Why we want Obama to be US President

The global community is increasingly interdependent, and the next US President will make decisions that affect us all. Whether you live in Baghdad, Buenos Aires or Bangkok, this matters.

Although Americans have done many positive things around the world, the US government - once the champion of anti-colonialism and self-determination - has often appeared to be an arrogant bully, waging war and pursuing its own interests at the expense of others. President Bush has taken this to extremes, but the general policy was little better under his predecessors; for example, Bill Clinton imposed economic sanctions on Iraq for all eight years of his presidency, against the wishes of the vast majority of UN countries, causing the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children.

Senator Obama looks different, he sounds different, and millions of non-Americans believe he will act differently. We cannot vote in the 2008 US elections, but if we could, we’d back Obama. We may not agree with all his current policies, and we understand that he will face difficult choices and compromises when he is in office. However, we trust he will do his best, because he has demonstrated strong principles and a willingness to listen and engage constructively, even with countries that have been seen as America's enemies.

We want an America that lives up to the principles it preaches, listens rather than lectures, conserves rather than consumes, makes peace rather than war and uses its influence positively in the world.

We're not saying Obama is perfect, but he is the first Presidential candidate in a long time who seems genuinely willing to listen to the world and take courageous action to work towards a just, peaceful, and sustainable planet - which will be good for Americans and the rest of us. With that kind of President in the White House, Americans will be able to hold their heads up high when they visit our countries and won't need to pretend they are Canadians!

Help us to build a global movement to show America that there are millions of people around the globe that back Obama, and encourage America to engage with international opinion.

This site collects some of the evidence of the international support for Obama and provides resources to help global citizens assess him for themselves. You can share your views and contribute to this campaign through our Facebook group (you can view this even if you are not signed on to FB), or by emailing us. We are not affiliated with the Obama Campaign, but are an independent network of global citizens.