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"To all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand." − US President-elect Barack Obama, November 4, 2008.

It is this aspect of how all societies are affected by the same global challenges that is often neglected. As Annette Makino of the Washington-based non-governmental media organization Internews writes, radios in the forgotten corners of the world have a key role to play in informing local populations, particularly in times of crisis. The Essential Edge believes it worthwhile to draw attention to the work of organizations such as Internews and to consider the interview with Obama made by Chadian journalist Isaka Allafouza (left in the banner photo)  at the airport in Abéché during Obama's trip to Africa in August 2006. It is also important to place greater emphasis on the work, often under extremely hazardous conditions, of local journalists in countries like Chad, Kenya, Afghanistan or Sri Lanka.

Trained and mentored by Internews, Issaka was reporting for La Voix du Ouaddaï, a community radio station established by Internews to serve refugees from Darfur and the local Chadian population. Issaka is just one of the tens of thousands of journalists Internews has worked with around the world who understand very clearly that, as Obama said in his election-night speech, their own and America’s destiny are intertwined.

We have heard from these journalists how closely they have been watching the US presidential election. Kenyan journalist Tole Nyatta shared the images below of how people in Kenya−home of Obama’s father−celebrated Obama’s victory this week.

In June Internews honored Nyatta with an Internews Media Leadership Award for his reporting work to promote peace and reconciliation after Kenya’s post-election violence. In response, Obama wrote him a letter that reads, in part, "It is with great pleasure that I congratulate you for being honored with a 2008 Internews Media Leadership Award . . . Your work is critical not only to the well-being of many individuals, but also to the advancement of global social, political and economic development. The impact you have made on free and fair journalism is far-reaching and you have surely empowered people from all over the world."

As we look to a new era in US engagement with the globe, we are glad to know that the US President-elect has a first-hand understanding of the power of local, independent media worldwide to effect social change.

Annette Makino is the  Senior Vice-President for Communications and External Affairs Internews Network