Obama may of just realised the need for foreign politics, diplomacy and policies. Lets hope he is a quick learner. If McCain gets in there we can expect to see the continuation of the Bush Legacy.
Dear friends,

The US Presidential election campaign has begun, and with it a chance to turn a fresh new page on 8 years of disastrous US foreign policy. With John McCain showing signs of continuing the Bush administration's line, most of the world clearly believes the chance for change is best offered by one candidate: Barack Obama.

The world can't vote in US elections, nor should we browbeat Americans in their choice. But Americans say they want their next President to be someone who is respected around the world. So our voice counts for a lot -- and our best chance to be heard is right now, as Obama is travelling around the world and the American media reports on his reception.

Perhaps the best way to show Americans how much the world hopes for the change that Obama promises is to send him a global online "bump" (a gentle touching of knuckles he's adopted as his signature). Obama's use of this simple, friendly gesture has triggered a feeding frenzy in the US media, not least because of its origins in the black community. A global Obama 'bump' could be perfectly timed to expand the US debate to bigger questions of global respect and responsibility -- we'll press-release this action to the media there, and get the word out through friendly blogs and columnists. Click below now to send your own Obama-bump, and forward this email to everyone you know -- let's get to a million this week!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_global_obama_bump

Obama's wife Michelle has called the bump "the new high-five", saying they "got it from the young staff." It's a simple way to communicate a lot of things we want to say -- about unity, change and doing the right thing. Meanwhile we're running a full-page open letter to the candidates in Foreign Affairs, the bible of the US foreign policy community, spelling out the change we want -- promoting peace not war, reviving respect for human rights and taking decisive action on climate change.[4] Obama is on the right side of all those issues, despite the pressure that is growing on him to compromise.

In politics, symbols are powerful. And a massive global Obama-bump from 1 million of us -- a symbol of enthusiasm, solidarity and courage from all over the world, from Brazil to Germany, Qatar to Japan -- would be a powerful signal to Americans that we hope for real change and responsibility from the US. Instead of a political endorsement, it's a sign of regard and a challenge to be bold.

The success of this is all about how big and fast the 'global Obama-bump' grows, so please forward this email to as many people as you can with a short personal note. For too many years the promise of our world has been dimmed by poor US leadership. Now we may have a real chance for hope and change, so let's make sure our voice is heard loud and clear -- Join the global Obama-bump, click below!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_global_obama_bump

With hope for change,

Ricken, Paul, Veronique, Iain, Graziela, Ben, Milena, Pascal and the whole Avaaz team.

PS – You can see report backs and achievements of recent Avaaz campaigns here: http://www.avaaz.org/en/report_back_1

PPS – Here are some links to more information on this campaign:

Pew Survey: "Global Attitudes To The US And The US Election --
http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?ReportID=260
Associated Press: "Obama Vows To Work For Mideast Breakthrough" --
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5giFJHDWVc-7JEA1oBY0rEmZ-muqAD9234KS80
The Guardian: "Both Candidates Talk The Talk On Green Issues But Who Can Deliver?" --
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/17/uselections2008.barackobama
The Huffington Post: "Obama Fist-Bump Rocks The Nation" --
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/06/obama-fist-bump-rocks-the_n_105490.html
Time: "A brief History Of The Fist bump" --
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1812102,00.html

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ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

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