April 21, 2008 — When UVI junior Magdalene Morancie handed out chocolates Monday to a panel of judges, she wasn't just sweetening them up: She was, instead, teeing them up to make her point that their enjoyment could well be at the expense of a child slave in the African nation of Cote d'Ivoire, or the Ivory Coast.
Not only did Morancie drive home her point, but she also swept all three categories of competition at UVI's first-ever Model United Nations Conference, sponsored by a handful of Rotary Clubs in conjunction with the university.
"She commanded the stage," said her teacher, Kula A. Francis, assistant professor of political science at the university. "Everyone really paid attention to her. She was clear; she really did a wonderful job."
Morancie, who studies on St. Thomas, was among 10 UVI students from St. Thomas and St. Croix who spent the semester studying one of two African countries: the Ivory Coast and Eritrea. Students presented one aspect of life in their respective countries to a panel of two university professors and three Rotarian judges, acting in the role of United Nations representatives and challenging the students to defend their positions.
"Because of the drop of the price of cocoa in the world market, the farmers are in search of cheap labor and use children," explained Morancie, whose topic was child labor in the Ivory Coast, a world supplier of cocoa. "They actually send them into slavery."
Morancie won top prize in all three categories of the competition: best delivery, best overall presentation and best position paper.
"I'm elated and relieved after so many long hours," she said after the contest. "It was a long semester — about three weeks actually preparing my presentation."
Rasul Lester, a senior from St. Croix, made a presentation on border disputes in Eritrea.
"It's been a great learning experience," he said. "I learned a lot about how the UN functions and about the country itself."
Christopher Cockrell, a sophomore from St. Croix, made a presentation on the same issue.
"We were tasked with finding solutions not being implemented, or coming up with solutions of our own," he said. "It reaffirmed how tough and challenging international relations are."
One person well aware of such challenges is the now-retired Ambassador Terance A. Todman of St. Thomas, the featured speaker at Monday's conference. He served as ambassador to Chad, Guinea, Costa Rica, Spain, Denmark and Argentina, and was once assistant secretary of state for Latin American affairs. One of his fondest memories, he said, was participating in the discussions for the formation of the country of Ghana, and he encouraged the students to keep studying world issues.
"Our country today needs the best people we can get to deal with international affairs," Todman said. "I ask please, as you look at the issues of other countries, that you look at the United States and at the U.S. Virgin Islands, because we are part of these issues, and things that are done affect our lives, also. I urge you to continue, because you're working for a better world."
The Model UN is a perfect fit for Rotarians, said Sonia L. Boyce, president of St. Croix Harborside Rotary, one of the sponsoring clubs.
"Rotary is an international organization and … Model UN is one way of students being able to get a grasp on issues and get a global perspective," she said, adding that Rotary intends to sponsor this event annually. Other participating Rotary clubs were St. Thomas, St Thomas II, Charlotte Amalie and St. Croix West, in collaboration with UVI's Division of Humanities and Social Sciences.
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