[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 127 (Friday, August 3, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1732]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  A TRIBUTE TO LISA SHOMAN ON HER APPOINTMENT TO FOREIGN MINISTER OF 
                                 BELIZE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 3, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record an 
opinion editorial published in the New York CaribNews newspaper the 
week ending July 17, 2007 titled ``Ambassador Lisa Shoman: Belize's 
First Female Foreign Minister,'' and honor the contributions of 
Ambassador Shoman to Belize and the rest of Central America and the 
Caribbean.
  Ambassador Shoman has been a trailblazer and a pioneer in many 
different areas. She has often taken the path less traveled, excelled 
in her chosen field and created opportunities and hope for women in her 
country. Known to be a vocal advocate of women's issues, she used to 
conduct free legal clinics for women and has helped draft domestic 
violence, sexual offenses and sexual harassment legislation for Belize.
  In 2000, Ambassador Shoman was selected as the first woman to serve 
as Belize's ambassador to the United States, permanent representative 
to the OAS and high commissioner to Canada. She proudly represents a 
country that is a model of racial tolerance and cultural harmony and a 
beacon of multicultural plurality and while ambassador worked 
tirelessly to train the people of her nation and educate policy makers 
about its many virtues.
  In June 2007, she led the Caribbean ambassadors in a working group 
with congressional staff to identify and prepare a substantive agenda 
for the CARICOM Presidents and Prime Minster Summit in Washington, DC, 
that addressed the core issues in the U.S. and CARICOM bilateral 
relations. Ambassador Shoman was instrumental in putting this summit 
together. She clearly articulated the goals of these meetings and 
insisted that tangible results should be accomplished. She deserves a 
great share of the credit for a summit regarded by everyone as a great 
success in achieving a new enhanced framework for consultation and 
cooperation between the governments of the United States and the 
CARICOM nations.
  Since the Summit, the U.S. Secretary of Education is scheduled to 
travel to the region to provide assistance in expanding tertiary 
education programs in the CARICOM nations. The Western Hemisphere 
Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in response to the 
concerns expressed by the leaders of CARICOM, held a hearing on that 
examined the effects criminal deportees are having on Caribbean 
nations. The administration and senior members of the Committee on Ways 
and Means have committed to a renewal of the Caribbean Basin Initiative 
to guarantee special access to the U.S. market for exports from the 
Caribbean.
  Ambassador Shoman has been a powerful and effective advocate for the 
interests of the people in the Caribbean and Latin America. I look 
forward to continue to work with her in her new capacity as foreign 
minister of the great country of Belize.

                  [From the CaribNews, July 17, 2007]

     Ambassador Lisa Shoman Belize's First Female Foreign Minister

                             (By Tony Best)

       Belmopan.--Lisa Shoman was sworn in as Belize's Minister of 
     Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, recently at a quiet 
     ceremony at the residence of Governor General Sir Colville 
     Young.
       The first female Foreign Minister, in her characteristic 
     style, insisted on having her grandmother at her side to hold 
     the bible while she took her oath of office.
       According to her father, Yasin Shoman, her mother, Hilda 
     Hoy Shoman could not stop the young Lisa from heading out on 
     to the then rough campaign trail in the Cayo district. From 
     the outset, Lisa proved to a shrewd observer with a knack for 
     dealing with difficult people and talking to even the most 
     hostile with a natural ease. She also proved to be one of the 
     best polling agents and counters that an unbiased campaign 
     manager could want. She has never missed a campaign since, 
     serving in Cayo, Freetown, Caribbean Shores, San Pedro and 
     Port Loyola, and on the PUP's National Campaign Committee.
       According to Lisa Shoman's family, they always knew she 
     would study law, a natural for this feisty advocate, and she 
     remained fiercely focused on her path, winning scholarship 
     after scholarship; from high school to sixth form to 
     university and doing exceptionally well at CXCs, O and A 
     levels.
       At 24, Shoman returned to her beloved Belize fresh from law 
     school and went to work at the DPP's office. After her return 
     from doing a Masters Program in Barbados at UWI, Shoman 
     returned to private practice at Young's Law Firm and during 
     the five years she was there, also devoted time to community 
     service, giving talks and lectures to a variety of groups, 
     and serving as the first female president of the Belize Bar 
     Association.
       She is perhaps best known as a vocal advocate of women's 
     issues, appearing on radio and television programs, 
     conducting free legal clinics for women, working with Women 
     Against Violence (WAV), and helping to draft Domestic 
     Violence, Sexual Offences and Sexual Harassment Legislation. 
     During those years, Shoman worked on children's issues, and 
     served as legal advisor to the Toledo Maya Cultural Council 
     on land rights issues. She also lectured Constitutional and 
     Administrative Law for UWI's Challenge program and the UB 
     Paralegal program.
       After the 1998 election, Shoman was chosen by the PUP 
     Administration to be the Government of Belize's 
     representative to the Board of Directors of Belize 
     Telecommunications Limited, and was duly elected as Chairman, 
     serving for an eventful two year term, while on her own in 
     private practice, and then going into partnership with Michel 
     Chebat.
       In July 2000, Prime Minister Musa tapped Shoman to serve as 
     Belize's Ambassador to the United States, as well as 
     Permanent Representative to the OAS, and High Commissioner to 
     Canada, the first woman to be so honored. She has now served 
     for almost seven years, under four Belizean Foreign Ministers 
     and is currently the deputy dean of Ambassadors at the OAS.
       Shoman has been a member of the Belize-Guatemala 
     negotiating team since her arrival in DC and has been a part 
     of virtually all negotiating meetings under the auspices of 
     the OAS. In a difficult and delicate phase in 2004, she was 
     sent by PM Musa as his Special Envoy to Guatemala for two 
     months, just prior to the publication of the historic 
     Facilitators Report.
       She has served with three OAS Secretaries General and was 
     able to attain Belize's membership in the Grupo Centro 
     Americano (GRUCA) caucus of ambassadors, thereby gaining for 
     her country the singular honor of being the only country at 
     the OAS to belong to two regional groups, CARICOM and GRUCA. 
     Shoman has served twice as regional coordinator and chair of 
     both groups for the customary six month term.
       Shoman was given Mexico's highest honor to a foreign 
     Diplomat, in the highest grade--the Order of the Aztec Eagle. 
     Lisa Shoman also earned the Order of Jose De Marcoleta in the 
     Grade of Grand Cross later that same year from the Republic 
     of Nicaragua. At the OAS, Ambassador Shoman served two 18 
     month terms as Chair of the Management Board of the Inter-
     American Agency for Cooperation and Development, and also 
     Vice Chair of the Permanent Council and has chaired several 
     key meetings of the Permanent Council.
       Ambassador Shoman has been a powerful and effective 
     advocate for the interest of the people of Belize.

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