Barack Obama: Making a list and checking it twice.

Worldfocus anchor Martin Savidge had some down time on the set this week, during which he helpfully compiled a list of all the global challenges facing President Barack Obama.

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The presidential plate…make that platter.

During some down time on the set this week, I started a list of pressing international issues requiring President Obama’s attention. If I missed something, feel free to add it by posting your comment below. I tried to put them in order of importance, but that is not to say they are in the order in which they must be tackled.

Global economic meltdown - stop, then fix.

Iraq – get the troops out while preventing a return to sectarian violence.

Afghanistan – get more troops in, maintain an anxious NATO commitment, halt a resurgence of the Taliban, rebuild.

Middle East - find a long-lasting solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

Iran - keep from becoming a nuclear threat.

Pakistan - prevent from collapsing into chaos. Keep the nukes out of extremist hands.

India - keep from attacking Pakistan.

Russia - it’s no Cold War, but there is definitely a draft…

North Korea - keep from getting more nukes or selling them to anyone else.

China - rising friend/rival.

Darfur - support a solution to end the genocide.

Somalia - stop piracy, stop famine and stop 17 years of lawlessness.

Democratic Republic of Congo - stop the killing — more than 5 million have died.

Zimbabwe - stop the cholera, tell Mugabe it’s time to go.

Global warming - fix.

Mexico - stop the drug violence, prevent civil war.

Venezuela - Keep Chavez in check, but engage.

Cuba - ease travel restrictions, encourage democratic reform, reconsider embargo.

Immigration - come up with a consistent policy.

The Baltics - remember Bosnia, Kosovo? There are rumors of more trouble.

Maldives - stop them from sinking.

Pray nothing else happens.

- Martin Savidge

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Barack Obama under a Creative Commons license.

The retiring Central Intelligence Agency chief said last week the drug violence in Mexico could pose a bigger problem for President Obama than Iraq. Another report by the U.S. military says Mexico is at risk of “sudden collapse.” 

Meanwhile, Cuban President Raul Castro has expressed an interest in working with President Obama — while Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Monday that the new Obama administration already has what he called the “stench” of the Bush administration.

Shannon O’Neil, a specialist on Latin America at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Martin Savidge to discuss how President Obama might tackle Mexican drug violence and relations with Cuba and Venezuela.

Read more about world reactions to Obama’s inauguration: The world watches as President Obama takes office.

The “Eurotopics” blog provides an overview of international coverage of the inauguration, including editorials from Finland, Slovenia, Estonia and Greece.

The “Citizen” blog adds notes from Switzerland, Spain and South Africa.

Filipina blogger “Jane” writes about her reaction to Obama’s inaugural speech, and argues that technology has made the inauguration a truly global event.

The “El Morsa” blog speculates about what the Obama presidency will mean for Peru.

An English teacher in Colombia writes that “Obamania” has struck the country, and that the main questions on the minds of Colombians concern trade and immigration.

The “Good Blog” writes that Obama has brought hope to one impoverished village in Guatemala.

Blogger “Akin” writes about African leaders attending the inauguration, arguing that most are corrupt and that only Ghana should be given the privilege, as it stands out as an example of democracy.

The “Liberal Conspiracy” blog writes that Britain will never have its own Obama, comparing the history of racial politics in the U.S. and U.K.

The “Rajul” blog outlines come celebratory events in France to mark the inauguration.

An Indian blogger writes that although South Asians may celebrate the inauguration, the future holds many challenges for U.S. relations in the region.

Worldfocus speaks with journalists and citizens around the world to get a sense of the global reaction to the new U.S. leader.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent Obama a letter congratulating the president-elect after his victory on Nov. 4, but harshly criticized the U.S. in a speech on Wednesday.

Washington Post contributor Thomas Erdbrink speaks with Martin Savidge from Tehran about Iranian motivation, Ahmadinejad’s public image in Iran leading up to spring elections and the timing of recent Iranian missile tests.

Watch our interview with President Ahmadinejad: Ahmadinejad denounces atomic agency authority.

A Chinese worker on a crane in Tanzania.

Worldfocus anchor Martin Savidge writes about the importance of multi-layered coverage of Africa and elsewhere.

Last week, the world celebrated the historic election of Barack Obama as the next president of the United States. But now that the votes are in, the party is over.

The economic crisis has returned to the headlines, the war in eastern Congo has intensified and the cameras have even left the Kenyan villages that marked the occasion with a national holiday.

