As part of their campaign, Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden said that more must be done to fight the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, as well as malaria and tuberculosis (TB). They pledged to provide at least $50 billion by 2013 for the global fight against HIV/AIDS, hoping to at least double the number of HIV-positive people on treatment, and supported increasing U.S. contributions to the Global Fund for AIDS, malaria, and TB. The ONE Blog lists other health- and poverty-related campaign promises.

Bloggers around the world are excited about what Obama's win could mean for health issues. Ray Hartley, blogging on The Times, South Africa, posts an excerpt of Obama's speech on World AIDS Day, 2006, after a visit to South Africa:

“We know how to save people’s lives. We know the medicine is out there and we know that wealthy countries can afford to do more. That’s why it was so frustrating for me to go to South Africa, and see the pain, and see the suffering …We should never forget that God granted us the power to reason so that we would do His work here on Earth - so that we would use science to cure disease, and heal the sick, and save lives. And one of the miracles to come out of the AIDS pandemic is that scientists have discovered medicine that can give people with HIV a new chance at life.”

yannick Santana, commenting on this excerpt says:

“If people have been wondering about ways in which President Obama change could positively impact the problem-solving process in Africa, this is an illustration.”

addis2000, blogging on Addismenged, provides five reasons why Obama's win is good for Ethiopians, including potentially helping Ethiopian-Americans access affordable healthcare. Within Ethiopia addis2000 adds:

“HIV/Aids and food insecurity form convergent miseries. To combat poverty, Ethiopian economists urge for immediate steps to curb the country’s exponential population growth. And yet, despite the Bush administration’s outstanding work to treat HIV/Aids victims in Africa through the PEPFAR programme, it worsened things by ordering USAID missions in six African countries to ensure that no U.S.-financed condoms, birth control pills, I.U.D.’s or other contraceptives are furnished to Marie Stopes International, which operates clinics in Ethiopia. Senator Obama supports family planning.”

Others also remain hopeful. A post on Med India says that Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corp., is optimistic about Obama's efforts to tackle global health issues, including ones in India. Understand Argentina also believes we have much to celebrate, and hopes this will be a new era for all Americans: North, Central and South. One of the reasons to celebrate, she adds, is because Obama will bring:

“More assistance in vocational training, micro-finance and community development; continue fighting AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis; reinforce global education.”

In the U.S., Obama's healthcare plan includes making healthcare affordable and accessible to all, lowering healthcare costs, and promoting public health. He also pledged to develop and begin implementing a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy during his first year of presidency.

RH Reality Check says that Obama's victory can be seen as a mandate for science and rationality, especially in healthcare policy. A post on Housing Works is also excited about these science-based policies, and hopes they will target people most in need.

“AIDS advocates were overwhelmingly thrilled by President-elect Barack Obama’s victory Tuesday, expressing hope that Obama’s election will bring meaningful changes to health care reform, science-based prevention, and a National AIDS strategy — all of which he promised during the campaign. And there is a real hope that the first black president — who has spoken out against health disparities in minority populations and homophobia in the black community — will frankly address the epidemic in the United States which overwhelmingly affects African-Americans, Latinos and gay men.”

Stiletto, blogging on Pourquoi Pas?, points out that though Obama has inherited huge problems from President George W. Bush, she hopes he will still deliver on his promises.

“For the American people, I hope he manages to find the 33 billion dollars to make America’s health system a thing of everyday like here in Europe, instead of being a joke like a third world country and having 45 million people with no health care cover. If that idiot Bush managed to find nearly 1000 billion dollars to go murder hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, surely, 33 billion dollars to keep the health of the citizens of USA is a lot more important and a lot cheaper. But this is your problem, Americans, and I wish you all the best. “

However, My African Diaspora cautions that we need to give Obama time to come through on all his promises:

“Temper expectations. Change won’t occur overnight. We’ve got so many pressing priorities: the economy, healthcare, the war, foreign policy and a slew of others. He won’t be able to wave a magic wand and make it all better. To expect him to would only demonstrate our own ignorance of the political process. Instead, reserve judgment and criticism and engage in the governance of your country. It is our right and our responsibility.”

Photo of Obama Posters by tonx on Flickr.

* This post also appears on Global Voices Online.

“Demand for solar energy remains dependent on government subsidies, because it costs more than conventional forms of electric-power generation,” said James Hines, research director at Gartner and lead analyst for solar energy technologies. “However, the new US administration could help encourage
investment in solar energy projects if it succeeds in implementing some of its plans, which is more likely with majorities in both houses of Congress.

This increased emphasis on renewable energy and the extension of the 30 per cent investment tax credit for solar projects ‹ passed last month ‹ could finally help realise the US’s vast potential for solar energy. As a result, the US could overtake Germany as the largest photovoltaic market within a
few years.”

