There are times in the course of history when the actions of ordinary citizens spark movements for change

because they speak to a longing for freedom that has been building up for years! Among the lines of his speech to the Middle East and North Africa, President Obama speaks to millions in the region and encourages them to continue on the road of building new societies based on democratic states. States where the information is open, the rights of others are not confiscated, and a genuine democracy is fully practiced. He states that two countries have already seized their freedom in reference to Tunisia and Egypt, and others may follow in reference to Syria, Yemen, and other countries. This moment in his speech, he spoke to the hearts of millions of people especially the young ones because he realized their dreams for freedom. I find it also expressive because at this moment my people in Yemen are fighting for their freedom. He stated vividly the American diplomacy towards non-democratic states and announces the American stance, which is that the voice of people must be heard. However, the Arab young leaders have a doubt that the effect of Obamas statements ends by the end of the quotation marks! In other words, people will judge the American policy by its actions and not merely by its intensions or as the Arabian proverb states, A promise is a cloud; fulfillment is rain! A couple of recent examples justify this doubt. In Yemen for instance, so many protesters were killed during the peaceful demonstrations that called for change, but surprisingly the international community only condemned the killing and requested the opposing sides to resolve their conflict through dialog. In Libya and Syria, however, the entire international community including the US excreted a huge pressure on those regimes, which lead to the sanctions against Bashars regime or to the military intervention in Libya. Another example is during the early stages of the revolution in Egypt. The American policy was vague; it did not support Mubaraks regime fully nor did it take a strong stance with the Egyptian people

and request Mubarak to step down immediately. This daggling policy of the International community raises so many questions! In my opinion, Yemen is a test for the international community; if their intervention in Libya and Syria is for human reasons, then why the killing of hundreds of protestors in Yemen is not considered. The answers of these questions suggest that there are some interests other than human reasons.

The foreign governments should not be passive and wait until helpless people take the streets in search for freedom. Instead, they should be active, observe the infringement that is happening in these non-democratic regimes, and take a strong stance against them. They should build bridges with peoples and have conservative relations with rulers because peoples remain. For instance, Libyan war could have been prevented if the international community spoke years ago not after four decades of Gadaffis rule. For the United States government to support democratic movements they should have unshakable policy against dictators and they should support youth exchange programs, so the youth can get the chance to express themselves.

In short, the great opportunity I had through participating in the World Learning program helped me see the world from different perspectives rather than a limited one. It opened new doors for intercultural relations, cultural exchange, and communication. Being now in another European program (Erasmus Mundus) completes the experience I have started in the United States and empowers me with the knowledge I need to help my country, Yemen, be a democratic nation free of tyranny and dictatorship.