Ethniticities Magazine - March Issue 2017

Before talking about achievements I want stress that
they were only possible by the collective work of leaders
young at national and Egbert Wetherborne level, who
was for me one of my teachers and the younger mentors
I had in my career, Meyvis Blackman who in today
is the National Secretary of Youth Mayor of District of
Columbus, and the first Secretary of its kind in the Republic
of Panama and I’m sure make an incredible work,
Veyra Jackman who always participated in a coherent
and responsible, helping to achieve transformations
both, Plashka Meade, Samuel Samuels and a large
nationally and number of leaders young throughout Panama
internationally,both in the provinces and Islands,
who worked selflessly and putting the soul, mind and
heart in each initiative It has been made.
At the international level, I shared with great leaders
both in the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia,
which showed me different realities and the courage
to trytransform. Among the achievements that I can
highlight are, help increase visibility of the Indigenous
and Afrodescendant youth and their situation in international
spaces, empower youth to understand that were
the solution to many problems, build living space for
dialogue and exchange experiences and have somehow
allowed that important are planned leaders in the
region, and which I am sure will make a difference, also
help achieve the incidence of young voices in spaces of
decision making for both agenda goals and Sustainable
Development goals, as for that of the International
Decade of African Descent and most importantly, the
experience itself that activism allowed meget visit many
countries on 4 continents, bringing always responsibly
the message that youth is important, you have rights
and also has its own voice. I participated with international
organizations like the OAS and UN agencies such
as UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women and OHCHR and received
training in leadership and human rights in different
countries of America and Europe.
How do currently see the Afrodescendant movement
in Panama, as the new generation is
emerging in all areas and expressions?
The Afrodescendant movement in Panama has always
been very strong, more than what activists thereof may
believe, while compared to other countries, there have
been significant achievements in legislation and social
matters. Our story unlike other countries experienced
very closely the reality of racial tensions in the
United States, the presence of American bases
in Panama, the reality lived in the Canal Zone and
ancestral history that marked some way across
the population that may not directly lived those
experiences, so the dynamics and strength of
the movement in Panama was and always be
interesting. We have a full of intellectuals and
thinkers movement some still are present others
have left this plane, but left a very important to
continue seed, we also have a bright stream but
more combative character, in my opinion we are
all important and fulfill a mission .
None of the gains that have been achieved has
been result of the generosity of governments have
been result of sacrifice and dedication of every
man and woman of African descent movement in
Panama, to which we owe the possibility of being
at this time fulfill our dreams and goals without
having to worry about issues that we now take for
granted, but as rights did not exist before.
And there definitely a younger generation that
is emerging stronger than ever, for never since
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