Last Thursday, I interviewed Sarjoh Bah of New York University’s Center on International Cooperation about the desire from Africans to change the existing humanitarian relationship between the U.S. and Africa, expanding into more of a strategic partnership.

As a foreign correspondent, I reported from dozens of countries, but never once stepped foot on the African continent. The networks just didn’t cover it. And when they did, the images that dominated the news were war, poverty and hunger — not all too different from today.

But as Bah explained, there are enormous amounts of opportunity in Africa — an expanding middle class and increased trade and investment from China and India.

In 2007, the U.S. imported more oil from Africa than the Middle East. By 2015, it is projected that 25 percent of U.S. oil will likely come from Africa.

Obama’s familial roots in Kenya are significant, but coverage shouldn’t stop there. And while hunger, poverty and war are serious challenges in parts of Africa, there’s also another world embodied within the continent — an emerging global presence.

I think it’s important to sometimes go beyond tired images and photo ops — they’re helpful, but as entryways and opportunities to look deeper.

- Martin Savidge

Michelle Bachelet, the president of Chile.

Barack Obama’s historic election as the 44th president of the U.S. on Nov. 4 has received international attention from citizens and news media alike.

Here in the U.S., commentators have stated that his victory could happen “only in America.”

Obama himself stated in his 2004 address to the Democratic National Convention that “in no other country on earth is my story even possible.”

Greg Weeks is an associate professor of political science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and blogs at Two Weeks Notice, where he takes issue with such a characterization of Barack Obama’s victory and details what he believes are progressive elections in Latin America.

“Only” in America?

As I’ve watched and listened to U.S. media commentary, especially after the election, something has nagged at me. This has indeed been an historic election, but in the United States we try to claim that we are the first to have historic elections. It can happen, we say, “only in America.” I don’t have links, but heard it from both Chris Matthews and Chris Wallace–if you google “obama only in america,” you can get a feel for how broad the sentiment is.

In Latin America, I think of Evo Morales’ impressively large victory in Bolivia in 2005, followed shortly by Michelle Bachelet’s in Chile (remember that the U.S. has not yet elected a woman, unlike many other countries). What of Alberto Fujimori’s 1990 election in Peru (will we see an Asian elected president of the United States?)? Or if we look at class, rather than race, there is no doubt that Lula’s election in Brazil changed history–imagine an uneducated union activist running for president here.

It is truly remarkable that our president-elect is African American, and it says a lot about the progress being made in this country. But let us savor it without pretending that we’re the only ones who have made such progress.

See the original post.

For more, read an article from The Economist about the phenomenon of American exceptionalism.

The views expressed by contributing bloggers do not reflect the views of Worldfocus or its partners.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Fotograma! under a Creative Commons license.

Given Barack Obama’s election as the next U.S. president, many Iraqis are starting to believe that a withdrawal of American forces will be more likely within a couple of years.

Alissa Rubin, a New York Times correspondent, speaks with Martin Savidge about changing Iraqi attitudes since Nov. 4 and the impact of this shift on the security agreement.

Marcus Mabry, international business editor at The New York Times, speaks with Martin Savidge about the challenging economic tasks set forth for President-elect Obama.

Holbrooke, a former ambassador to the United Nations, is touted as a possible secretary of state in the Obama administration.

See the first part of Holbrooke’s interview here. 

Read our Blogwatch post on foreign coverage: International journalists swarm U.S. for election.

Susan Caskie, international editor of The Week, speaks with Martin Savidge about lukewarm or negative coverage of Barack Obama’s victory in Iraq and Afghanistan, how foreign newspapers are characterizing George W. Bush and quirky global headlines about the election.

Shannon O’Neil, a specialist on Latin America at the Council on Foreign Relations, speaks with Martin Savidge about Obama’s position on Cuba, the future of relations with Cuba and Venezuela and major trade issues that are currently under review in Congress.

Martin Savidge speaks with reporters in six countries about reactions to the U.S. presidential election and potential changes in the world’s perception of America.

Beyond the political implications of Barack Obama’s victory, the symbolism inherent in his victory has reverberated throughout the world.

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible,” said Obama to a crowd in Chicago after winning the presidential election, “tonight is your answer.”

Gideon Rose, managing editor of Foreign Affairs magazine, speaks with Martin Savidge about the world’s sense that America has lived up to its reputation of possibility. He adds that Obama’s combination of style and substance will “reboot” American foreign policy.

Rose also speaks with Martin Savidge about how the world sees Barack Obama and the changed image of America abroad.

