Speech success for local student - April 2015

OUTSTANDING: Waimarama Matena with NZ Police's Central District commander Superintendent Sue Schwalger after winning the regional 2015 Race Unity Speech Award. Police sponsor the contest.

Waimarama Matena's ideas to promote better race relations in New Zealand have won her the 2015 Race Unity Speech Award's regional competition.

The year 13 student from Wanganui High School addressed the topic, Big Change Starts Small, a phrase taken from the speech of last year's national 2015 Race Unity Speech Award winner, Thai An Vo from Auckland International College.

Waimarama will travel to Auckland to compete against other regional winners at national semi-finals on May 15. If successful she will also participate in the national final and have the opportunity to participate in the annual Race Unity Conference on May 16.

The competition's chief judge was Central District Communications manager for the New Zealand Police, Sara Stavropoulos.

She called Waimarama's speech "outstanding", and said her use of vocabulary stunned the judges.

"She showed a maturity and understanding not often seen in one so young."

The Race Unity Speech Awards were initiated by the New Zealand Baha'i community in 2001 and are held in support of Race Relations Day on March 12. The New Zealand Police have been the principal sponsors since 2008, with further sponsorship coming from the Human Rights Commission and the Hedi Moani Charitable Trust.

 Regional co-ordinator Joanne Wilson said that teachers, students, parents and judges "all praise the competition for the way it educates and inspires young people to think more deeply about promoting positive race relations in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The judging panel included Reupena Tawhai from the Department of Maori Studies at Massey University.

Waimarama will be presented with a shield at a school assembly to mark her win and it is hoped she will also be able to deliver her speech to the whole school. 

(Wanganui Chronicle article 20/4/15)