President-elect Obama’s New Energy for America plan could have a significant
impact on the US solar industry. The plan’s provisions include:

· A federal renewable portfolio standard (RPS) that requires 10 per
cent of electricity consumed in the US to come from renewable sources by
2012

As seen in the cartoon, Barack Obama had an African father, an American mother, and an Asian upbringing. He also has a Middle Eastern middle name, which is Hussein. This must have taught him about different people and their backgrounds. Having spent time with a myraid of people from various races and creeds, he must have learned extensively and as a result gained a certain amount of tolerance towards these different people.

As newly-elected President of probably one of the supepowers of the world, it is inspiring and casts some hope to the already distressed world filled with hatred for one another. I can only hope that Barack Obama unifies the citizens of the world into a beautiful egalitarian society that I have only witnessed in my dreams… or at least eradicates some of the hatred and intolerance.

You’d think that Sarah Palin would go home, tail between the legs, and do what she is paid to do: govern Alaska.

But I don’t think she’s had a nanosecond available for governing. Instead of retreating from the spotlight, she seems to be moving deeper into it, as CNN says.

She has invited reporters into her home in Alaska, and Maureen Dowd says she now ”thinks she is even bigger than her vast state, has certainly not missed an opportunity to throw open the door to the national press this week, letting them hang in her Wasilla kitchen as she makes moose chili and cake and baby formula and hefty servings of spin.”

She’s gave two interviews to CNN today. She’s spoken to Fox News, Anchorage Daily News, NBC…

CNN reports today that Palin ”sits down with Wolf Blitzer in an interview that will air on “The Situation Room,” starting at 4 p.m. ET. She also will appear on “Larry King Live” at 9 p.m. ET.”

“Right now, Gov. Palin’s future is up for grabs, and no one knows exactly what she wants. About the only thing we do know for sure is that lately, she has been preoccupied with clearing her name, which is an indication that she’s got big plans for the future,” said a senior political analyst for CNN.

And apparently, (according to Dowd’s column) Palin’s father, Chuck Heath, said that over the weekend “his daughter was “frantically” trying to sort out the clothes she got as Eliza Knowlittle so she could send them back.

“You know,” Heath said, “the kids lose underwear, and everything has to be accounted for.””

We’re ‘gonna’ miss this entertainment. Or maybe not. If Palin has her way (with a little help from God) we’ll have it all over again in 2012. Gotcha!

Sore losers? No. Just pathetic stupid dingbats. Oh, and conservative weaklings.

This is what gets to me. I didn’t see anyone from the Obama side question whether McCain and Palin are American. Or American enough. Their religion has never been questioned. Their commitment to America will never been questioned. Make no mistake - This was NOT about race. Oh, it gave the right wing radicals more ammunition, but it would have been this way in any case no matter who ran for office from the other side. It is f*cked up people.

Remember how they questioned John Kerry’s commitment to America? Swift-boat tactics. But Bush… His fake horse riding had them all giddy…

What gives any conservative right-wing stupid a-hole more of a right to be American than the other guy? Why is their religious views more right than the other more tolerant views? What gives Republicans the right to claim to be more American than the Democrats? Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. They are a bunch of weaklings who hides behind a gun, loud name-calling and shouting, and a big car to fit their ego.

They think they are so tough. But they are not. They are pathetic weaklings who have to hide behind insults and name-calling (like me) because they are devoid of any policy of substance. And empty of any moral standings. They are nothing. They are yesterday. Looking back and never advancing.

I don’t get it. One guy gets you into a stupid senseless war and he is more American than the guy questioning it? A flag doesn’t make you American. Oh for f*ck sake. I just don’t get it. A bigot, bastard and buffoon makes you more American than the other guy? Hatred and fear makes you more American than the other side who talks about tolerance and hope? The one side has never changed anything and the other side has been at the heart of every piece of liberty, freedom, equality and justice in this world? Who gave you equality? Who was in charge during WWII?

The problem with liberals isn’t that they take a knife to a gun fight. No. They have a nuclear arsenal but they know responsibility. They think of the other side. They think of what is just and what is wrong. What would be fair to say and what won’t. They shouldn’t. You don’t play nice with bigots. Give them the full force of the nuclear arsenal. Hell, those bigots don’t even know how to pronounce nuclear. No more Mister Nice Guy.

The problem isn’t that liberals think they are better than others. It’s that they think of others in the first place. They don’t want to insult them. Wake up - they don’t give a sh*t. Give them hell. Do you think the conservatives would give you one inch if they won? Do you think they would have gone out of their way to establish a bipartisan team? Would they have listened to the middle or the left? No. They would have gone on doing what they have done the last few years. F*ck up and follow their bigoted ways. Why the hell should you not stick it to them, rub their noses in it and tell them to shut the f*ck up and just do what the MAJORITY of Americans just voted for? Don’t play nice. Do the right thing. They didn’t vote you in. They don’t get a chance to set the agenda.

