Why it's a Mind Blow: For those of you who don't know the story, Chen Guangcheng is the brave Chinese dissident who blew the whistle on forced sterilizations and abortions in the communist state. He was held under house arrest since then, but recently he escaped to the American embassy, hundreds of miles from his home. The blind activist managed to elude more than a dozen guards, hop fences (he broke his foot), and sneak his way through the countryside.
His flight occurred in the hours leading up to Hillary Clinton's diplomatic mission to Beijing, adding drama and gravity to the talks. Within days, his family under threat, Chen left the safety of the embassy.
So that was that. The Chinese had leveraged Chen's family to force his hand. The United States, it appeared, had no power to stop them, even as the Secretary of State was in the country to make direct appeals.
But then, something mind-blowing occurred. The Chinese government announced that Chen could apply to "study abroad" in America. New York University quickly offered him a spot and, unless something changes, a blind man from the countryside will have overcome one of the most repressive regimes on planet Earth.
So what does all this mean, (besides proving that Chen and Hillary are both international super ninjas)?
It means - there's hope. In the age of social media, when students march in Tahrir Square and Aung San Suu Kyi marches into the Burmese Parliament, there are reasons for hope. And despite pain and suffering the world over, it is possible to step back and recognize something: we are progressing.
Where Chen has succeeded in bringing light to the dark corners of the human experience, many have failed, and many more will fail.
But not this time. And for that, there remains the possibility of a next time.
A sense of possibility in the face of despair and repression; that's what Chen has given China. That's what he's given our world.
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