but instead create our own, which then was advocating a nation within a nation.
Along with the threat of Separatism and the fact that Evolution sounded too much like Revolution are the major reasons for The Flag not receiving national recognition from the Media.
Today the flag is named, Flag of Progress ( slogan: Unity is Progress)
Video descriptive presentation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjzITSGqwz8
Thank you,
Ivan Butcher II
Dear President Obama
Today, America has elected the son of an African black slave as it's President. Mr.President, you will be surprised to know that Prophet Mohammed had appointed, 1400 years ago, an African black slave, Hazarat Bilal as the first moezzin (prayer caller) and the treasurer of the state. Also, for your kind information, Hazarat Bilal is the first person who embraced Islam when Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) brought the peaceful message of Islam for the mankind.
Everyone should practice their faith fearlessly and live true to themselves. Hypocricy wouldn’t work because when i die, God will not ask me what’s my nationality, which religion i followed and how much patriotic was I ?. Rather, i will be judged by my actions as a good human.
I am an Indian Muslim and i follow all good things in my religion but i will NOT accept that one has to be a Muslim in order to enter “jannah”. I can’t imagine a jannah without my good Non Muslim friends.
Our Prophet(PBUH) brought Islam for humanity and he preached universal brotherhood. His own uncle, Abu Talib, who protected him from non believers of Islam never embraced Islam till his last breath. Prophet respected his decision and left it to God. What other example is required for secularism, tolerance and equality in Islam?.
Islam is a revolutionary concept which shattered all the social inequalities and removed the very concept of appointing a religious high priest as a guardian of social values. It brought freedom, equality, and justice for the mankind. Prophet(PBUH) appointed Hazarat Bilal, the black African slave, as the first moezzin (Prayer caller) and treasurer of the state. How many so called Islamic countries practice these great values, is a question they love to avoid. Whereas, Europe, Australia, France, US and UK have all opened their borders for everyone and have allowed them to settle and live a better life.
In fact, if one has to embrace these values of universal brotherhood and humanity, patriotism and motherland becomes antithesis to Islam. Let us be honest. Patriotism has brought wars, hatred and has divided the humanity. One can easily get away wih murders, genocides and massacres in the name of patriotism. It is a lie and evil against mankind and every human being will ultimately move on and settle in any country which provides better life & oppportunities, including we Indians.
4 April 200840 years ago today a plain brown man was shot and killed. The forces that killed him were massive, yet not nearly as grand as his heart. His courage is unimaginable to me, but a courage by which I measure my own; I want to measure up to his tall legacy, for I, too, am a plain brown man. So are we all, and that is what he said.
Dr. King was shot while supporting sanitation workers in Memphis. And Elvis Presley is racist, white and died rich despite his humble upbringing. Rarely did Elvis ever use his glory for the good of the people. Yet, Elvis’s home in Memphis and cities like it around the country mourn over the superficial affectations of pop stars; stardom simply reproduces itself. These stars inform our everyday lives as we hear their words, see their images and imitate their style. Elvis exploited the images of plain brown men like Jackie Wilson and Little Richard, whose courage informs my own. And Dr. King likely heard the wails and calls of these brothers and instigated some calls of his own: He ran to the aid of the common man (very different from selling the common man an image of wealth and austerity). But unlike the glimmer of Elvis and his Memphis home, Graceland, I am a plain brown man, and all I want is peace.
We need to get away from the same old politics of yester-year. Read my article-like speech and please let's get on the issues.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1002074/changing_american_politics_and_its.html
...how far has America come.Barack Obama is half Kenyan and half white-American so he is truly an African-American. Yet, till date we use that term with the old idea of Black American and throw him into the general pool of Blacks in America, the descendants of slaves. I am excited that his presidency can make all of us take a good look at how race is socially constructed in America, including the one-drop rule. This is where if one sixteenth of your ancestors are Black (read non-white) then you are legally seen as non-white. It is a sick baby of Jim and Jane Crow.
"The Character Factor: U.S. Policy toward Cuba determines elections nation wide."
The following is a list of articles related to Cuba policies, politics and Barack Obama.
