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Assad Shoman (born 13 February 1943) is a
Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...
an
diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...
,
lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
,
historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...
, and former government minister. He currently serves as a leader of the Belizean delegation to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the purpose of resolving the longstanding territorial dispute between Guatemala and Belize.


Early life and education

Shoman was born in
Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize. It was once the capital city, capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2022 census, Belize City has a population of 63,999 people. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, which is a ...
to a Belizean-Palestinian family. He attended St John's College in Belize City before moving to England to obtain a law degree from Hull University. Shoman also holds a master's degree in
International Relations International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...
from Sussex University and a PhD in History from the
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...
.


Early activism

Shoman began his engagement with politics in Belize in the late 1960s. Returning to Belize after completing his law degree, Shoman participated in a protest against the Vietnam War film '' The Green Berets'', starring
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
on New Year's Day 1969. The group who planned the protest, the Ad Hoc Committee for the Truth About Vietnam, included other radical Belizeans such as Evan X Hyde and future Prime Minister Said Musa. In May 1969, Shoman and Musa formed the People's Action Committee (PAC), an organization that “condemned capitalism and racism, demanded the right for every person to work, to social security and to a fair wage.”Assad Shoman, ''A History of Belize in Thirteen Chapters,'' Belize City: Angelus Press, 2011, p. 191. PAC was labeled a
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
organization by its critics. PAC merged with Hyde's United Black Association for Development (UBAD) briefly in October 1969 to form the Revolutionary Action Movement (RAM), an organization that, in Hyde's (its president's) words, was about "taking power in this society and making vital changes so as to obtain true freedom, justice and equality." RAM was labeled a communist organization by the People’s United Party and dissolved itself in February 1970 due to disagreements over strategy. Shoman, who had been Vice President of RAM, quietly resigned in February 1970 to work as a lawyer in private practice.


Political career

Shoman joined the People's United Party (PUP) in the early 1970s and held positions as
Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
and Minister of Economic Development after the PUP won the 1974 elections. He worked closely with leader George Price through the 1970s to lobby key international actors with the goal of achieving Belizean independence. He was ultimately successful in 1981. He served in government again as
Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...
for the PUP between 2003 and 2006. Shoman has since broken with the PUP and remains officially politically unaffiliated. His diplomatic career includes ambassadorships to Mexico, the United Kingdom, Cuba, and the European Union. He co-founded the Society for the Promotion of Education and Research (SPEAR).


Writing career

Shoman has been called "Belize's most important living historian" for his historical works, including Thirteen Chapters of a History of Belize - the first history of Belize written by a Belizean.Joel Wainwright. "The Colonial Origins of the State in Southern Belize", ''Historical Geography 43'' (2015): 122-38. He has authored a total of seven books.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shoman, Assad 1943 births Living people Politicians from Belize City Belizean people of Palestinian descent People's United Party politicians Foreign ministers of Belize Members of the Belize House of Representatives for Cayo North Belizean diplomats Belizean lawyers Alumni of the University of Hull Alumni of the University of Sussex Alumni of the University of London