About

The Race Unity Speech Awards and Hui are initiatives of the New Zealand Bahá’í Community

The Speech Awards are a platform for senior high school students to express their ideas on promoting harmonious relations between the diverse races and cultures of the people of Aotearoa.

The Speech Awards amplify the voices of young people and give the rest of Aotearoa New Zealand a chance to listen to the leaders of tomorrow.

The Race Unity Hui brings semi-finalists together to discuss overcoming racism and promoting social cohesion in Aotearoa.

The Speech Awards are held in support of Race Relations Day (March 21). The topic is often aligned with the theme for Race Relations Day in Aotearoa. March 21 is also the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It is observed internationally to remember the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, when police shot and killed 69 South Africans, including 10 children, during an anti-apartheid protest.

The New Zealand Bahá’í Community believes that giving young people a voice is an important part of improving race relations in Aotearoa.

We coordinate these initiatives with generous support from the NZ Police, the Human Rights Commission, Multicultural NZ, the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the Hedi Moani Charitable Trust and other partners.

Origins

The Race Unity Speech Awards were started in 2001 following the passing of Bahá’í and race relations advocate Hedi Moani.

Hedi was concerned both to foster constructive relations with the indigenous people of New Zealand, and to help address racism against people of colour. Hedi was instrumental in the establishment of Race Relations Day in New Zealand, but sadly he was killed in 1998, just months before Race Relations Day was first observed in 1999. The Speech Awards were established in 2001 as a way of honouring Hedi’s memory and as a contribution to promoting harmonious race relations in New Zealand.

Read more about the history of the Race Unity Speech Awards.

The Race Unity Hui started soon after the Speech Awards became a national event. With so many students from around the country travelling to Auckland to participate in the Speech Awards at the national level, we saw an opportunity to create a space where these students and other young people could help shape the conversation about race relations in Aotearoa.

Tribute

“Hedi was a most valuable friend of my Office and a very important ambassador for race relations in New Zealand. His quiet, unassuming, tireless and totally selfless presence was strengthening to all who worked with him. His memory will always remain and he will always be missed by us.”

– Dr Rajen Prasad, former Race Relations Conciliator