Look, liberals have justice and history behind them. Liberalism means moving forward. Not being scared of new things. Seeing things as a challenge and taking it on. Conservatism means being scared of change and wanting to hold on to old values and systems. You think that this was how America was build? You think America would be here if people were to scared to do new things? You wonder why the liberals are at the coast? Because they tackle the world. Head on. Not hide in some godforsaken farm in the middle of nowhere thinking they can just keep the world out. Hell, you would still be stuck riding bicycles if it was up to conservatives. Guess who challenged the moon?

I am a liberal. Yes, I have a few deep rooted conservative streaks in me. Especially when it comes to economics. But true conservatism thank you. Not this socialism-for-the-rich you call conservatism. I don’t like it when government subsidize business. It’s not conservatism. It’s bloody socialism people. Go to Russia and see how close the US system of business is to theirs. Bail out? Other countries call it nationalism.

But I am not a nice liberal. I say that if a man slaps me I headbutt him back. No holding hands and waiting for them to “come around” to my way of thinking. I’ve tried that. Guess what? Bigots hardly ever change. And I don’t have time for them to come along and see it my way. I’ll rather save the person who is dying of hunger and struggling with poverty. They are my real concern. You get in the way? Well, say hello to Mr Head. It’s called a Liverpool Kiss.

I am liberal. I don’t like bigots. Or weaklings.

I am a liberal. But I am loaded and ready to rumble. Our time has come. And this time we play for keeps. The hard way. Lock and load baby. Time to pull out the big guns of liberalism. Equality, justice and freedom for all. The end to bigotry. The hard way. Conservatives. Or rather… Fake conservatives… Get ready. It’s time to wake up and smell the roses. We won. You lost. Live with it. Or feel my fist meeting your teeth. I don’t turn the other cheek.

Liberals… Stand up and be strong. Remember what you gave the world. The civil rights movement. Child labor laws. Equal rights for women. YOU gave this world equality. You gave it justice. Freedom. Liberty. You fought for it. And you won each and every time. Don’t forget that you have been on the right side each and every single time. Not conservatives. Oh, they benefit from those rights we fought for. But you had to get it while they fought against it. But you only got it by fighting for it. By standing up and saying no more. And by fighting inch by inch. Step by step. Not by being nice. Now is the time to fight for justice, equality, freedom and liberty for all. You made the world. Now take it back.

I am Liberal. And proud of it. But I don’t play nice.

I am liberal. Proudly liberal. I am strong. And I am right. Feel my power.

BBC reported today that The US Labor Department’s monthly jobs report this morning showed that “the economy shed 240,000 jobs in October, bringing the year’s total job losses to 1.2 million. The unemployment rate climbed from 6.1 percent to 6.5 percent, the highest it has been since March 1994″.

Obama won’t make any more personnel announcements. Yesterday he announced the appointment of Rahm Emmanual as Chief of Staff. In his statement, Obama said “I announce this appointment first because the chief of staff is central to the ability of a president and administration to accomplish an agenda. And no one I know is better at getting things done than Rahm Emanuel.”

He is expected to appoint David Axelrod as senior White House Adviser, and Robert Gibbs as White press secretary. According to CNN, names circulating for the treasury secretary position include Timothy Geithner (president of the New York Federal Reserve), Summers and Paul Volcker (former Federal Reserve chairman). “This is one of the first times that I can remember that the secretary of the treasury is going to be almost as important as the secretary of state,” said CNN senior political analyst David Gergen.

On Monday, Obama and Bush will meet in the White House to discuss the economy.

“Yes we can” has been the mantra of hope for the Obama campaign. Prior to November 4, I found myself occasionally repeating these words, but not really thinking about what they meant. But after my experience in New York City on election night, and after hearing president elect Obama make his victory speech, this campaign slogan became a concrete reality for me.

A group of friends and I were watching CNN at our resident hall’s TV lounge. As the results came in, excitement started to brew. Was this really going to happen? Would history truly be made in our generation? Was the change that America and the world longed for truly going to come to fruition? As all those questions hovered in our minds, suddenly, CNN announced: “Breaking news! Barack Obama elected president!” The whole room went berserk! We all started singing “Obama! Obama! Obama!” The whole group then ran down towards Harlem and hundreds of other Columbia University students joined us. “Obama! Obama! Obama!”

We joined the march begun by the people of Harlem. People of all races and gender were dancing, hugging and singing “Obama! Obama! Obama!” The streets of Harlem were so full of people that cars could not even move. So they decided to join the celebrations and hooted as we kept shouting “Obama! Obama! Obama!” We then took the celebrations to Times Square and celebrated until the break of dawn. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced in my life.

Being South African, I can almost equate this experience to how people must have felt in 1994 when former president Nelson Mandela was elected. I was only eight years old during those elections, so I don’t believe I fully understood the gargantuan meaning of his election. We ran around the streets as little kids singing “Mandela is president,” but back then, I did not fully appreciate what it meant both for South Africa and the world at large. But now, it seems I have been given the opportunity to fully experience the hope that South Africans and the world must have had in 1994 and it is beyond comprehension.

