Ali-Mai Joseph’s 2023 couldn’t have ended any better, as her photo with the strapline “From Castries to Southwark” featured on London’s iconic Piccadilly Circus billboard for the New Year countdown on Sunday 31st December 2023 at 23:59. It was part of the Mayor of London’s London for Everyone campaign (which aims to unite communities across London, encouraging respect, promoting equality, and rejecting hatred in all its forms). This provided a fitting year-end for a woman who embodies Caribbean pride with her personal focus on Saint Lucia.
On December 16, Ali-Mai Joseph was crowned Miss Nations International 2023 at London’s Royal National Hotel. Miss Nations International is a beauty pageant focusing on charity work for the community and nations, especially supporting the less privileged. The four categories the contestants are judged under are: National costume, Sportswear, Eveningwear, and Interview.
Ali-Mai Joseph’s strong passion to promote Saint Lucia and show the Island in its’ best light has motivated her to focus on the key elements of competitions so that judges and audiences are not left with any doubt about her, beauty, charm, confidence, intelligence, and charisma. Most importantly, it’s her commitment to excel at everything she does that instantly sets her apart from her competitors.
After being crowned and receiving a standing ovation, she said: “I stand here not just as a proud representative of Saint Lucia but as a proud daughter of the Caribbean’s vibrant past, present and future. This crown symbolizes more than personal triumph; it’s a tribute to the collective support and belief of my beloved friends and family. Their unwavering encouragement has been significant in fuelling my determination towards this moment. I carry their hopes, dreams, and the essence of the Caribbean’s beauty with me on this global stage.
My journey to this crown has been a testament to the richness of my Caribbean heritage—a heritage that pulses through my veins, shaping every step I take and every word I speak is inspired by the moral and traditional teaching of my elders. It’s a heritage of resilience, of unity in diversity, and an unwavering determination that defines our people”.
In November 2023, she was spotted by Soca News promoting Saint Lucia at London’s World Travel Market, and before that, at the end of October, she finished as Second Runner Up in the Miss Caribbean UK pageant. In addition to the above, Ali-Mai Joseph also played a big role in conversations with Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Honourable Phillip J. Pierre, held at Hackney Town Hall in October 2023, which led to a decision to extend Saint Lucian citizenship to the children of second-generation Saint Lucians residing in the diaspora.
Without doubt Ali-Mai Joseph will definitely be a woman to watch in 2024!
