Above:The Baha'i House of Worship of Asia. Below:Life and times of your fellow World Citizen, Kolya

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States just sent out a special letter addressing the significance of the outcome of the 2008 U.S. presidential election to the American Baha'i community which i think is encouraging for everybody, not just Baha'is.  It represents clearly the feeling of all Baha'is everywhere regarding the election of President Obama.
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February 16, 2009

To the American Bahá'í community

Dearly loved Friends,

Your National Spiritual Assembly has reflected on the significance of
the outcome of the recent presidential election in light of the Bahá'í
teachings about the oneness of humanity and their compelling vision of
the destiny of America, and we wish to share the following thoughts.

The election of an African American for the first time to the
presidency of the United States is an event that transcends partisan
politics. It clearly marks an important new stage in the social
evolution of the American people and is an achievement that all
Bahá'ís can wholeheartedly celebrate. The citizens of the United
States have with this action, as much as with any in the long struggle
to combat racial prejudice-the "most vital and challenging issue"
confronting the nation-demonstrated their will to embrace more fully
the unifying spirit of the age.

The many statements of 'Abdu'l-Bahá [son of Founder, Bahá'u'lláh*]
during His sojourn in this country nearly a century ago,
praising America's material achievements, her spirit of enterprise,
and her democratic form of government, still inspire us. Yet
He was also uncompromising in His assessment that our nation,
sunk in the morass of engrained racial prejudice, materialism,
and accelerating moral decay, would go through a long and difficult
period of trials that would gradually cleanse these various impurities
from its social fabric, thereby preparing it to realize its ultimate
destiny to "lead all nations spiritually."

Concerning racial issues, much progress has been made since the
beloved Master ['Abdu'l-Bahá**] visited these shores [in 1912 CE].
Undoubtedly, it is in large measure a credit to the courage,
leadership, and sacrifice of countless individuals, the persistent
efforts of organizations of civil society and of various religious
institutions, and the bold actions of judicial and legislative
bodies that such progress has been possible. The Bahá'í
community also played a role, having striven earnestly for nearly
a century to uphold by word and deed, in every region of the
country, the pivotal principle of the oneness of humankind.

But there can be no sense of complacency nor any rest. The ideals of
justice, equality, and unity have yet to be fully realized; the roots
of racial prejudice are old, deep, and widespread. No single victory,
political or otherwise, however groundbreaking, is sufficient to
remove conditions so intractable and institutionalized.

Bahá'ís believe that the ultimate solution lies in the application of
spiritual principle in the lives of individuals, in approaches to
community-building, and in the operation of social institutions.
People of every age and background can increase their individual and
collective capacity to further progress through a learning process
that is founded upon essential truths contained in the teachings of
Bahá'u'lláh. Promising patterns of activity, now emerging in every
part of the country and throughout the world, should give us the
confidence to strive with even greater urgency to address the needs of
humanity.

Our ultimate success in this will depend, as the Universal House of
Justice [the Bahá'í International, democratically elected, governing body]
recently reminded us, "on the qualities that distinguish your
service to the peoples of the world. So free must be your thoughts and
actions of any trace of prejudice-racial, religious, economic,
national, tribal, class, or cultural-that even the stranger sees in
you loving friends. So high must be your standard of excellence and so
pure and chaste your lives that the moral influence you exert
penetrates the consciousness of the wider community. Only if you
demonstrate the rectitude of conduct to which the writings of the
Faith call every soul will you be able to struggle against the myriad
forms of corruption, overt and subtle, eating at the vitals of
society. Only if you perceive honor and nobility in every human
being-this independent of wealth or poverty-will you be able to
champion the cause of justice."

Bahá'ís of every race and ethnicity rejoice with our countrymen in
this significant step forward. We remain aware of the challenges ahead
and are unswervingly committed to facing and overcoming them. We march
forward with unshakable confidence that God's purpose for His
children will not be thwarted, and that Bahá'u'lláh's statement of
spiritual reality will be fully realized: "The earth is but one
country, and mankind its citizens."

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE
BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES

* Bahá'u'lláh translates into English as "The Glory of God"
** 'Abdu'l-Bahá translates into English as "The Servant of Glory/Baha"