I have just finished celebrating the inauguration of President Barack Obama by watching it on television with my family. On a day when there is so much gloom in my beloved Zimbabwe – the legacy of decades of oppression – I found the entire occasion uplifting and inspiring. Today offers a beacon of hope for those of us throughout the world who are struggling against tyranny.

I was privileged to be present at the Democratic Convention in Boston in 2004 when Barack Obama first came to the attention of the international community. He delivered a stirring speech which had the refrain “Hope is on the way” repeated throughout. I was so inspired by that speech that I kept one of the placards handed out during the speech which bore that phrase and to this day it adorns the door of my study. It has served as a constant reminder to me during the last 4 bleak years that hope is indeed on the way. The events of today are a powerful confirmation of that promise.

Almost 45 years ago one of my most revered heroes Martin Luther King Jr. in his “I have a dream” speech delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial said:

“With this faith we will be able to we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day”.

Zimbabweans identify with those words – for Martin Luther King’s dream is our dream. Our nation has been in a state of extreme despair and pessimism for many years. We all long for a radical transformation of our great Nation – we long that fear, repression, intolerance, hate, callousness and suffering will be replaced by joy, liberty, tolerance, respect, compassion and hope.

The events of today before a Capitol Building constructed by slaves are a reminder that our merciful Lord is a God of truth, justice and compassion – that the Lord desires precisely the same things Martin Luther King dreamed about all those years ago. The sacrifice and struggle of faithful men and women struggling against tyranny using non violent means for what is just has not been in vain. God has honoured the dedicated and constant commitment of those people to the principles so eloquently enunciated by President Obama as follows:

“As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.”

This was timely reminder not only to those who are able to wield great physical power but also to those of us in Zimbabwe who have to oppose a regime that wields that power against us to frustrate our legitimate aspirations for freedom. It is a reminder that our strength does not lie in our ability to confront violence with violence; our strength lies more in our commitment to “enduring convictions”. And there is in these words the massive encouragement that there is a President in the White House who is at his heart a human rights lawyer, who understands why respecting the rule of law and human rights is so important if the world is to progress from dictatorship, war and chaos to global peace, harmony, sustainable economic development and prosperity. We do indeed have a friend in the White House who understands what we are struggling for and why it is important that we continue to use the non violent means we have chosen to achieve that goal.

Finally we in Zimbabwe take great encouragement from the following words so clearly directed in our minds at Robert Mugabe and his brutal regime:

“To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”

We in Zimbabwe know all about “the fist” because it has been waved against us for almost 3 decades. We know all about a leadership that blames the catastrophic destruction of our Nation on the West but which in fact is itself responsible for the decay of our wonderful land because of their corruption, deceit and ready use of violence.

It is somewhat ironic that it is through this new American President, who is so deeply committed to respecting human rights, that some way out is offered to those who are on the wrong side of history. The offer to “extend a hand” to those who will “unclench the fist” is a timely reminder to Zanu PF even on this day which is as depressing in Zimbabwe as it is joyful in the United States of America. The reminder must surely be that it is not too late for this regime to stop it s brutality; to stop its torture, to release the unjustly accused, to negotiate genuinely so the Global Political Agreement is implemented in its true spirit.

But there is also in these words a warning that if the fist remains clenched this President will act. That is not to say that other world leaders, including President Bush, have idly stood by. What however will make the actions of President Obama so effective is that they cannot be dismissed as racist. So we can take heart that Robert Mugabe’s regime has been served a powerful warning today that whilst there is a window of opportunity open it must be grasped quickly and in good faith.

Hope is indeed on the way.

Editor’s Note: Senator David Coltart represents Khumalo in the senate and is the legal secretary for the Arthur Mutambara MDC formation.