Being pro or against the embargo on Cuba seems to be one question that reveals
a politicians character.
If a politician is for a Cuba policy that has failed for 47 years, they should NOT be in political office.
Please take a few moments and review some of the articles.
Our commitment is to abolish the 47 year old failed U.S. policies against Cuba.
By Luis Cuba Moro
Table of content as of June 28th - at this blog:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/Cuba
Cuba: A world that works for everyone, with no one left out. Jun 27th, 2008 at 10:14 am EDTCuba: Barack Obama is a mulatto; does that make him a white man? - Jun 26th, 2008 at 4:58 am EDTCUBA: The European Union's lift sanctions against Cuba. - Jun 25th, 2008 at 7:52 pm EDTCuba: Cuba approves, makes available lung cancer vaccine. - Jun 25th, 2008 at 12:47 pm EDTCuba: Obama has a 16 point lead in a South Florida poll - Jun 24th, 2008 at 8:17 am EDTCuba: There is no U.S. Embargo on Cuba.- Jun 24th, 2008 at 8:13 am EDTCuba: I'm sorry. - Jun 24th, 2008 at 6:45 am EDTCuba: If Cuba was a white (Och!) Country, there would be no embargo. Jun 21st, 2008 at 1:01 pm EDTCuba: 1,400 free photos of the Real Cuba today. - Jun 20th, 2008 at 2:03 pm EDThttp://www.EveryThingCuba.comCuba: The Death of Political Insanity: The Case Of Cuba. Jun 20th, 2008 at 1:37 pm EDT
Luis Moro comment on article
Cuba approves, makes available lung cancer vaccine - *See article below from: Reuters by Jeff Franks.
Luis Moro writes:
I’ve been personally aware of the high-end private negotiations that are active with certain sectors of industry with Cuba. One such area is the pharmaceutical field. I am not claiming to be an expert or authority on the topic. But I do believe this is accurate information given the source and, again, my own personal conversations with actual attorneys handling the on-going subject.
With that said, I expect that many of the pro-embargo against Cuba community will say this if false information, propaganda and more communist lies. Odds are, these will be the same people who say there is “no embargo on Cuba.”
Barack Obama now has an entire new community of voters who should move like “Chain lighting” to abolish the embargo.
Cancer patients all over America, the world; should know that in Cuba there is a possible cure for cancer. At the very least in Cuba, a cancer patient might have a viable new option. I could personally hold a grudge towards Cuba or Pro-embargo enthusiast given my mother and her brother (my uncle) have both died of Cancer. One in Cuba, without the treatment of the privileged and mom in America, without the treatment of the privileged.
With that said, the one thing that is certain, to get the treatment for Cancer in Cuba, it will take the same “product” as in the U.S.; it will take you lots of money.
Good luck and God Bless everyone who may need and actually get the opportunity to use this new Cancer treatment in Cuba. I suspect many pro-embargo against Cuba cancer patient will soon want to abolish the embargo. (Och!)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cuba approves, makes available lung cancer vaccine
Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:37pm BST
By Jeff Franks
http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKN2435519120080624?sp=true
HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban scientists said on Tuesday the first vaccine to extend lives of lung cancer patients has been approved by Cuban authorities for use and is available in the island's hospitals.
The drug, CimaVax EGF, has been shown to increase survival rates on average four to five months and much longer in some patients, they said in a news conference at Cuba's Center of Molecular Immunology.
In contrast to chemotherapy, the traditional treatment for lung cancer, they said CimaVax EGF has few side effects because it is a modified protein that attacks only cancer cells. They said it was the first lung cancer vaccine to be approved anywhere in the world, although there are others currently being tested.
"It's the first vaccine for lung cancer registered in the world," said Gisela Gonzalez, who headed the development of the vaccine, begun in 1992.
The drug is in various stages of clinical trials in a number of other countries and is most likely to be approved next in Peru, where it could be publicly available by year's end, Gonzalez said.
She said several private companies had been licensed to market the vaccine, but it will be produced in Cuba. Cost for the treatment had not yet been determined, Gonzalez said.
