The agenda includes a tour with Coralina, the Corporation for Sustainable Development of the archipelago, regarding issues of wastewater and the final disposal of solid waste.
Photo: Courtesy of Fundación Color de Colombia
The nomination of the islanders Elizabeth Taylor Jay, Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs, and Vilma Jay, news presenter at RTVC, in Afrocolombians of the Year 2023, motivated this visit from the award givers, El Espectador and the Fundación Color de Colombia, to San Andrés.
The economy, the environment, the strategic bets for 2024-2027, maritime sovereignty, historical raizal figures, diligent students, and the situation of local journalism are part of the agenda of events and conversations of Fidel Cano, director of El Espectador, with the public and civic leadership of the islands.
In September 2023, the exhibition “A Spectator in the Islands”, developed under the leadership of the director of El Espectador’s Documentation Center, Ofelia Muñoz, showed columns written by Hazel Robinson and Emilio Zogby, between 1960 and 1990, in this newspaper.
As noted, “their writings served a specific purpose: to recount the news of the island in an enjoyable and precise manner. On Robinson’s side, the customs and stories, and on Zogby’s side, some issues that arose from the Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua.”
Tribute to Historical Raizales
Hazel Marie Robinson, a prominent writer from the islands, will indeed be one of the five historical figures of the raizal people to be honored on Tuesday, July 30, at the Government Auditorium, from seven to nine in the evening.
Félix Palacio Stephens, the remembered mayor from 1966 to 1968, who is approaching a century of age; Cecilia Francis Hall, composer, choral director, and emblematic cultural manager of the Raizal people, author of the San Andrés anthem; Kent Francis James, governor, diplomat, and prominent member of the Raizal Team, important in Colombia’s defense against Nicaragua at The Hague; and Samuel Robinson Davis, corresponding member of the Colombian Academy of History and founder of the Departmental Academy of History, complete the tribute honorees.
The writer and academic Claudine Bancelin will give the words about Hazel Robinson and Arlington Howard, secretary of the departmental government, the other profiles, in whose preparation have participated the diplomat Fady Ortiz and the raizal leader Dilia Robinson.
The tribute, a moment to recreate part of the 20th century in the islands through the words of the honored historical figures, is offered by El Espectador, the Fundación Color de Colombia, the Colombian Academy of History, the Raizal Council, the National University of Colombia, Caribbean campus; the Chamber of Commerce of the islands; Teleislas and the Cultural Center of the Bank of the Republic.
Pastor Alberto Gordon May, president of the Raizal Council; Deputy Minister Elizabeth Taylor Jay and Armando Martínez Garnica, president of the Colombian Academy of History (via video), will also speak at the simple recognition ceremony.
Meeting with Diligent Students
The new generations will have their space in the agenda with “To the U: dreaming together”, a meeting of prominent professionals with about 60 of the best eighth-grade students from the 12 schools in San Andrés, which will take place in the Auditorium of the Cultural Center of the Bank of the Republic, on Wednesday, July 31, between nine in the morning and noon.
Nine professional references will share their school experiences and choices of career and university with the students: Lorena Aldana, Planning Secretary of SAI; Girley Ordoñez, representative; Silvia Montoya, former rectora of Infotep; and Efraín Dawkins, director of Teleislas News.
Also Gene Ogiste, Education Secretary Quality Leader; Jhon Manuel Rodríguez, director of Competitiveness and Business Development of the SAI Chamber of Commerce; Liza Hayes Mathias, statistician, PhD in Sociology, special professor at the National University, Caribbean campus, and Juan Carlos Ripoll Padilla, Education Secretary.
With this event of inspiration and motivation, the Seedbed of Scholars U. of San Andrés 2024-2027 will begin, a program of the Fundación Color de Colombia, which will thus reach presence in 12 departments, aiming for future Afrocolombians of the Year and stories of social mobility that integrate Afro and non-Afro adolescents.
The next day, the Seedbed will have its first significant learning experience with guided visits to the Naval Base of the Navy and the campus of the National University of Colombia, including the Botanical Garden and laboratories.
Economy and Strategic Bets
“Economy, tourism, and employment in the islands: current situation and perspectives” is the theme of the working lunch with the board of the Chamber of Commerce and guests. The central presentation will be made by Hillary Rodríguez, director of the Chamber of Commerce, with comments from Jennifer Yepes, executive president of the SAI Chamber of Commerce, and Julio García, president of Anato.
Subsequently, there will be a roundtable at the governor’s office on “Strategic Bets of SAI 2024-2027”, where the departmental leader, Nicolás Gallardo Vásquez, will give the main presentation, and will have as commentators David Olsen, former Secretary of Tourism, and Patrick Davis, president of the Departmental Assembly.
Among the strategic projects of the departmental government, the improvement of the hospital network, the stormwater drainage of District 4, the Olympic Village, diversification of the energy matrix, and beach recovery stand out.
Environmental Tour
True to El Espectador’s environmental commitment, the agenda includes a tour with Coralina, the Corporation for Sustainable Development of the archipelago, regarding issues of wastewater and the final disposal of solid waste.
Along with Dayana Mitchell Celis, deputy director of Coralina; Luis Fernando Sabogal, Secretary of Public Services, and Angélica Ayala, professor at UNAL, the underwater outfall and the sanitary landfill, which has been a source of concerning news, will be observed.
Maritime Sovereignty and Among Colleagues
The director of El Espectador, Fidel Cano, and members of the Raizal Team, led by Kent Francis James, will visit the Naval Base for a conversation with senior commanding officers about territorial waters and maritime sovereignty following the ruling from The Hague.
And the agenda could not be without a moment for journalist and communicator colleagues, which will be a roundtable, on Wednesday, July 31, at the Chamber of Commerce, between four and five in the afternoon, around the challenges of the journalistic profession and the media industry.
The initial provocation will be presented by César Augusto Pizarro Barcasnegras, founder and director of The Archipielago Press, and Daniel Newball, producer and journalist at the multimedia station Radio Seaflower.
In turn, Fidel Cano, awarded the Simón Bolívar Prize for the Life and Work of a Journalist, will share his perspective from a national medium.
And thus will end another significant episode in the historical relationship between El Espectador and the islands that are Colombia in the Caribbean.