Friday, June 5, 2009

Key Leaders Discuss President's Cairo Speech

June 4 – I was able to host today a substantive roundtable with key leaders at the U.S. Mission to Nigeria on President Obama's first major policy speech on the African Continent from Cairo, Egypt. We watched the speech together and had a lively discussion – Situation Room Style – following the speech, with a variety of views and takeaways as to the messages in the speech. The universal take away by many not only highlighted the President's "extraordinary delivery" of the speech but the content of the speech and its seven key points, not only were for the "Muslim world, but for the whole world," many said, adding that "what he said was applicable to Nigeria and that it was important for us all to work together to achieve these goals as brothers and sisters in humankind.” They all applauded the desire of America to have a "new beginning" with Islam and the global community. One participant noted that the President's speech "will go down as a defining moment in policy speeches and possibly one of the greatest speeches in history." I agree.

Related Story: Ambassador Sanders Takes Reactions on President Obama's Speech in Cairo