Other cancer vaccines under development elsewhere include one made by Antigenics Inc against melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, and another made by Avant Immunotherapeutics Inc and licensed by drug giant Pfizer Inc that attacks glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and deadly type of brain tumor.
FOREIGNERS WELCOME
Tania Crombet, director of clinical investigations at Havana's molecular immunology center, said people from outside Cuba can come to the island for treatment.
"It's possible to provide this vaccine to any patient, because it's available in Cuba, it's approved by the Cuban drug agency so we can market the vaccine in Cuba and we can receive patients from outside," she said.
The exception would probably be Americans, she said, who are restricted from Cuba travel by the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba in place since 1962.
"Even though there is a new therapeutic tool approved in Cuba they probably wouldn't be able to come to Cuba to receive it because of the embargo," Crombet said. The drug has been approved for clinical trial in the United States, but its possible use there is at least two to three years away, Gonzalez said.
Cuba's state-run biotechnology sector includes around 50 research and development centers and is considered one of the most advanced in the developing world.
I’m sorry.
I did not mean to offend anyone with my recent post. If you actually read it through again, you should realize the title is not the point.
My point is not about race, rather lack of conciseness. A white rich Cuban politician out of Miami does not have the best interest of a black, white, green poor Cuban in Cuba or America. There is 47 years of evidence to prove that. AND I do agree 100% the embargo is not a race issue, but color, like gender, still a distinction that can't be ignored. I trust you accept what I am saying next. I do not think the embargo is a race issue, it is a conciseness issue, an awareness issue. You and I are first aware of our own interest. I can bet everything I own that the most politicians supporting the embargo on Cuba have no idea who we really are, or care. For example: most people refer to Obama as black, he is actually mixed. His mother is white. I personally don’t care, I’m for any person who actually thinks and makes decisions based on Character. I truly hope you get what I am pointing to, and by no means do I intend my point to be about race. Even though calling me “Negro” is perfectly find for most Latin’s, except of course if you are “Negro.”
I laugh at any name a person calls me. I give credit to that old school way of thinking. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Thank you for giving me your time and consideration. Luis Moro www.EveryThingCuba.com.
Racism is alive and well for Black Latin’s. The irony is America goes crazy if someone other than a black person calls a black person a “N…r”.
Yet the white Hispanic community will call Afro Latin’s “Negros” like it’s a term of endearment. It’s not.
Simply look at the majority of faces in Cuba and then look at the faces of who supports the embargo in Cuba. I personally don’t think it’s intentional racism, but rather a function of limited or no consciousness. Especially by Cuban and other politicians who’s families aren’t in Cuba, don’t have friends in Cuba and are well off financially in America.
It’s been rich white politicians from Miami that have high jacked and manipulated our laws, traded congressional votes and used PAC money to keep the failed 47 years of U.S. embargo policy toward Cuba in place. These fact should wake anyone up from thinking the current politicians, Republican or Democrat, have the peoples best interest at hand.
Obama represents a transformation this country, planet and humanity could benefit from. “A world that works for everyone, with no one left out.” You the reader, may know who I am by that statement. And if you don’t know me, I trust you can see that the world many of us are standing for includes you, includes me and includes us all having a life that works. “A world that works for everyone, with no one left out,” starts with me, then you, then us voting for a new generation to lead America.
With that said, I’m voting for Obama for one simple reason; he has the character to stop the insanity of 47 years of failed politics with Cuba. With that, I believe Obama will also stop the insanity in many other political arenas in Washington, DC.
Thank you for making the time to read these words, please forward if you find they can benefit another.
Luis Moro
See 1400 Cuba images free at www.EveryThingCuba.com
www.EveryThingCuba.com SEE 1,400 EXCLUSIVE ORIGINAL PHOTOS OF CUBA.
www.UrbanFamilyEntertainment.com
ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN MAY/JUNE 2008 ISSUES OF
THE IMMIGRANT MAGAZINE
The Character Factor: The death of Political InsanityThe Case Of Cuba
By Luis Moro
Insanity may be defined as doing the same thing repeatedly with the expectation of a different result. A politician who supports a failed 40-year-old policy could be diagnosed with "Political Insanity". It is time we killed off Political Insanity by our elected U.S. officials. This and many more facts will be explored in the next issue of Immigrant Magazine.
