BANJUL, THE GAMBIA  —

This January 9th, 2023, the Pan-African Council Board of Directors has appointed Mr Hydara as Council Ambassador to The Gambia and Neighboring West African Countries.

The Honourable Demba Hydara is a presidential advisor to the Republic of The Gambia, responsible for strategic national development priorities as well as the promotion of culture, trade, and investments. He also serves as the Republic of The Gambia’s Ambassador for Health in the Diaspora.

In December of 2016, The Gambia emerged from 22 years of dictatorship that resulted in economic decadence, loss of democracy, and near international isolation. All these combined continue to impact negatively on the provision of adequate social services to the citizenry. The Office of the President has therefore tasked Mr Hydara in complementing the country’s efforts to restore economic stability and rebuild the country.

In his role as the CEO of Soninkara Group, Mr Hydara leads the largest distribution of food commodities in The Gambia. Soninkara covers several industries offering financial, energy, business services, and consumer products. The group’s mission is to drive economic development and enhance investments in the import sector and manufacturing industries for the West Africa region.

Mr Hydara speaks English, Wolof, Soninke, Mandinka, and Arabic.

After a historic election, the Republic of Colombia seeks to build deeper political, social and commercial ties with Africa and the Caribbean region. The Council was honoured to be invited to join this effort and recognise Colombia’s new PAC Representative in Congress this past August 8th, 2022.

---

Colombia’s historic election and transition to a popular government led by President Gustavo Petro and Vice President Francia Marquez not only marks an unprecedented window of opportunity for improved diplomatic and economic relations within the region, but also the possibility of seeking further rapprochement with African countries on the other side of the Atlantic. This prompted the need to establish a new specialised presidential working group on Africa-Colombia affairs and a strategic summit in 2023 to embark on these objectives. The Pan-African Council has committed itself to join Colombia on this journey after being invited to Congress for the launch of the Africa and the Americas Summit Executive Committee.

The Africa & The Americas Summit 2023 (AFAS), slated for the city of Cali, Colombia, from August 10–12, 2023 (tentative date), is designed to build new cultural, trade and investment relationships between Africa and the Americas with a special focus on the African Diaspora and Indigenous communities. The inextricable link between the two regions is well documented; a shared history, identity and philosophy bind them. These are the threads that African and American nations must draw on to write a new, positive chapter in the regions’ history.

AFAS 2023 will be held under the theme “A New Path to Cooperation”. The Summit aims to foster the development of strategic partnerships between the communities in Africa and throughout the Americas, to bolster bilateral cooperation and increase engagement in trade, investment, technology transfer, innovation, tourism, culture, social engagement, and other sectors.
Additionally, AFAS 2023 is expected to contribute to the implementation of Colombia’s South-South objectives, namely the Strategy for Cooperation with the Caribbean Basin, Regional Cooperation Program with Mesoamerica, and the International Cooperation Strategy on Integral Security.

In addition, the Council designed a new Council Representative for the Republic of Colombia, Ms Cha Dorina Hernández, Congresswoman and Educator, who will lead the Summit Executive Committee and have shown exceptional leadership in building relations with Africa and Diaspora.

 

 

Her work continues to be an invaluable contribution to the Council’s mission to empower people of African descent within Belize and throughout the world.

---

In light of her leadership excellence and outstanding contributions to society, the Pan- African Council will officially recognise Ms Sheran Palacio, Mayor of the City of Belmopan in Belize as a Council Ambassador.

Her work continues to be an invaluable contribution to the Council’s mission to empower people of African descent and to strengthen the institutions that positively enhance national and social life by building relationships, exchanges and interactions with civil society, business leaders and institutions throughout Africa and regions of the wider global African Diaspora.

Council Ambassadors are informed and enthusiastic advocates who share the objectives of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent as well as the Constitutive Act of the African Union which declares the Diaspora to be all people of African origin or descent “willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union”. By serving as change agents and leaders in their communities and internationally, Council Ambassadors also:

• Inspired others to take action and become ready, responsive, and resilient
• Create innovative ways to engage their community, their workforce, and/or their
  networks
• Form unique collaborations with other ambassador organisations to achieve goals
  they alone could not meet
• Provide informational tools to diffuse knowledge of our shared history, rich heritage, societal contributions, shared struggles, culture, language and current developments important to Pan-African affairs

The recognition was officially conferred to Miss Sheran Palacio by the Chairman of the Pan-African Council, Mr. Fabien Anthony, on July 14that the Belmopan Civic Centre, City of Belmopan, Belize.

About Sheran Palacio:

Sheran “Sharon” Palacio, Ms P or Shar-P is a Belmopan pioneer having lived here since the age of thirteen in the 70s. Her early introduction into the political arena is quite colourful and goes back to the 2003 when she first served as a PUP City Councilor in Belmopan. However, this does not mean that her political history is only marked by wins and not losses. In 2006 she lost the position of City Councilor in a PUP Convention. Still this did not deter her, and Sharon Palacio continued to work for the benefit of her party and the people of Belmopan.

Miss Palacio holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology from the Universidad Central de Villas in Cuba. Sharon’s passion is farming and specializes in producing soursop and coconut. She has served for 18 faithful years as Director of Student Services at the University of Belize where she was able to increase her global connections and help numerous students. Miss Palacio is well known for her role in the fight against Diabetes and for successfully operating a home-based business from 2004 to the current date called Youth for World Peace (YWP) homestay Network which provides business support unities to many fellow Belmopanese. She has been titled “Champion of the Americas” which enables her to recruit groups and provide Belizeans the opportunity to study and working Canada. She is presently appointed as a liaison for the Cross River State Carnival Commission for international groups from the Caribbean and Central America.

Miss Palacio is known for her selflessness and her willingness to help and assist people in anyway she can. She is trilingual and is most passionate about promoting cultural diversity and establishing linkages for a lifetime. She brings her experience and her strong networking skills which will no doubt work for the betterment of Belmopan.