Ghassan Shabaneh, a professor of Middle East and international studies at Marymount Manhattan College, speaks with Martin Savidge about America’s future with Israel and Iran, the prospect of Middle East peace and Obama’s credentials in the Arab world.

Puerto Ricans celebrate the Nov. 4 election.

Though the U.S. election is dominating headlines, screens and airwaves across the nation, several other countries are also going to the polls.

American Samoa, the Northern Marianas, Palau and Guam held elections on Nov. 4.

The “Memoires from the Middle of the Ocean” blog writes about the openness of elections in Palau and the vibrant campaigns.

Puerto Rico also held parliamentary elections on Nov. 4.

The “Petchie’s Adventures” blog outlines the different political parties and issues at stake.

A blogger at the “El Jibaro Gringo” blog describes his experience voting. Watch a video of Puerto Rican election events here.

Zambia elected Rupiah Banda of the ruling party to replace the deceased president, Levy Mwanawasa. The Oct. 30 election was tight, as opposition leader Michael Sata lost by less than two percent.

However, as blogger “Percymwale” writes, questions remain about the integrity of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), the group in charge of monitoring the election.

Maldives recently completed a runoff election that unseated 30-year incumbent Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. See our previous Blogwatch on the election here.

Several other nations will elect leaders in the coming weeks:

New Zealand will hold its parliamentary election this weekend.

The “4:20 a.m.” blog compares the New Zealand and American elections.

Guinea-Bissau will hold parliamentary elections on Nov. 16.

Blogger “Andrew” writes about world involvement and interest in the election, including the role of the United Nations. See an example ballot from the country here.

Romania will hold elections on Nov. 28, with as many as 2,965 candidates running for a seat in parliament.

Two of those candidates have their own blog, which blogger “Violet” describes in English.

Several west African countries, including the Ivory Coast and Guinea, may delay elections that had been planned for November due to reliability issues.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user abnelphoto.com under a Creative Commons license.

Timothy Frye, a professor of political science at Columbia University, speaks with Martin Savidge about the severity of the plan, the effect of the Russia-Georgia conflict and ways in which dropping oil prices will affect Russia’s assertive stance.

Jamie Metzl, the executive vice president of the Asia Society, speaks with Martin Savidge about China’s position on the global stage, Japan’s role in the financial crisis and what form the Obama administration’s relationship with North Korea may take.

To all those watching from beyond our shores, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

Richard Holbrooke, an assistant secretary of state for European and Canadian affairs in the Clinton administration, speaks with Martin Savidge about the world’s perceptions and expectations of Obama.

Holbrooke, a former ambassador to the United Nations, is touted as a possible secretary of state in the Obama administration.

Ahmad Kamal, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United Nations, speaks with Martin Savidge about the Pakistani response to the U.S. election, Obama’s strategy in the region and the future of dialogue with the Taliban.

The Russian news Web site AmericaRU covers John McCain’s race to the White House.

The world is watching as the U.S. elects a new president.

As Americans head to the polls, a large number foreign journalists are coming to the country, citing unprecedented interest around the world. But in some cases, foreign coverage of the election differs from what Americans may see on U.S. networks.

Read analysis from a Worldfocus contributing blogger about Russian coverage of the election, which he says is more in-depth and balanced in treatment of third-party candidates.

From Moscow, an American journalist at the “Thoughts on the Road” blog writes that he has noticed a pro-Obama bias in coverage.

British news portal “Times Online” broke the story about one of Barack Obama’s aunts living illegally in the U.S.

British blogger “James O’Fee” tries to explain why the election receives an inordinate amount of attention overseas, describing shared culture and influence. British news correspondent Andy Bell describes his experience covering the election in the “Broadcast” blog.

Blogger and traveler “Paul” talks about election coverage around the world, from Europe to the Middle East, saying that even local papers provide extensive coverage about the U.S. candidates.

From Germany, the “Mediencritik” blog predicts how the German media will react to an Obama victory.

The Japanese television station “Asahi” is providing round-the-clock coverage on election night.

American blogger “Sarah” writes from Japan that election fervor has peaked in the town of Obama, posting pictures of the fliers, statues and t-shirts that line the streets.

Television channel France 24 is also providing election coverage in three languages to 120 countries.

“Arab News,” an English-language daily news site in the Middle East, sent a reporter to the U.S. who is now documenting the election from Minneapolis, Minn. in diary entries.

Chilean blogger “Arttemisa” writes that there is little coverage of the election in Chile, but those with an interest are heading online.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user comicbase under a Creative Commons license.