Would you trust a person who continues to make the wrong decision for almost fifty years? Would you support a person who will speak in the name of helping people, PEOPLE who continuously say that person is not helping them? Would you believe a person who upon receiving a financial donation would change their vote?
"The Character Factor" is a full coverage story about the U.S. Embargo on Cuba and how a failed policy is still supported by so few even though it negatively affects so many. You will be surprised to find out how a one thousand dollar donation ($1,000) can buy a vote in Washington, DC. And even more surprising is how many politicians actually sell their votes for money. It is as blatant as one day they are against our U.S. policies against Cuba; they get a donation and the next day they vote for the failed policy against Cuba. We will explore why a few white politicians in America and Cuba strangle Cuba, a country with a predominantly black population.
With the duplicity, outright lying and misrepresentations by many of today's politicians there is one clear question that separates today's candidates for the U.S. Presidency. Are you for or against the four- decade failed, U.S. Policy on Cuba? The answer to this question could be the one answer that will determine the vote of every American.
Nobody can deny that U.S. Policies towards Cuba have failed over the last several decades. We all know that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. It is clear in these times of political insanity that no politician can hide from his or her history. And all politicians should be judged on their present character to determine our future. The character factor requests all Americans to bring to the forefront politicians who sell themselves. If a politician votes for and supports a failed U.S. Policy, they clearly are not able minded, equitable and perhaps even honest leaders.
It is known that in our nation's capital, legislative votes are for sale and barter. But no one will get away from the factual report revealing once and for all our nation's leaders who have lost their character factor.
Are you for a four-decade-old failed U.S. Policy on Cuba? Your character factor will now speak.
About the author: Luis Moro is an award winning filmmaker. He was born in Cuba and now resides in exile in the United States. His family has been separated for 38 years due to the failed polices of both the U.S and Cuban politicians. www.EveryThingCuba.com
Contact Luis@MoroFilms.com
The above article reflects the opinions of L.Moro and in no way the opinions of The Publishers Of The Immigrant Magazine. We welcome your perspectives on issues that affect you and the Immigrant Community at large. Please write to us at publisher@immigrantmagazine.com.
Pamela Asobo AnchangPublisher/Editor-In-ChiefThe Immigrant Magazine Inc.http://www.immigrantmagazine.com/
A worthy piece of news from The Nation of Nairobi. Enjoy!
Barack Obama's nomination as the presidential candidate of a major political party in the US has caused a great deal of excitement in Africa. Nation correspondents ARGAW ASHINE in Ethiopia, ANGELO IZAMA in Uganda, CHRISTOPHER KIDANKA in Tanzania, and TONY ELUEMUNOR sample the reactions in a few countries. Africans clearly seem ecstatic and the American with Kenyan roots has a huge fan club. Until he started making news as a possible contender for the US presidency, Barack Obama, who this week won the Democratic ticket in the White House race, was almost unknown in Ethiopia. Now, he has a huge fan club in the country, with one of his greatest fans being Ms Birtukan Mideksa, former deputy chair of Ethiopia's opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) party. Mideksa, who was jailed by the government of Meles Zenawi for two years for 'treason and inciting genocide' said that George W. Bush's administration backed the Zenawi government despite its 'betrayal of Ethiopia's democratisation effort in 2005'. Mideksa is inspired by Obama's promise of change and hopes that, if Obama becomes president, the US will be more willing to nudge Mr Zenawi in a more liberal political direction. 'Senator Obama is an agent of change. I am sure he would restore basic civil rights, which many are being denied in the name of war on terror all over the world,' she said. 'I am highly impressed by his determination, courage and wisdom. He is my role model and I have fallen in love with his philosophy of change.' She said she hoped African leaders would learn from Obama how to win the hearts of their people and also respect their rivals instead of fomenting hatred and confrontation. Meanwhile, Abreham Kumela, a young NGO worker, has been nicknamed 'Obama' because of his strong support for the Illinois senator. 