FAQs for speakers for RUSA 2024

Most speakers wear school uniform but you can consult with your teacher and may wear smart casual clothes or traditional costume / ethnic dress.

Yes but try to keep them as unobtrusive as possible.

Before your heat starts you will ‘draw lots’ to decide the order of speakers. The order will be announced by the MC at the start of the heat.

Speeches should be around 8 minutes long. Timing signals will be given at 7 and 8 minutes. The judges may take the length of a speech into account if it is very long or very short.

Yes, just two, one at 7 minutes and one when you reach 8 minutes.

• Speeches can be delivered in either Te Reo Māori or in English

• Points will be allocated to students showing creativity and innovation in their presentation, but visual aids are not permitted

• By entering the Speech Awards students give permission for their speech and image to be used for promotional purposes, but if any students object to this, their wishes will be respected

• We are also planning to livestream the national semi-finals and the national final via YouTube and Facebook Live.
  

Speeches are judged according to three criteria:

• Content (50%) – How could the views and ideas in your speech advance race relations in Aotearoa? Judges will be especially interested in your practical suggestions for improving race relations.

• Delivery (30%) – Did you deliver those views and ideas in a way that was memorable and impactful for the audience? Judges will be particularly keen to see creative and engaging approaches to delivery.

• Language (20%) – How accurately and effectively did you use language to convey those views and ideas? Judges will look at all the languages you use in your speech, with some consideration given to whether you’re speaking in a second language.

You can speak in English, te reo Māori or a mix of both. You’re also welcome to include content in other languages, as long as you translate the meaning into English or te reo Māori.

The top speakers in each region advance to the national level. The top speaker at the national level receives the NZ Police National Champion’s Award, with a prize of $2,000 ($1,000 for the speaker and $1,000 for their school).

Special awards are also offered at the national level to recognise speeches for specific types of excellence, each with an award of $500. For example, in 2022 special awards were offered for best use of te reo Māori; the best practical suggestion for improving race relations; and the most creative and engaging delivery, among others.

Yes, please. Send them to speechawards@raceunity.nz by Wednesday 20 March.

Here are a few tips and ideas that may help you develop and write your speech. These tips and ideas are based on past experience of what has helped participants develop effective speeches. They are not part of the judging criteria so feel free to disregard them and go your own way!

Using an analogy – This year’s theme uses the analogy of the structure of a rope. The strands alone can be weak but when bound together they become unified and have the strength to endure more. An analogy is an image or a comparison that helps explain something. Analogies are often used in speeches because they can help the speaker convey something profound to the audience in simple terms. Some analogies offer many insightful details that can be explored in depth, and others are more limited. For example, you might find that the analogy ‘society is like a human body’ is more useful than the analogy ‘society is like a stone’. There are many analogies that could be relevant to this year’s theme, such as ‘the feathers of one bird’, ‘the leaves or fruits of one tree’, ‘the waves of one ocean’, or ‘the cells of a single body’. If you decide to use an analogy in your speech, choose one that helps you think through and express your own specific ideas about race unity.

Draw on other views – We all have different experiences of race and racism depending on what we look like, what we sound like and where we grew up. Other factors like gender, age or wealth also affect our experiences. Don’t assume that you can see the whole picture by yourself – talk to your friends and family, look up speeches from previous years (via www.raceunity.nz), read articles or blog posts. Your speech doesn’t have to be just your own thinking – in fact we’d encourage you to discuss the theme with your peers at school and incorporate their views, ideas or stories into your speech. Make sure to ask their permission though, especially if they’re thinking about entering the Speech Awards too!

Using whakataukī and quotations – Proverbs and whakatauākī are often used in speeches because they convey the wisdom of past generations and great teachers from history in a simple and memorable way. Quotations and whakataukī are often effective when they clearly illustrate or emphasise a point that you have also made in your own words. You can use as many whakataukī and quotations in your speech as you like, although there is such a thing as too many!

Get creative – Find a way to express your ideas using your talents and creativity. Maybe you write or perform poetry – you could incorporate a poem into your speech. Maybe drama is your thing – you could use gesture, posture and tone of voice to make your points, tell a story or depict a character. Maybe you can sing or rap or perform a haka. Maybe you get creative with your rhetoric, using surprising or compelling turns of phrase. However you do it, your speech will be most effective if you can find some creative way to hold your audience’s attention. Just remember there are no backing tracks, no instruments, and no other people with you on stage – just your own voice, movement and gesture. If you want to use a simple prop, ask us and we’ll let you know if the specific prop you want to use is OK.