As president-elect Obama delivered his speech, I found tears streaming down my face. He emphasised the importance of unity and pointed out that the road ahead would be steep, but that together as a people, progress and prosperity for all would be achieved. He also noted the contribution of young people in this election – disproving the myth of apathetic young people. His devotion to his family and his love for the nation were poignant. I was further moved as I saw the sincerity and humility in his eyes as he said the words: “Yes we can!”

So what did this historical event mean for me, especially being a South African who plans to go back home after my studies and effect meaningful change? President-elect Obama’s election showed me that it is possible for people from all races and genders to come together as one for a cause that is bigger than themselves and the differences that separate them. In the end, we all bleed red, so I don’t understand why we let irrelevant factors separate us when they don’t really have to. Secondly, this election showed me the power of grass roots level interventions. The funding for the Obama campaign began with small donations of $10 or $20 from the normal man on the street. These contributions played a salutary role to the success of his campaign. As much as I support macro level interventions, Americans have just shown that micro level interventions should never be undermined as the collection of the whole can have a colossal impact on the final results. Thirdly, I was inspired by president elect Obama’s honesty that the road ahead would be steep, especially considering the current economic crisis. Often leaders like to promise the sun, moon and stars, but Obama was honest about the tough times ahead. What I truly appreciated though was his call for the people of America as a whole to join him in the fight to effect change. He was clear that change would not occur through government intervention alone, but that every citizen would have to play his/ her part through service and together rebuild the country. I couldn’t agree more with that call and my views on citizen participation were expressed in my previous article titled “South Africans, here is an inconvenient truth”. (If you want more information about my opinion on citizen participation, you can read that).

It is very easy for all of us to be excited about the victory of the likes of former president Nelson Mandela and president-elect Obama. These leaders are those beacons of hope that we all need and long for. But as President Obama said, the real work begins now. Now is the time that we get our hands and feet in the mud and start digging. The slogan is not “Yes I can!” It is “Yes WE can!” The minute we lose sight of our role in seeing the desired change, then this victory and similar victories to come would be null and void.

These are interesting times for the nation of South Africa as the election of the new president is at its eleventh hour. We too as a nation will have to come together in unity. Obama did not win the elections because only black people went to vote. He won the elections because the people of America went out to vote, regardless of race. I pray that the people of South Africa will come together and vote for the party that they believe can move us forward as one and not vote based on colour or gender. The formation of a new political party and the controversies surrounding such a move bring a new set of expectations to the election process that is about to occur. Whoever the people of South Africa get behind and elect as the next president, may it be the person who inspires us to believe that together we can do it. Perhaps South Africa is also ready for change that we can believe in that will deliver results and not just idle talk.

I know some friends from back home fear what these upcoming elections will bring. But I say let us not fear. Fear is:

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

Let us continue holding on to the beacon of hope that the likes of Tata Mandela lit up for us. Let us unite, let us choose wisely and let us go and vote so that when April 2009 comes, we can all proudly stand together and say: “Yes, WE can!”

Judy Sikuza is busy with her Master’s degree at Columbia University in New York. She finds delight and value in learning from those who are different from her. Besides dreaming of becoming a rock star, her pursuit to effect change lies in her five seemingly dichotomous passions: business, sport, drama, politics and education (training and development). However, she has realised that the specificity of the medium is not important since there is a common vision behind all her passions. This vision is to emancipate and empower people to reach their full potential.

With votes still being counted in a few states, New York Magazine’s John Heilemann claimed that the web played a transformative role in this year’s election, much like television did for the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon contest. Arianna Huffington boasted that without his mastery of the internet, Barack Obama would not be President-Elect today.

For politicians, the worst thing that can happen is to be ignored. ReadWriteWeb reports that between the two political conventions and Election Day, Obama-Biden recorded more than 500 million blog postings. Of course, it couldn’t have all been positive, but compare that to the McCain-Palin ticket, which only received 150 million posts.

Obama also beat out McCain on social networks. In the Summer of 2007, the President-Elect’s campaign began signing fans up to receive “tweets” on Twitter. Obama’s Facebook page has more than a million friends. There’s also the official Barack Obama blog and a separate channel on You Tube. The campaign also leveraged new media platforms like LinkedIn, MySpace, FriendFeed and MeetUp. All these tools helped keep the candidate in peoples' thoughts, help organize supporters and assisted in get-out-the-vote campaigns, especially important considering the number of people who turned out to cast ballots.

Then came the real-time connection with supporters, from Obama texting people to announce his choice for Vice President (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/08/11/obama_plans_novel_text_vp_anno.html) to posting Flickr photos from election night. (http://flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/sets/72157608716313371/) These tools worked far from perfectly, but they allowed the campaign to circumvent traditional media and control the flow of information.

