Speech awards: ‘Ngā matimati nō te ringa kotahi’
The 2022 National Finals of the Race Unity Speech Awards on 26 June brought together the top speakers from all over New Zealand. These high school students made eloquent and profound speeches about how we can eradicate racism and bring about race unity here in Aotearoa. Nine prizes were awarded, as listed in the table below.
Scroll down for videos of the winning speeches and scroll to the end for a gallery of photos.
For an account of the finals, including summaries of the two top speeches, see the NZ Police press release: "Unprecedented result in National Race Unity Speech Awards".
The topic for 2022 was “Ngā matimati nō te ringa kotahi – The fingers of one hand”. The Awards website explains:
We are wonderfully diverse, yet there is only one race: the human race. This is not just a biological fact. The wellbeing and progress of all parts of humanity are inextricably linked, like the fingers of one hand. Conflict holds back the progress of our species; cooperation and reciprocity are the true basis of human civilisation. Mutual support and cooperation are needed, not just among different groups of people, but between the individual, the community, and the institutions of society. In this vision of the human race, everyone has their own role to play in the eradication of racial prejudice and injustice, and the establishment of true unity.
For details of the speech requirements, see: https://raceunity.nz/speech-awards-2022-1
Award winners
The winning speeches
Sheryl and Joe were joint winners and as such were interviewed live in the studio of TV One’s Breakfast Show the following morning. The Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs is the main organiser of the Awards and Bahá’í Aotearoa congratulates the coordinators of the Office and their team of wonderful collaborators around the country, who ensured the success of yet another notable undertaking, of which the New Zealand Bahá’í community can be very proud after more than two decades of consistently holding this prestigious annual event. The awards have contributed significantly to relationship-building with government agencies, with like-minded organisations and individuals, and contributed to the processes towards peace through fostering meaningful discourse in the wider community.
We congratulate all of those who entered the speech awards as participants, and those regional semi-finalists who presented their speeches in the semi-finals on Saturday 25 June.
The other award-winning speeches can be found on this YouTube playlist:
Scroll down for a gallery of photos.
Media reports
NZ Police press release: "Unprecedented result in National Race Unity Speech Awards"
The Bay Chronicle: "Kerikeri teen makes history"
Huanui College website: "Takaimaania wins the Race Unity Speech competition"
The Northern Advocate: "Kerikeri High School student joint national Race Unity Speech award winner"
The Manawatū Standard: "Manawatū student claims speech prize at Race Unity national finals"
Timaru Herald: "Timaru student wins national memorial award for speech"
