we have the power to make the world we seek

today, i ventured to the american embassy to watch barack obama's speech in cairo. once i got through security, i entered a bustling lobby filled with people drinking tea out of white cups and saucers emblazoned with the white house logo. although the speech itself was only the bbc being streamed on on a large video screen, something about being in the embassy, being allowed to be in the embassy to watch the speech made it seem noteworthy and real.

i can honestly say, i've never been particularly proud to be an american, and usually don't define myself as such, but today was different. watching president obama deliver his eloquent speech to the islamic world made me infinitely proud. he quoted the quran, talmud and bible with ease, bringing centuries of disparate belief together to seek the common goal of peace.

his policy on legitimizing sovereign states for both israel and the palestinian people is noble. its time has most certainly come.

his choice of venue only demonstrates his commitment to opening the doors to dialogue across the globe, regardless of policy. in order to create change, there needs to be dialogue. nothing was ever solved creating walls of silence and neglect.

The genocides in both bosnia and darfur were mentioned, important at a time when icty is finishing its trials of the milosevic administration and darfur needs assistance more than ever. perhaps a change in policy there is evident as well? perhaps he is calling on muslim nations to protect people of islamic faith at home and abroad from humanitarian atrocities.

for me, it took going abroad to look at barack obama and realize that he was my president, and that i was proud of my country for electing a half-black man with a muslim name and past, a history of atheism, from a diverse, mixed family to the presidency. his concise, educated policy is apparent, and he is beginning to enact it. i am not one of those people who 'go abroad to realize how great it is back home'. i am a firm believer that dissent is patriotic, to question your government furthers what it is capable of. today, for the first time in my life, i was a witness to the great highs american government is capable of.