From ZenGuide in the United Kingdom, here is a good overview on the importance of social media in this election:

If anyone is still sceptical about the power of social media, all you have to do is take a look at its role in the making of America’s first African American president. Of all the candidates, Barack Obama has probably been the most socially connected online throughout the Democratic nomination race and also in the last year going head to head with John MCain….

But a bunch of social media tools in themselves are not going to make a president all by themselves. The key is how they were used by the Obama campaign. Supporters, fans and followers were encouraged to take an action to show their support for the campaign - whether by organising local events or giving a donation, however small or large, or raising funds. According to the BBC, Obama’s online campaign “attracted more than three million donors. They donated about $650m (£403m) - more than both presidential contenders in 2004 combined.” With an overflowing war chest, he could out-do McCain by buying more airtime in the traditional broadcast media and also extend his own on-the-ground real world contact through more local outreach offices than the Republican campaign.

Obama’s success was not entirely due to social media but he used it smartly in conjunction with other communication tools. Broadcast media is still hugely influential and there’s nothing that will replace face to face human contact whether it’s through speeches at rallies or simply walking among the people and kissing babies. But social media broadened his reach to those people he might not have otherwise been able to connect with and it also enabled ordinary people to do small things which came together as a whole to contibute to an enormous win.

Marc Rogatschnig writes in the South African site Ideate covering small business issues that “the politics of power may be disappearing right before our eyes.”

Obama has secured the most financial support ever in a US presidential campaign and has mobilized over 2 million facebook members to his profile. He has leveraged social media and relied almost entirely on the networks of supporters across the country to mobilize the population. He couldn’t have done that by giving each small support base a daily pep talk; he could only have done that by engaging high energy followship through trusting relationships!

An interesting comment on branding from Fred:

One thing that strikes me about Obama is his brilliant ability in personal branding. He has been consistent and pervasive, his ‘brand positioning’ has been spot on in differentiating himself from the opposition, and his provision of solutions within his message has been outstanding.

Now, the big question is (this is where many marketing and branding campaigns fall flat) is his ability to deliver on the very big promises contained within the message he’s conveyed.

Trevor Cook, who covers PR, social media and politics for the Crickey site in Australia doesn’t expect the Obama administration to put down these tools when it moves into power.

If Obama keeps using social media in the White House, and why not, the impact on corporate, NGO and government interest in social media is going to be huge.

Those of us who have been evangelising corporate social media are in for a fairly exciting time I reckon.

From Grant at One Rock at a Time, entrepreneurs have a lot to learn from the Obama campaign, which won with “perfect (marketing) precision.” Here are a few:

The brand and message stayed the same from start to finish (can anyone remember McCain’s first message??) - it incorporated ‘experience’

…The Obama online campaign didn’t waiver or deviate based on polls or public opinion – it had a well planned strategy and timeline that it followed to the letter. I’m certain there was some flexibility and ‘tweaks’ that happened, but with no prior roadmap or campaign precedent to learn from they leveraged non-political ‘real world’ experience and success to plan a multi channel branding & marketing campaign as if they were launching a new cereal or auto brand.

…Treating the Presidential Candidate as a consumer product, carefully packaged and promoted (and at the right price to make the sale easier), the Obama campaign stepped out of the ‘normal’ mold of big smiles, big promises and baby-kissing. Obama, as an eloquent and effective ‘brand ambassador’ was able to deliver and embody the brand message with a high degree of success (what greater change than a string of white to black?)

Finally, a comment on the blog The Lovable Rogue Also Known as Chris from Danny Brown asks us to get a little more realistic in how we approach social media:

Although I feel social media has more pros than cons, I'm not naive enough to think it's going to solve the world's ills or make your business suddenly take off into the stratosphere.

It's like anything - it has its pluses and benefits. What you get out of it is down to how you use it and using the right tools for your needs.

The one thing I don't like about social media is the surge of self-pronounced experts and gurus. There are definitely some that stand head and shoulders above anyone else in knowledge, but even the best of these experts admit to still learning.

On the DotEarth blog, Andrew Revkin muses on the significance of Obama's election, writing…

President-elect Barack Obama on Jan. 20 will become the most important leader of a species that has exploded in just six generations from a total population of 1 billion (around 1830) to a point today when teenagers alone number 1 billion, a species that is on a path toward more or less 9 billion people by mid-century. In numbers, think roughly of adding two Chinas on top of the one that exists today. Expectations that he will exert planet-scale leadership are high, as indicated in this letter from Nelson Mandela to the next president.

He is compiling a list of 10 best proposals to send to Obama's transition team. The proposals will be ranked by readers of his blog.

On the China Dialogue blog, reprints a 2007 Obama speech, reflecting on what Obama's presidency would mean for the environment.

What will a Barack Obama presidency mean for the global environment?

