Students deliver race unity speeches with ‘dynamic, ‘impassioned clarity’

Gisborne Girls’ High student  Te Paea Maurirere took the top prize in this year’s regional heats of the Race Unity Speech Awards.

Organised by  the New Zealand Bahá’í Community,  the speech awards have been running for 23 years, helping rangatahi voice their vision for race relations in Aotearoa.

This year’s topic was  Awhihia Te Rito, Nurture The Young.

Judges described the winner Te Paea as someone who “had us in the palm of her hand”.

“Addressing us as a kaiako, engaging and humorous, she led us through the rules of her classroom.”

Organisers said ,“The rangatahi branded this competition with their dynamic impassioned clarity telling us their aspirations, if we as individuals, community and members of institutions follow, the future of Te Tairāwhiti and Aotearoa will be brighter.”

The national finals of the speech awards are in Auckland on June 17-18.

The impressive lineup of speakers from different schools at the regional heats included Ky Bartlett, from Gisborne Boys’ High School. In his speech he  pointed out that the role models in our society need to prove their worth by doing humble work.

“ It’s as important as what happens in the public arena, comparing the mahi of women and men on marae,” he said.

Another Girls’ High student, Henarata Pishief, reminded the audience that making the effort to pronounce a name correctly could make all the difference for a young person.

Campion College’s Jacqueline Nankivell, presenting in te reo Maori, received a resounding haka from her peers.

“She drew our attention to the central leaf of the harakeke, te rito and the essence of protecting that inner leaf, a metaphor for the rangatahi who can, with that support, go on to be leaders,” organisers said.

Awards judge Kōka Bubbles Reedy said, “What a wonderful night of oratory in English and Te Reo Rangatira. All four speeches were clear, engaging and thoughtful, each weaving a distinct thread into the Race Unity topic Awhihia Te Rito.

She said each orator emulated te rito, in their delivery and each was a credit to the aroha their respective whānau, communities and kura surround them with. Each speaker was a credit to their whakapapa.

“I left the hui better educated and knowing our community is the richer for each speaker that stood,” Ms Reedy said.

The speech awards were established by the New Zealand Bahá’í Community, a religious group concerned with promoting the oneness of humanity at all levels, and started after the death of race relations advocate and Bahá’í Faith member Hedi Moani.

Organisers said the New Zealand Baha’i Community believes that giving young people a voice on issues of race is an important part of improving race relations in Aotearoa.

“These initiatives are coordinated with generous support from the NZ Police, the Human Rights Commission, the Office of Ethnic Communities, the Hedi Moani Charitable Trust, schools and supervising teachers.”

Since 2001 about 2000 students have  participated in the speech awards and more than 900 police officers, academics, government officials and other people of influence have served as judges.