Assad Shoman (born 13 February 1943) is a

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern 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 wate ...

an diplomat, lawyer,

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 race; as well as the st ...

, 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. Shoman was born in

Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, w ...

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 , mottoeng = Bearing the Torch f learning, established = 1927 – University College Hull1954 – university status , type = Public , endowment = £18.8 million (2016) , budget = £190 million ...

. Shoman also holds a master's degree in

International Relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such a ...

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-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

. 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 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 Said Wilbert Musa (, born 19 March 1944) is a Belizean lawyer and politician. He was the Prime Minister of Belize from 28 August 1998 to 8 February 2008. Early life and education Said Wilbert Musa was born in 1944 in San Ignacio in the Cayo D ...

. 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.” PAC was labeled a communist 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 Revolutionary Action Movement (RAM) was a US-based revolutionary black nationalist group in operation from 1962 to 1969. They were the first group to apply the philosophy of Maoism to conditions of black people in the United States and informed ...

(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. Shoman joined the People’s United Party (PUP) in the early 1970s and held positions as Attorney General 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. 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. He has authored a total of seven books. He served in government again as

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...

for the PUP between 2003 and 2006. Shoman has since broken with the PUP and remains officially politically unaffiliated.Nuri Akbar
"The Enigma of Assad Shoman"
''Amandala Newspaper'', 23 August 2013. 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).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shoman, Assad 1943 births Living people People 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