President Isaias sends message of congratulations to newly elected US President
His Excellency Barack Obama
President-Elect of the United States of America
Excellency,
It is my utmost pleasure to convey to Your Excellency, and to the people of the United States, my warmest congratulations-on behalf of the people and Government of Eritrea and on my own behalf – for your landslide victory and election as the 44th President of the United States of America.
Let me further avail of this historic occasion to express my ardent hope that US policy in our region will indeed change under Your Excellency's Presidency to pursue a constructive path to advance the causes of regional peace, justice, and legality.
Accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Isaias Afwerki
President of The State of Eritrea
Asmara, 5 November 2008
DC Taxi with Obama On Board
By Jesse A. Hamilton on November 5, 2008 10:15 PM
On the streets of Washington, Beniam Ghiday pilots his taxi. On the dashboard is a bumper sticker: "New Energy; Real Change; OBAMA." He is just getting back to work, having taken Election Day off to host a barbecue in his yard.
For Ghiday, President-elect Barack Obama means a reset of foreign policy, a chance that the new president might do something to help the far-flung places of the world like Eritrea, where he came from in 1977.
The accent of Africa's eastern shore is still thick in Ghiday's voice, even after more than 30 years here, but he is clear about his feeling for democracy. He takes his children -- 16, 14 and 8 -- to the polls with him, he says. He tells them, "The only thing you can do is vote. So you have to do it." He's a hopeful pragmatist pragmatic about the president-elect, saying, "You're not going to fix in four years all the damage that's been done." But he's excited about America's "fresh start" in the world. He says, "Americans show what they are right now."
"It's a great time."
Obama Campaign Addresses Eritrean-American Community in DC Area
In an effort to bolster the support within the Eritrean-American community in the Washington, DC metro area, the Obama campaign sent Congressman Donald Payne (D-NJ), a man very much familiar with Horn of African countries, to address a gathering of 500 Eritrean-Americans at Howard University's Blackburn auditorium on Sunday October 5th, 2008. The crowd, mostly residing in the key battleground states of Virginia, Maryland and the District, gave the Congressman a warm welcome and a standing ovation during his introduction.
About Us
Eritreans for Obama is a national grassroots coalition of Eritrean-American youth, students, businessmen, taxi drivers, and community leaders living in the United States who support Senator Barack Obama's 2008 Presidential bid.
A Vote for Change!
It all really started on a bus trip to Columbus, OH with D.C. for Obama volunteers. Here I was traveling with 50 strangers heading to hostile Buckeye territory (Go Blue!) in the dead of winter. Aside from walking in 20 degree weather for hours, I had one of the most enlightening experiences of my entire life. Joining hundreds of volunteers in Ohio, I set out door to door with a new friend to meet the people of Columbus. I am thankful for the experience --speaking with people unlike me in certain ways (ie. white, middle-aged, republican, male), but similar to me in their concerns about our current policies and administration. I even encountered many Obama fans in people that have never before supported a Democrat. I was especially in awe of the kindness afforded to me by the people of Columbus. Instead of focusing on divisions, we should focus on the commonalities that bond us. Senator Obama has been the catalyst for people of all ages, cultures, backgrounds to come together to help our country move past harmful policies and polarization. What I witnessed in Columbus was unity amongst people with vastly different backgrounds, but a shared goal: a better America.
Continue reading why we support Sen. Obama.
Past Events
To see photos from our past events click here.