Her Excellency Selvia Miller has just completed her term as Panamanian Ambassador to T&T.
It was her first ambassadorial appointment and she was the first Afro-Panamian woman to serve as that country’s diplomatic representative in T&T.
In an interview on her final day in office last Thursday, Ambassador Miller reflected on her time spent here and the importance of women in leadership.
On a lighter note, the Colon native said the similarities in culture between Panama and T&T made her feel at home.
Q: As you sit here reflecting on your stint in this country what emotions are going through your mind?
A: I am feeling very emotional. At the beginning, I felt sad. I was a bit confused because I became very comfortable here in Trinidad and Tobago. I was able to learn a lot about the culture but also I got engaged with the people. I acquired friends, foster family and everybody here made me feel at home.
Q: When you began your tour of duty as ambassador what were your expectations and goals?
A: I came in the midst of COVID so everything was crazy, everything was locked down. I did not have an idea of how to go about the appointment I had because of the situation. After things started to get a bit normal, and more normal then I was able to start doing what I needed to do.
Q: Were your goals achieved?
A: I achieved a few things. I did not complete exactly what I wanted to do but I achieved a lot. One of the things was I set Panama on a very high profile because I was around getting in touch with the people by going to the universities, schools, etc, promoting Panama. The business relationship that Panama has had with the Trinidad and Tobago people has been long because this embassy has been here for 30 years. Despite that, the promotion of the embassy and the relationship that we had with Trinidad and Tobago is not well known. During my time here as an ambassador, I was able to do that.
Q: What do you think you uniquely brought to the role of your country’s ambassador?
A: I am not a diplomat by career. I am a lecturer am English as a second language at the University of Panama. I was also a cultural promoter in Panama for more than 20 years. Not being a diplomat by career allowed me to be more creative because being involved in culture and education made me go a little bit deeper to do the things that I wanted to do.
I was not that typical ambassador. I am unique in the sense that in the things a typical Ambassador would do I was a bit more creative.
Q: Serving here as a woman and a woman of colour, what opportunities did that present?
A: The opportunity to come here as an ambassador was because of my work in the community, as a cultural promoter and as a human rights activist. Talking about our heritage, our history, and the link that we have with the countries in the Caribbean. Our history with Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica.
They saw what I have been doing, and they said, ‘This lady can do well, in Trinidad and Tobago. She is well into the culture and so forth . . . she will blend very well in the environment.’ Someone told me that is what they said. I was not there. I was looking forward to this opportunity because of the cultural ties and the links that we have, historically. I always wanted an opportunity like this.
Q: What challenges did you encounter? If so, how did you surmount them?
A: None because in Trinidad and Tobago, I was received like one more of the people of this country. If I was not speaking Spanish, no one would know that I am not from here. I blended in very well in the environment, so a lot of things for me were open doors. Someone told me the other day, ‘You are just one of us.’ So since I blend in very well in the environment, I really didn’t have any challenges and if I did have, I didn’t notice it very much. I was able to overcome everything.
Q: You were among several women who are here as ambassadors and high commissioners for their countries. How important was it for you to have women as your counterparts?
A: Women should have this opportunity and many more because we should always be examples for our children and our relatives. In these positions, things are not as easy as people may think, and glamorous as they may think. It is a huge responsibility because you are not only representing yourself, you are representing your country and your community, so you have to do that and do what you have to do as a mother, a sister, a daughter, a woman, a professional. You have all those roles.
Q: What were your experiences with the local food, music, dance, customs and traditions?
A: Corn soup is my favourite. Bake and shark, saltfish accra, pholourie. I go crazy for pholourie.
I have to go on a diet. This is not right. I ate too much in Trinidad. I came here with a specific weight. The food is too nice.
I grew up with soca and calypso because in Panama that is part of our heritage, so I grew up with the Mighty Sparrow and Harry Belafonte.
There are a lot of things that are similar to us in Panama, especially the West Indian descendants in Panama, so it was not difficult for me.
For me, Tobago is like Colon, where I come from. Everything - the idiosyncrasies of the people, the food, the customs, the habits, the warmth of the people and how comfortable they make you feel. They always want you to eat. In Colon everywhere you go, you are going to get something to eat.
Q: What lessons and experiences are you going to take with you?
A: I learned a lot in Trinidad and Tobago. As an ambassador and not being of a diplomatic career, I learned especially how to deal with people of different cultures. I had to interface with all the diplomatic corps with different customs and traditions. In the end, I realised there are so many similarities between my country and the people of these countries, specifically the Caribbean countries. I am not talking only about the English-speaking countries, the Caribbean countries that speak Spanish. There are so many similar things. In speaking in Spanish in my country, a word means one thing and in your country, that same word means something else.
Q: If you get the chance to return will you come again?
A: I am coming back. I am coming back. I do not know exactly what time I am coming back because I have in mind some cultural exchanges that I would like to do with Trinidad and Tobago, so I will come back, I will come back.
Q: What is next on the horizon?
A: The next thing is university, taking back my lectures. My students are waiting for me. Some of the organizations that I have been working with for quite a while are also waiting for me, so I will be returning and taking over all the things that I was doing before I came to Trinidad and Tobago, and I was quite busy in Panama.
