Savannah State Student Takes Home Diplomacy Honors

By Eric Curl
Black College Wire

Savannah State University senior Sean Ingram is looking forward to using his recently honored diplomatic skills in Rome, Italy, and in New York this year.

Photo credit: Savannah State University Sean Ingram says, "My first passion is corporate law."

A political science major, Ingram received the Diplomacy Award at the Harvard World Model United Nations convention in Edinburgh, Scotland. He, along with nine others from the Georgia school, participated with some 1,200 students from 50 countries. Morehouse College was the only other historically black college or university involved in the convention, which took place from March 29 to April 1.

As a result of his showing, Ingram has been invited to demonstrate his political talents at another Model U.N. convention in Rome in July and one in New York in the fall.

During the convention in Edinburgh, Ingram represented the United Kingdom as students speaking for the United States, Israel, Pakistan, Egypt and other countries discussed issues relating to ethnic conflict in the Middle East. The topics ranged from whether Kurds in Iraq should have their own country to the problems between Israelis and Palestinians.

Ingram said the students first had to define what ethnic conflict was. They then discussed ways to deal with those conflicts.

Many of the Middle Eastern countries did not want outsiders, such as the United States or United Kingdom, to interfere, he said.

�They wanted to take our money,� Ingram said. �But they wanted to handle it themselves.�

Ingram�s position was that if the parties did not need outside help, they would not be meeting in the first place.

Eventually, the parties agreed on a resolution in which a group of U.N. officials, comprising various countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, would visit the region.

Ingram was one of three award recipients on his 26-member committee. They were judged on their debating and diplomacy skills. "They looked at how well we got our points across,� Ingram said.

The students also presented �working papers� with policy recommendations that could possibly be given to the real United Nations.

Ingram said he was originally supposed to represent Zimbabwe, but his country was switched at the last moment. The change left him only three weeks to study.

�Every day after class, I was in the library,� Ingram said.

Dr. Emmanuel Naniuzeyi, who served as the faculty adviser for the Model United Nations students, was not surprised that Ingram won.

�Throughout the year, Sean was outstanding,� Naniuzeyi said. He said Ingram was an active participant during the group's practice sessions before the trip.

In fact, Naniuzeyi said he was surprised that more members of Savannah State's team did not receive awards.

�They did very well, given the fact that this was the first time doing this,� Naniuzeyi said.

The professor said he believed many of Savannah State's Model U.N. participants will go on to successful careers as U.S. diplomats. �More African Americans need to involved in diplomacy and world affairs,� Naniuzeyi said.

As for Ingram, although he said he enjoys working as a diplomat, he does not plan on making it a career. Instead, he wants to go to law school.

�My first passion is corporate law,� Ingram said. He graduates in December.

Eric Curl, a student at Savannah State University, writes for the Tiger's Roar.

Posted May 9, 2005