UNA NZ Speech Awards

Congratulations for WHS student Emelye Brown for representing the Whanganui region in the National United Nations Speech Competition held in Wellington on 30 June 2017.

Photo caption (L-R): Joseph Sison (St Patrick's College Wellington), Joy Dunsheath (UNA NZ National President), Emelye Brown (Whanganui High School), Elsie Spiers (John Paul College Tauranga), Sean Millward (Tokoroa High School Waikato), Olivia Bennett (St Cuthbert's College Auckland), Maddison McQueen-Davies (Palmerston North Girls), Chris Bishop MP. 

UNA NZ runs an annual high school speech competition, involving schools across New Zealand on major UN related issues. It has become one of the highlights of our year, and cumulates in the regional branch winners being funded to attend our National Conference, to compete on a national level. 

2017 Speech Awards

We congratulate all contestants of this year's speech awards. The finalists gave their speeches during our National Conference in Wellington on 30 June. We congratulate the winner Olivia Bennett from St Cuthbert's College in Auckland.

The theme for the 2017 Secondary School Speech Award will ask the question Is there a Role for Nuclear Weapons in today’s World?  This links with what many consider an historic breakthrough – the passing of UN resolution L41 which called for a UN Negotiating Conference in March and June/July to consider a “ban” treaty which would have the support of the majority of UN member states.  New Zealand was a co-sponsor and voted yes along with 113 others on Christmas Eve.

What has been interesting is that along with some contrary statements President Trump has proposed a “deal” with Russia to reduce the number of Nuclear weapons held in exchange for lifting sanctions.  And the Chinese President said at the 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos that we should work towards their elimination.

Let us hope that the movement of the Doomsday Clock to 2.5 minutes to midnight – the closest since 1953 – may trigger some action.  It is long overdue. A sustainable Peace though will require more than the elimination of Nuclear Weapon.

(from The United Nations Association of NZ site)