In a policy address delivered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in October 2007 – shortly after George W Bush hosted a Washington conference on energy security and climate change — Obama set out his plan. It included a strong focus on energy efficiency and the use of a “cap-and-trade” system. Obama also emphasised his commitment to investing in clean technology, saying that new technology from the United States can help countries like China to fight climate change.

“[W]e will share our technology and our innovations with all the nations of the world,” Obama said. “If we can build a clean coal plant in America, China should be able to as well.”

La Marguerite suggests channeling the magic of community organizing seen in the Obama campaign into tackling climate change.

Sarah Palin should not have mocked Barack Obama for being a community organizer. If anything, tonight’s results proved her wrong. Our new President has given new meaning, and strength to the concept of community organizing. And he has shown us what citizens can do, when given the means to organize towards a cause, that’s greater than themselves.

Tonight I am thinking of the thousands of Obama offices, volunteer networks, and fundraising organizations, along with the sophisticated Internet machine, and the organizing methodology, that went into getting Barack Obama elected. As the signs are coming down, the thank you emails go out, and the temporary offices go back to their original owners, I wonder, is that it? Will we go back to business as usual, each in our homes, going about our private lives?

Or will we use the skills learned during the Obama campaign to mount a national community effort, this time to address the threat of climate change? The last time I checked, we had less than ten years to get our act together. Citizens have a crucial role to play on the conservation end. As someone who has tried for the last year and a half, to curtail my consumerist and energy appetites, I can testify on the difficulty of accomplishing such changes at the individual level. Instead, we need to summon the power of community to help each other.

Omar Basawad of the Safari Notes blog says ‘Congratulations America!'

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.” So, said the next President of the US.

I, we, have no doubt any more about that. And I do, for the first time truly envy Americans for how you can rise and at what you can do. And how lucky and blessed you are, to have such a democratic system and such ideals! Truly, you are a great people. And that is the reason you will continue leading the World militarily, economically and technologically; and you have just proven too, that you are above the rest of the World, morally. And now you have sent such a great statement across the globe, which will cause ripples and shock waves for a long time to come.

Very hopefully, the ripples and shock waves - will be so powerful so as to bring too, the same kind of change that will, one day, allow our children too - to have such a kind of democracy working in our parts of the World; a democracy that is truly: true, enlightened and ideal.

Tracy Stokes in South Africa had tears of joy on hearing the news that Barack Obama is the next president of USA. She wrote…

I sprang out of bed this morning (very out of character for me) and rushed to the living room, grabbed the remote and had that TV on before you could say “election results”. Obama is the new president of the United States, Bush is on the way out. So here I am, miles and miles away from where it’s all happening, at the southern tip of Africa, a South African of European descent, and it moved me to tears. Why? Because from next January, the most powerful man in the world will no longer be a warmonger, bigot, and dare I say it, village idiot, but an intelligent, compassionate man who has brought to Americans the opportunity to join the rest of the world in working towards peace, upholding of human rights, and fighting climate change. So congratulations to the American people in choosing the right man for the job.

On the 350.org blog, Phil considers the signifance of Obama's win particularly regarding climate change.

It's up to us to make sure Senator Obama follows through with the vision of a world we desperately want that is now a little bit more within reach. Sending him to Poland is a needed first step towards rebuilding the world economy and solving climate change, tasks which will no doubt take years, if not decades, to accomplish.
At this historic turning point, it's up to us to shed the yoke of history and move forward by joining with our new leaders and pushing for a bold new solution to these dual crises. The world is counting on us.

On the GreenPeace Making Waves blog, amid thanks, a reminder of the promises Barack Obama made regarding the environment is stated.

Thank you, Barack Obama, for giving all of us new hope for a changed America.
We're non-partisan here at Greenpeace. We don't have any permanent allies or enemies. We support policies, not politicians. We endorse deeds, not words. So even while a lot of us (in our personal capacity as human beings and not Greenpeace employees) are jumping up and down this morning with glee, we want to take a moment to remind you of the promises you made in your election campaign.

It's delivering on these promises, or bettering them, that will be the true mark of your leadership. …

On ‘Its Getting Hot in Here' blog, Teryn Norris writes of reinventing America.

Few moments in history feel this monumental. It’s the feeling of renewed hope and immense possibility.
Barack Obama has once again tapped America’s power of invention. It’s the same power that led us to invent the first modern democracy. To invent the systems and technologies that continue to drive human progress. To constantly reinvent ourselves in the face of insurmountable hardship and division.
Invention is our greatest power — the very heart of the American spirit. It’s what can renew our promise once again and make this century the next American century.

Teryn concludes the post with:

Obama has rekindled the American spirit. Now he must lead this nation to fully reinvent itself and the world — to lead us in what will be the greatest American project.

Let’s get started.

From South Africa, The Urban sprout blog offers kudos to the the American public for electing Barack Obama.

