Livingstone College News Service

SALISBURY — Livingstone College hosted the 35^th Annual North Carolina Consortium of International and Intercultural Education (NCCIIE) Model United Nations Conference April 4-6.

Livingstone’s 13^th president, Dr. Anthony J. Davis, said, “As an institution that shares NCCIIE’s determination to surmount the obstacles of our contemporary world while upholding our core principles, which have been in place since 1879, we consider it an honor to host this year’s event.”

The virtual conference welcomed multiple North Carolina HBCUs to include Fayetteville State, Winston Salem-State University, Shaw, and North Carolina A&T State universities to compete with the theme of ensuring global peace, justice and security through humanitarian diplomacy and collective action, guided by the unequivocal recognition of our shared humanity, with the ultimate goal of eliminating wars under the auspices of the United Nations Security Council.

Mayor Karen Alexander said, “I congratulate the members of the NCCIIE and your dedication to the mission of hosting conferences, sponsoring study abroad activities and offering scholarships and training to students for the purpose of international studies. It is remarkable and admired.”

The Livingstone College delegation represented Japan, Nigeria and Ethiopia whereas Secretary General Yaw Owusu-Agyeman and Deputy Secretary General Bright Osei Karikari won top awards. Other student awards included Morgan River of Fayetteville State representing Ukraine of the first committee of Peace and Disarmament, Deadria Ricks of Fayetteville State representing Ghana, the third committee on Humanitarian Concerns and Human Rights and Nyshawna Whitehurst of Fayetteville State representing Ukraine on the sixth committee International Law.

Yaw Owusu-Agyeman, recipient of the $6,000 scholarship from DACOR Bacon House Foundation, said, “I am grateful for this opportunity to compete against others, learn and grow with my teammates, and proudly represent nations while honing skills of negotiation, critical thinking, and writing. This was truly an extraordinary experience.”

Livingstone’s delegation included Ellis Dogbe-Gakpetor, Eye Beyan, Isatu Kruah, Nancy Oppong, Bright Karikari, and Yaw Agyeman with coaches Laura Johnson and Da’Tarvia Parrish.

The NCCIIE was founded in 1989 by several North Carolina institutions of higher learning and has continued operating under the distinguished leadership of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). In the past 34 years, NCCIIE has sponsored an ambassador-in-residence, spearheaded the United States Department of State HBCU briefing, held 34 Model United Nations conferences, sponsored study abroad activities and offered scholarships to students and conducted training of students.