Odeen Ishmael
Encyclopedia
Odeen Ishmael is a Guyanese
diplomat. He is the current Guyanese Ambassador to Kuwait, having been appointed to that post in January 2011. He also served as ambassador to Venezuela
(Nov. 2003-Jan. 2011) and to the United States
(June 1993-Oct. 2003) and as Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States
(OAS) (June 1993-Oct. 2003). At the OAS he served for two periods as Chairman of the Permanent Council
. In 2009, he was elected to a one-year term as Chairman of the Latin American Council, the political governing body of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), headquartered in Caracas, Venezuela.
In 1997, Ishmael received the Cacique Crown of Honour, Guyana's third highest national honor, for his outstanding work in diplomacy. Back in 1974, he was awarded the Gandhi Centenary Gold Medal for academic achievement at the University of Guyana
. In January 2002, in Washington DC, he was honored in the United States of America with the Martin Luther King Legacy Award for International Service. The US Congress, in a joint resolution, also paid a special tribute to him in October 2003 just before he completed his service in the United States.
Ishmael's commentaries on international affairs, in particular his analyses of South American integration issues, are being published worldwide. As an author, his has published books dealing with Guyanese history, culture and education; and political developments in Latin America and the Caribbean. (See Biography at Guyana.org)
and Bihar
. He has two children, Safraz, a Georgetown University
law school alumnus and a Physics alumnus of the University of Maryland, and currently an attorney attached to a law firm in Boston; and Nadeeza, (alumnus of the University of Maryland
and Johns Hopkins University
), who, up to 2008, worked at a genetics company in Maryland
and who is currently a research biologist at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. His wife, Evangeline, is a teacher by profession. He also has eight brothers and three sisters which makes him the uncle of many children.
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
diplomat. He is the current Guyanese Ambassador to Kuwait, having been appointed to that post in January 2011. He also served as ambassador to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
(Nov. 2003-Jan. 2011) and to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(June 1993-Oct. 2003) and as Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
(OAS) (June 1993-Oct. 2003). At the OAS he served for two periods as Chairman of the Permanent Council
Permanent Council of the Organization of American States
The Permanent Council is one of the two main political bodies of the Organization of American States, the other being the General Assembly.The Permanent Council is established under Chapter XII of the OAS Charter. It is composed of ambassadors appointed by the member states , and it meets regularly...
. In 2009, he was elected to a one-year term as Chairman of the Latin American Council, the political governing body of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), headquartered in Caracas, Venezuela.
In 1997, Ishmael received the Cacique Crown of Honour, Guyana's third highest national honor, for his outstanding work in diplomacy. Back in 1974, he was awarded the Gandhi Centenary Gold Medal for academic achievement at the University of Guyana
University of Guyana
The University of Guyana, in Georgetown, Guyana is a public university established in 1963 by the Guyanese government.-History:Cheddi Jagan, then Premier of British Guiana considered that the University of the West Indies, to which his government had contributed since 1948, was not meeting the...
. In January 2002, in Washington DC, he was honored in the United States of America with the Martin Luther King Legacy Award for International Service. The US Congress, in a joint resolution, also paid a special tribute to him in October 2003 just before he completed his service in the United States.
Ishmael's commentaries on international affairs, in particular his analyses of South American integration issues, are being published worldwide. As an author, his has published books dealing with Guyanese history, culture and education; and political developments in Latin America and the Caribbean. (See Biography at Guyana.org)
Personal life
Ishmael traces his ancestry back to what are now the Indian states of Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. He has two children, Safraz, a Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
law school alumnus and a Physics alumnus of the University of Maryland, and currently an attorney attached to a law firm in Boston; and Nadeeza, (alumnus of the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
and Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
), who, up to 2008, worked at a genetics company in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and who is currently a research biologist at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. His wife, Evangeline, is a teacher by profession. He also has eight brothers and three sisters which makes him the uncle of many children.