…how often do we ask ourselves what difference the leaders of New Zealand, Denmark, Germany or Iceland, for instance, will make to us all? But you have to give credit where credit is due and kudos to the American public for electing Barack Obama!

But what can we expect from Obama’s environmental direction, and can he be held accountable to his campaign promises?

We end this post with a quote from the Urban sprout blog.

Obama’s administration has 4 years to turn these visionary promises into something tangible, and that's the real challenge - but right now, there's plenty to be optimistic about.

As part of their campaign, Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden said that more must be done to fight the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, as well as malaria and tuberculosis (TB). They pledged to provide at least $50 billion by 2013 for the global fight against HIV/AIDS, hoping to at least double the number of HIV-positive people on treatment, and supported increasing U.S. contributions to the Global Fund for AIDS, malaria, and TB. The ONE Blog lists other health- and poverty-related campaign promises.

Bloggers around the world are excited about what Obama's win could mean for health issues. Ray Hartley, blogging on The Times, South Africa, posts an excerpt of Obama's speech on World AIDS Day, 2006, after a visit to South Africa:

“We know how to save people’s lives. We know the medicine is out there and we know that wealthy countries can afford to do more. That’s why it was so frustrating for me to go to South Africa, and see the pain, and see the suffering …We should never forget that God granted us the power to reason so that we would do His work here on Earth - so that we would use science to cure disease, and heal the sick, and save lives. And one of the miracles to come out of the AIDS pandemic is that scientists have discovered medicine that can give people with HIV a new chance at life.”

yannick Santana, commenting on this excerpt says:

“If people have been wondering about ways in which President Obama change could positively impact the problem-solving process in Africa, this is an illustration.”

addis2000, blogging on Addismenged, provides five reasons why Obama's win is good for Ethiopians, including potentially helping Ethiopian-Americans access affordable healthcare. Within Ethiopia addis2000 adds:

“HIV/Aids and food insecurity form convergent miseries. To combat poverty, Ethiopian economists urge for immediate steps to curb the country’s exponential population growth. And yet, despite the Bush administration’s outstanding work to treat HIV/Aids victims in Africa through the PEPFAR programme, it worsened things by ordering USAID missions in six African countries to ensure that no U.S.-financed condoms, birth control pills, I.U.D.’s or other contraceptives are furnished to Marie Stopes International, which operates clinics in Ethiopia. Senator Obama supports family planning.”

Others also remain hopeful. A post on Med India says that Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corp., is optimistic about Obama's efforts to tackle global health issues, including ones in India. Understand Argentina also believes we have much to celebrate, and hopes this will be a new era for all Americans: North, Central and South. One of the reasons to celebrate, she adds, is because Obama will bring:

“More assistance in vocational training, micro-finance and community development; continue fighting AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis; reinforce global education.”

In the U.S., Obama's healthcare plan includes making healthcare affordable and accessible to all, lowering healthcare costs, and promoting public health. He also pledged to develop and begin implementing a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy during his first year of presidency.

RH Reality Check says that Obama's victory can be seen as a mandate for science and rationality, especially in healthcare policy. A post on Housing Works is also excited about these science-based policies, and hopes they will target people most in need.

“AIDS advocates were overwhelmingly thrilled by President-elect Barack Obama’s victory Tuesday, expressing hope that Obama’s election will bring meaningful changes to health care reform, science-based prevention, and a National AIDS strategy — all of which he promised during the campaign. And there is a real hope that the first black president — who has spoken out against health disparities in minority populations and homophobia in the black community — will frankly address the epidemic in the United States which overwhelmingly affects African-Americans, Latinos and gay men.”

Stiletto, blogging on Pourquoi Pas?, points out that though Obama has inherited huge problems from President George W. Bush, she hopes he will still deliver on his promises.

“For the American people, I hope he manages to find the 33 billion dollars to make America’s health system a thing of everyday like here in Europe, instead of being a joke like a third world country and having 45 million people with no health care cover. If that idiot Bush managed to find nearly 1000 billion dollars to go murder hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, surely, 33 billion dollars to keep the health of the citizens of USA is a lot more important and a lot cheaper. But this is your problem, Americans, and I wish you all the best. “

However, My African Diaspora cautions that we need to give Obama time to come through on all his promises:

“Temper expectations. Change won’t occur overnight. We’ve got so many pressing priorities: the economy, healthcare, the war, foreign policy and a slew of others. He won’t be able to wave a magic wand and make it all better. To expect him to would only demonstrate our own ignorance of the political process. Instead, reserve judgment and criticism and engage in the governance of your country. It is our right and our responsibility.”

Photo of Obama Posters by tonx on Flickr.

No doubt his supporters will be elated.

For myself, I'm relieved, rather than happy.

I'm relieved that the nightmare of an unpredictable warmongering president of the US threatening to start World War III that has dominated the last eight years may be over.

I think there are many others who feel the same way.

