When I first thought of writing on Obama's historic State of the Union speech he made few weeks back and its relevance to Sri Lanka, I had a doubt whether it would be too much for third world country to consider. My main ambition was to get Sri Lankan youth to look at Obama differently.
One significant factor for Obama to become the 44th President of USA was the youth vote. No presidential candidate in the history of USA got more youth attraction than Obama. At the time he made this speech, the situation for Obama was not that great. Few weeks back economist Dr. Razeen Sally who writes a column to one of Sri lankan papers "DailyFT" said "The American love affair with Barak Obama ended in Massachusetts with the shock upset victory of a Republican to take Edward Keneddy's old seat in the US Senate".
His speech is one of the strategies to re-gain the confidence of Americans on him but Obama's vision is noteworthy for anyone to take seriously. What can the Sri Lankan youth and politicians learn from his speech?
He starts his speech saying "despite all our divisions and disagreements; our hesitations and our fears; America prevailed because we chose to move forward as one nation, and one people". Don't you think this is what Sri Lanka needs today as a nation just after a major election? As a nation which endured a war for thirty year we'd love to hear this from our politicians.
Look at what he said after that. Can we force our politicians to say "Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We do not allow fear or division to break our spirit." But Obama used these exact words in his speech.
At the beginning he said "I hear about problems in the letters that I read each night. The toughest to read are those written by children - asking why they have to move from their home, or when their mom or dad will be able to go back to work". Can we expect Sri Lankan politicians to read letters sent by people? Whether Obama read these letters or not, by saying this he has showed people in USA that their President is taking things seriously. That's a great motivator for people to trust him and believe that they have a leader who cares for them.
Obama said "when I ran for Presidency, I promised I wouldn't just do what was popular. I would do what was necessary". What a lesson for Politicians who are afraid of taking bold decisions for the betterment of Sri Lanka. Or can you apply this for your personal life and respect hard truth?
Youth demanded to be number one always. But don't you think as a country we are sometimes happy with what we get than exploring our true potential? But Obama said in his speech "I do not accept second-place for the United States of America." What an attitude to have? Can you have the same spirit and make Sri Lanka a better country? Not only for a country, but also for your life!
As the second most important point he said "we need to encourage American innovation". Even in a tough economy he insists on the importance of trying out new things and investing in innovative technology as he needs to be the President of a nation that leads the global economy. Are we innovative enough as Sri Lankans? We are risk aversive as a nation which is not very supportive of innovation. It's time for us to learn from Obama.
The third point he made was "we need to export more of our goods. Because the more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America". Are we looking at exporting things other than tea, rubber, coconut and garments? Even if you are very young it's not too early to think about what you can export from Sri Lanka. Whatever your age if you need to progress in your life, having an "export mindset" right from the early stage is a real bonus.
Fourth point he made was investing in "skills and education of people". He said "In the 21st century, one of the best anti-poverty programmes is a world-class education". This is so important for you as youth because it's the right time to realize the value of education and improving skills. Education is a real investment for a youth and your whole life will depend on how seriously you take this. Never stop learning and make it a habit.
If you can remember Obama's election theme it's "Change we can believe in". He said in his speech "I never suggested that change would be easy, or that I can do it alone". Obama is motivating people in USA to contribute for this change. This is exactly what we need today in Sri Lanka. We are waiting for the government to give us everything or blaming them for all. But are we understanding that we have a role to play in positively changing Sri Lanka? If you don't realize this as a youth you will never learn this later. It's your duty to make it and don't expect or wait till someone else changes Sri Lanka.
We all are looking at him as a politician of the new millennium. There is a lot we can get from him and change our attitude towards making Sri Lanka a better country. Change Sri Lanka! This is the best thought you can digest today.
It's YOUR Responsibility!
(You can view Obama's full speech on http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/sotulive/)
Author Is Holding A Mba From University Of Colombo And B.Sc Marketing Management From University Of Sri Jayewardenepura. Visiting Lecturer Of University Of Kelaniya. Currently A Board Member Of International Advertising Association ( Sri Lanka Chapter ) And Working As The Assistant General Manager Of Wijeya Newspapers Which Is The Largest Newspaper Publisher In Sri Lanka.
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