'He is not a politician; he advocates tolerance. He teaches us all how to effect change,' Kumela said, explaining his admiration for Obama. He pointed out that, although Ethiopians at home will not vote in the American elections, he is campaigning among the thousands of Ethiopians in the US, who are also raising funds for Obama, to vote for Obama. 'Obama is bigger than just an politician with African roots; he is a symbol of tolerance and multiculturalism,' Kumela said. Equally hopeful, but on for different reasons, was Dr Costentinos Berhe, former UN adviser to Nigeria. He believes that, if elected president, Obama might just solve the complex situation in the Horn of Africa. 'The war on terror should not just be a military project,' said Berhe. 'It should also address the cultural, social and political changes in this part of the world. 'I hope that, because of his African heritage, Senator Obama realises that this change is necessary.' Human rights When Obama spent a day in Ethiopia during his African tour in 2006, many Ethiopians realised that he did not support the actions of the current Ethiopian regime. His support for the Bill accusing Ethiopia of having a poor human rights record and proposing serious sanctions, including aid cuts, helped strengthen that view. Indeed, Dr Rewodros Kiros, an Ethiopian lecturer at Harvard University, US, argues that Obama's victory might be disastrous for régimes like Ethiopia's, which do not respect human rights. Evne in Uganda, where the British Premier football league is a must-watch for many, Obama is as recognisable as the premiership superstars. 'I support Obama for ethnic reasons,' said a university lecturer. He is a black man doing something extraordinary. In the capital, Kampala, Obama merchandise is highly visible, from locally made T-shirts bearing the senator's picture and the words 'Change you can believe in', to bumper stickers. Masaka town, 130 kilometres Kampala, has even named a road after the US Presidential candidate. 'Obama Boulevard', though not a boulevard in the ordinary sense of the word, was the brainchild of a local businessman, Frank Gashumba, who together with his neighbours, decided to bestow the honour on the Illinois senator. 'Obama has shown us all that you can come from a humble background and give the entire world hope. He makes you proud [to be] black,' the businessman said. Meteoric rise Younger educated Ugandans have formed an Obama fan club. And their name, Ugandans for Obama, gives a notable ring to the senator's meteoric rise in American politics. The founder, Bernard Sabiti, said he was inspired to form the group when he found people in a bar asking, 'How is a Kenyan going to rule America?' The group mainly comprises university students with access to the Internet, where they campaign for him. Another group, the Obama Support Group, says it admires Obama because of his oratorical skills and inspiration. Their aim is to lobby Ugandan-Americans as well as US citizens in Uganda to vote for Obama. Excitement about Obama's candidature is also evident in neighbouring Tanzania, where many people view him as one of their own. After all, his father was a Luo from Kenya, but Luos are also found in Tanzania, some argue. The Obama-mania cuts across the different sectors of society, with many city commuter taxis now having the name 'Obama' emblazoned on them. As news of Obama's victory in the Democratic party nomination spread in the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam, a local fan, Ave-Maria given remarked: 'At least America can have a president who is one of our own!' Peter Tumaini-Mungu, a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, gave a somewhat philosophical explanation for his support for Obama. 'Being a person of African origin might not be that important,' he said. 'Obama's policies towards Africa are ambitious, and he has a keen interest in the continent. That is something a person of any origin can have.' The lecturer, who has attended several Obama campaign in the US, says Obama is a passionate and visionary whom the world needs to make it a better place. 'Obama articulates his policies in favour of the poor and the marginalised, something both Africa and Tanzania need,' he said. And in West Africa, The Lagos State House of Assembly in Nigeria in April this year launched a website to popularise the Illinois senator and campaign for his White House bid. During the launch, Lagos was turned into an 'Obama state', with taxis draped with banners bearing the senator's pictures. Their Vote Obama Initiative website explains their stand thus: 'Though without a voting right in the ongoing party primaries of the Democrats in the USA, like everybody around the world, we are very much involved because of the global implications the outcome of the elections would have on the world. 