There is widespread relief around the world that the Bush years are almost over.

But why not elation?

I suppose for me the reason is that history has shown that the Democratic Party in the US is no less inclined to war-mongering than the Republican Party. It's just slightly less lunatic and unpredictable about it.

Bush (father and son) may have bombed Baghdad, but I cannot forget that it was Clinton, a Democrat, who bombed Belgrade.

And it was his colleague Madeleine Albright who forced war on Yugoslavia with just as much manic determination as George Bush II forced it on Iraq, and it was she, who, when asked if the lives of half a million Iraqi children was a price worth paying for American hegemony in the Middle East, said “We think the price is worth it.”

But in another respect, one can hope for better things. Under Bill Clinton's Demcratic Party the US at least had balanced budgets, while the Republican administration of George Bush spent like there was no tomorrow, and have left the mess for Barack Obama to pick up. Will eight years be enough to sort out the mess that George Bush left?

So I hope Barack Obama lives up to the hopes that have been placed in him. I think back to the time when Tony Blair was elected as Prime Minister of the UK, and the hopes he aroused. Like Obama, he was young and dynamic and was a new broom promising change. But in the end he was a disappointment, and turned out to be as much a warmonger as Bill Clinton and George Bush combined.

Of course young dynamic leaders are attractive, but age is not necessarily a barrier. In South Africa Nelson Mandela was the best President or Prime Minister the coutnry has ever had since the union was formed in 1910, and he was also, at the time he was elected, probably the oldest.

His successors seem determined to destroy his legacy by squabbling over the spoils of office in bitter personal rivalries and factions. It is sad to see the ANC destroying itself like that.

There's much talk about Mbhazima Shilowa and Terror Lekota forming a new party, which has been dubbed “Shikota” by journalists. But they somehow don't bring as much hope as Barack Obama. I wonder how much they are driven by principle, and how much by sour grapes. Shilowa at least had the vision of an integrated transport system for Gauteng, and the progress in building the new commuter train line between Johannesburg and Pretoria is a tribute to his vision and energy. So perhaps there is some hope there.

Well, I hope Barack Obama will live up to the hopes of his supporters. I hope he will not start any new wars, and that he will succeed in bringing an end to the ones started by his predecessors. But somehow I don't think history is on his side. Undoing the damage done by George Bush in the US and in the world may take a lot more than eight years, more likely eight generations.

Elsewhere in South Africa, on 6 November, the last and largest batch of ivory stockpiles will be placed on the block in the ongoing CITES-backed one-off auction between southern African states and China/Japan. They waited 9 years for this and no matter who becomes the next president of the United States, the auction will go on.This is not good news.

It is indeed sad news because selling ivory under the guise of raising funds for elephant conservation just doesn’t make sense. South Africa is not poor. As Paula said in her previous blog at Baraza, the South African proponents of “sustainable” utilization of ivory will be rubbing their hands with glee as they salute what is to them a victory. “We won! we sold Ivory!” is not a phrase that you and I should be surprised to hear being spat out of their grinning mouths. For them it’s more of a statement to the effect that ivory can be exploited sustainably. It has nothing to do with conservation.

It is indeed a bounty in southern Africa this week. Zimbabwe sold 4 tons of ivory on Sunday 2 November raking in a tidy 480,000 American dollars. Namibia which was first to sell its stockpile auctioned 9 tons making $1.2-million. Botswana, which auctioned 44 tons made $1.1-million mostly because their ivory is of lower quality (since the country has the lowest humidity) and is relatively difficult to work. South Africa, with 51 tons in the offing, is hoping to raise more than that. All this money, coming from Chinese and Japanese ivory traders, “will be used in conservation work”, they say.

Kenya, the country of Obama’s late father, is mourning the elephant. They campaigned fervently before and during the CITES Conference of Parties held at the Hague this year for a 20 year moratorium on ivory sales: they got 9. And even before they got the 9, the CITES elite had already given the go ahead for this year’s one-off auction. Now the Kenyan conservationists watch helplessly as the southern African nations bath in wads of cash. Blood money if you ask the Kenyans.

Perhaps an Obama victory will lift their spirits tomorrow. A prize bull has been tethered outside the home of Obama’s paternal grandmother. It will fall when Obama rises. The people of Kogelo will sing, dance and make merry. But after this, they will go on with their life. And on the 6th day of November, 51 tons of ivory will be auctioned in South Africa. The people of Kogelo may not get wind of this. But another group of Kenyans, whose business is to conserve wildlife, will be reminded that it is time to swallow yet another bitter pill of sorrow for the elephant. They will ask themselves what will happen in the next nine years. What will happen tomorrow. Will other African states ask CITES if they can sell their ivory?

Perhaps Barack Obama’s message of change and hope: more specifically “change” will get to CITES. They badly need to change their approach to trade. Some people say that they worry more about the trade than the wildlife. It’s all about the money.