Derry woman shines at international peace pageant

19:30 Tuesday 10th of October 2017

By Ursula Duddy

A 20-year-old Derry woman is representing her hometown and Northern Ireland in an international pageant which focuses on campaigning against war and violence.

Chloe Davies, from Glenabbey Drive, is certainly more than just a pretty face; she studies Civil Engineering at Ulster University and is the only woman in her class.

She was crowned Miss Grand Northern Ireland and is the first person to represent the north of Ireland in the competition. She is now a finalist in Miss Grand International and is currently in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam where the winner will be crowned on October 25.

At the time of going to print, Chloe was climbing up the voting table and was in third place.

Speaking to the Derry News from Vietnam, Chloe said that this pageant gives her a chance to combine her love of fashion and beauty with the strong humanitarian message.

“I am currently studying civil engineering and have always had a love for fashion and pageantry,” she said.

“Miss Grand International is one of the newest pageants running and this year marks its fifth anniversary. The pageant is already the third most followed pageant on Facebook in the world after Miss Universe and Miss World after only five years, so it is growing and becoming more established every year.

“The pageant itself is based on the ‘Stop War and Violence’ campaign and the reigning winner has travelled the world providing food and resources to those victims who have been affected by war and violence.”

Chloe said she would be honoured to get the chance to travel and help people in war-torn and Third World countries.

“It would be an incredible experience for me to have this opportunity,” she said.

“There is so much going on in the world at the minute, so much that sadly doesn't even make the news in our part of the world, and to be there to even support a small amount of people who suffer from war in underdeveloped countries would be a dream for me.

“This pageant means a lot because they actually act on their advocacy and have provided so much help for people worldwide over the past five years. “

The 20-year-old said she is particularly proud to be representing Derry and brought a gift to show the organisation how far we have moved on from the Troubles, making strides towards a more peaceful future in keeping with the pageant ethos of ‘Stop War and Violence’.

“I am the first representative of Northern Ireland and extremely proud of this because of how far we have come in recent years,” she said.

“I have brought the Miss Grand International Organisation a gift to Vietnam as a symbol of gratitude, which is a little crystal which holds the Derry/Londonderry peace bridge inside.

“This bridge is a symbolisation of how far my hometown has come and how we are a true example that if we can find peace and unify as one then there is no reason why other countries cannot also.”

Fraser Anderson, Chloe’s proud Daddy, has asked the people of Derry and the North to get behind her and support her in the competition.

“Chloe arrived there last Thursday and was greeted with TV, media and fans it's a huge contest with 80 women from around the world,” he said.

“She will be there for three weeks and will be wearing a national custom she made and designed herself representing your country and city we are all very proud of her.

“Miss Grand International has over 1.5 million followers alone on Facebook; I think it's nice for everyone to wish her well and for everyone to know that she's representing her city and country.”

The final will be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Wednesday, October 25. To find out more about the competition visit www.missgrandinternational.com.

To vote for Chloe to be crowned the winner, download the Miss Grand International app and vote for Northern Ireland.

https://www.derrynow.com/news/derry-woman-shines-international-peace-pageant/188927