'We are particularly thrilled by Obama's feat because, for the very first time in the history of the US, he has successfully broken the colour bar. We are even more thrilled that white voters can rally forcefully behind this charismatic black man in his quest to become the first black president in the most powerful nation on earth. Like Martin Luther King Jr said, today he is no longer being judged by the colour of his skin, but by the content of his character, which has propelled him from near obscurity to international limelight. In Barack Obama, the agitations of early black nationalists such as Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey and so many others found concrete expressions as he attains leverage in the political calculation of the US that would no longer ignore Afro-Americans and their electoral strength. To us, this is a feat worthy of celebration as the dawn of a new era.' Obama spell So potent is the Obama spell that a group of militant youths in Nigeria's Niger Delta were taken in by the tricks of a creative-minded security agent who, left with no answer to the fire power of the militiamen, decided to send them a message they could not ignore. He simply sent an e-mail purportedly from Obama, in which he asked that the militants stop the war in the area. Surprisingly, the militants agreed and announced to the world that Obama had been requested to observe a ceasefire by a person they could not defy! World oil prices were just starting to fall when the real Obama denied that he was the one who asked for a ceasefire. The young men of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta returned to their trenches immediately. Obama also enjoys huge support in Ghana, where Godwin Yaw Agboka, a columnist, tried to explain his appeal thus: 'Obama appears to have a magic wand that appeals to the youth, independents, and liberals. For the first tim, in many decades, the expectations among voters, are reaching boiling point - call it a crescendo. Voters seem to want things to change in Washington. Obama represents the change they want. Forget about the fact that he is black. Obama has transcended race. He talks about hope, and believes that 'there is nothing false about hope'. He knows how to say the right things at the right time'. African initiative With Obama now the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, one can expect the African Initiative for Obama group to swing into action - selling posters, caps, and other merchandise, all to support him. The group has affiliates across West Africa, and plans to spread throughout the continent. On Tuesday, its chairman and continental coordinator, Elvis Agukwe, told Daily Nation in Abuja that in about a week, they will approach church leaders and Imams to ask their congregations to begin special prayers for God to guide Americans in their choice of president. Beyond the buzz, however, Obama has clearly touched something profound among many Africans. As Patricia Jebbah Wesley, a Liberian poet, puts it, 'It is a good thing that I am alive to see all of this, and it is a good thing that you are reading this ,and you too, are alive to record this for your children'. Africa Insight is an initiative of the Nation Media Group's Africa Media Network Project Copyright © 2008 The Nation
Barack Obama's nomination as the presidential candidate of a major political party in the US has caused a great deal of excitement in Africa. Nation correspondents ARGAW ASHINE in Ethiopia, ANGELO IZAMA in Uganda, CHRISTOPHER KIDANKA in Tanzania, and TONY ELUEMUNOR sample the reactions in a few countries. Africans clearly seem ecstatic and the American with Kenyan roots has a huge fan club.
Until he started making news as a possible contender for the US presidency, Barack Obama, who this week won the Democratic ticket in the White House race, was almost unknown in Ethiopia. Now, he has a huge fan club in the country, with one of his greatest fans being Ms Birtukan Mideksa, former deputy chair of Ethiopia's opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) party.
Mideksa, who was jailed by the government of Meles Zenawi for two years for 'treason and inciting genocide' said that George W. Bush's administration backed the Zenawi government despite its 'betrayal of Ethiopia's democratisation effort in 2005'.
Mideksa is inspired by Obama's promise of change and hopes that, if Obama becomes president, the US will be more willing to nudge Mr Zenawi in a more liberal political direction.
'Senator Obama is an agent of change. I am sure he would restore basic civil rights, which many are being denied in the name of war on terror all over the world,' she said. 'I am highly impressed by his determination, courage and wisdom. He is my role model and I have fallen in love with his philosophy of change.'
She said she hoped African leaders would learn from Obama how to win the hearts of their people and also respect their rivals instead of fomenting hatred and confrontation.
Meanwhile, Abreham Kumela, a young NGO worker, has been nicknamed 'Obama' because of his strong support for the Illinois senator.
