Erasmus students from St Mary’s University College – representing ten different countries and universities – were invited to attend an international event at Stormont Buildings recently to celebrate the contribution of the African community to Northern Ireland.

The event was organised by the African Diaspora charity Africa House (NI) and facilitated by the Northern Ireland Assembly’s All Party Group on International Affairs. The visiting group was addressed by Claire Hanna (Chair of the Group), Marian Sharpe (the Vice Chair of Africa House), Lori Gatsi-Barnett (African and Caribbean Chamber of Commerce of Northern Ireland), Suleiman Abdulahi (Horn of Africa People's Aid Northern Ireland representing the Somali, Sudanese and Ethiopian communities) and Gerard McCann (International Office, St Mary’s).


The event, which highlighted the increasing importance of diversity and inter-culturalism, concluded with a performance of African drumming.