'He is not a politician; he advocates tolerance. He teaches us all how to effect change,' Kumela said, explaining his admiration for Obama. He pointed out that, although Ethiopians at home will not vote in the American elections, he is campaigning among the thousands of Ethiopians in the US, who are also raising funds for Obama, to vote for Obama.
'Obama is bigger than just an politician with African roots; he is a symbol of tolerance and multiculturalism,' Kumela said.
Equally hopeful, but on for different reasons, was Dr Costentinos Berhe, former UN adviser to Nigeria. He believes that, if elected president, Obama might just solve the complex situation in the Horn of Africa.
'The war on terror should not just be a military project,' said Berhe. 'It should also address the cultural, social and political changes in this part of the world. 'I hope that, because of his African heritage, Senator Obama realises that this change is necessary.'
Human rights When Obama spent a day in Ethiopia during his African tour in 2006, many Ethiopians realised that he did not support the actions of the current Ethiopian regime. His support for the Bill accusing Ethiopia of having a poor human rights record and proposing serious sanctions, including aid cuts, helped strengthen that view.
Indeed, Dr Rewodros Kiros, an Ethiopian lecturer at Harvard University, US, argues that Obama's victory might be disastrous for régimes like Ethiopia's, which do not respect human rights.
Evne in Uganda, where the British Premier football league is a must-watch for many, Obama is as recognisable as the premiership superstars.
'I support Obama for ethnic reasons,' said a university lecturer. He is a black man doing something extraordinary.
In the capital, Kampala, Obama merchandise is highly visible, from locally made T-shirts bearing the senator's picture and the words 'Change you can believe in', to bumper stickers.
Masaka town, 130 kilometres Kampala, has even named a road after the US Presidential candidate.
'Obama Boulevard', though not a boulevard in the ordinary sense of the word, was the brainchild of a local businessman, Frank Gashumba, who together with his neighbours, decided to bestow the honour on the Illinois senator.
'Obama has shown us all that you can come from a humble background and give the entire world hope. He makes you proud [to be] black,' the businessman said.
Meteoric rise Younger educated Ugandans have formed an Obama fan club. And their name, Ugandans for Obama, gives a notable ring to the senator's meteoric rise in American politics. The founder, Bernard Sabiti, said he was inspired to form the group when he found people in a bar asking, 'How is a Kenyan going to rule America?' The group mainly comprises university students with access to the Internet, where they campaign for him.
Another group, the Obama Support Group, says it admires Obama because of his oratorical skills and inspiration. Their aim is to lobby Ugandan-Americans as well as US citizens in Uganda to vote for Obama. Excitement about Obama's candidature is also evident in neighbouring Tanzania, where many people view him as one of their own. After all, his father was a Luo from Kenya, but Luos are also found in Tanzania, some argue. The Obama-mania cuts across the different sectors of society, with many city commuter taxis now having the name 'Obama' emblazoned on them.
As news of Obama's victory in the Democratic party nomination spread in the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam, a local fan, Ave-Maria given remarked: 'At least America can have a president who is one of our own!'
Peter Tumaini-Mungu, a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, gave a somewhat philosophical explanation for his support for Obama.
'Being a person of African origin might not be that important,' he said. 'Obama's policies towards Africa are ambitious, and he has a keen interest in the continent. That is something a person of any origin can have.'
The lecturer, who has attended several Obama campaign in the US, says Obama is a passionate and visionary whom the world needs to make it a better place.
'Obama articulates his policies in favour of the poor and the marginalised, something both Africa and Tanzania need,' he said. And in West Africa, The Lagos State House of Assembly in Nigeria in April this year launched a website to popularise the Illinois senator and campaign for his White House bid.
During the launch, Lagos was turned into an 'Obama state', with taxis draped with banners bearing the senator's pictures. Their Vote Obama Initiative website explains their stand thus: 'Though without a voting right in the ongoing party primaries of the Democrats in the USA, like everybody around the world, we are very much involved because of the global implications the outcome of the elections would have on the world.
'We are particularly thrilled by Obama's feat because, for the very first time in the history of the US, he has successfully broken the colour bar. We are even more thrilled that white voters can rally forcefully behind this charismatic black man in his quest to become the first black president in the most powerful nation on earth.
Like Martin Luther King Jr said, today he is no longer being judged by the colour of his skin, but by the content of his character, which has propelled him from near obscurity to international limelight.
In Barack Obama, the agitations of early black nationalists such as Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey and so many others found concrete expressions as he attains leverage in the political calculation of the US that would no longer ignore Afro-Americans and their electoral strength. To us, this is a feat worthy of celebration as the dawn of a new era.'
Obama spell So potent is the Obama spell that a group of militant youths in Nigeria's Niger Delta were taken in by the tricks of a creative-minded security agent who, left with no answer to the fire power of the militiamen, decided to send them a message they could not ignore. He simply sent an e-mail purportedly from Obama, in which he asked that the militants stop the war in the area.
Surprisingly, the militants agreed and announced to the world that Obama had been requested to observe a ceasefire by a person they could not defy!
World oil prices were just starting to fall when the real Obama denied that he was the one who asked for a ceasefire. The young men of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta returned to their trenches immediately.
Obama also enjoys huge support in Ghana, where Godwin Yaw Agboka, a columnist, tried to explain his appeal thus: 'Obama appears to have a magic wand that appeals to the youth, independents, and liberals. For the first tim, in many decades, the expectations among voters, are reaching boiling point - call it a crescendo. Voters seem to want things to change in Washington. Obama represents the change they want. Forget about the fact that he is black. Obama has transcended race. He talks about hope, and believes that 'there is nothing false about hope'. He knows how to say the right things at the right time'.
African initiative With Obama now the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, one can expect the African Initiative for Obama group to swing into action - selling posters, caps, and other merchandise, all to support him. The group has affiliates across West Africa, and plans to spread throughout the continent.
On Tuesday, its chairman and continental coordinator, Elvis Agukwe, told Daily Nation in Abuja that in about a week, they will approach church leaders and Imams to ask their congregations to begin special prayers for God to guide Americans in their choice of president.
Beyond the buzz, however, Obama has clearly touched something profound among many Africans. As Patricia Jebbah Wesley, a Liberian poet, puts it, 'It is a good thing that I am alive to see all of this, and it is a good thing that you are reading this ,and you too, are alive to record this for your children'.
Africa Insight is an initiative of the Nation Media Group's Africa Media Network Project
Copyright © 2008 The Nation
If I had knew Obama blogs were available for creation, I would have began my sooner. But regardless, here I am. From my blog description above, I think you will gain a pretty good understanding of why I strongly support Barack Obama for the Presidency. So I will get right into it.
John Edwards has endorsed us! This is a great step in our campaign and I think it will prove to be an extremely helpful tool come November. I had suspected for quite sometime that Edwards was leaning in our direction, and I am only too thrilled that he has finally made the step.
Also, although Senator Edwards has denied having interest in sharing the ticket with Obama, at this point I think he is still a very likely vice presidential candidate. And for m at least, that is only too perfect. Obama and Edwards could make one of the greatest political teams in American history if the ticket works out that way.
Speaking of the general election, I have been closely monitoring the electoral map for November and I think that we have a strong chance to make inroads into a couple of key Republican areas- the Southwest and the Deep South.
If we set up a good ground operation and we really work for it, I think we have a very viable chance of marking New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada in our column this year. Those states went for Bush only by small margins, and we should be able to close that gap by this fall.
The South looks even more promising. Long a Republican area of dominance, the South affords us a great opportunity to steal a large number of electoral votes from Senator McCain. Even during the Clinton years, many of these states either went for Clinton or went Republican by a small margin. Clinton saw success in these areas because of his great appeal to African-American voters. But in this election, Obama is dwarfing Bill Clinton's advantage with African-Americans by racking up 90%+ totals for blacks in most primaries. Therefore, if we can get turnout up, and continue those margins, we may be able to take Louisiana, Virginia, North Carolina, and even possibly Georgia.
Until next time,
R.W.
