2025
TE MOANA HUI O TE KANORAU -
THE GREAT OCEAN OF DIVERSITY
Jordyn Joy Pillay a Year 12 student from Ormiston Senior College in Auckland received the NZ Police National Champion’s Award as well as the Tohu Whetumatarau – Ministry for Ethnic Communities Award for Vision
“You captivated us from the moment that you came to the stage, the powerful energy that you brought, the physical movements that you displayed. You challenged us for your whole presentation. You demonstrated the research that you had provided. You came up with things that we had set as a judging panel and said, those are tangible things we could take away. They were such practical solutions that you provided us.”
- Police Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers, chief judge of the awards.
“Vision is about acknowledging the problem – yes it exists, but where do we want to go from here? What’s the future looking like? There were a lot of good ideas presented on how we can get there. “We learned about not keeping silent. Keeping it vocal is one of the first steps to start that. We heard about diversity in practice and not just tokenism – performative diversity. What stood out was the aspects of culturally inclusive curriculum and some practical ways you can do that with your student panels – where you can listen to the real voice. “Those were a few points that stood out for me in terms of vision and some actionable steps where we can go forward.”
- Garry Gupta – Ministry for Ethnic Communities Award for Vision
Estella Hepburn-Van Zyl, a Year 12 student from Gisborne Girls' High School received the Tohu Māramatanga Baha’i Community award for Insight.
“To overcome the social stigmas and racial prejudices dividing our nation we need to start with the youth. We need to raise a generation capable of encompassing love and acceptance, a generation who will use their voices.”
- Estella Hepburn-Van Zyl
“You reminded us that we can’t just wait for racism to happen and then say, hey we don’t tolerate this, but that’s not enough. You reminded us that we have to stop racism before it happens - and you challenged us. To change the future, nurture the youth.”
- Nick Moss - Member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahai’s NZ.
Maya Blackman, a Year 13 student from Western Heights High School in Rotorua received the Tohu Aumangea - Hedi Moani Memorial Award for Advocacy.
“Diversity is not something that can be ignored. If flows from the history of our country through to the present day. How will we embrace the idea of diversity? Acceptance is only the beginning; from there, you must broaden your knowledge and look below the surface.”
- Maya Blackman - Western Heights High School, Rotorua
“I salute you for the effort, the consideration and the thoughtfulness and the courage that you’ve demonstrated. Acceptance is only the beginning. From there we must broaden our knowledge and look below the surface. Our speakers spoke to the values and virtues that are needed, the personal attributes that are needed for us to make that journey.”
- Kerry-Ann Stevenson – Hedi Moani Charitable Trust
Maia Moss, a Year 12 student from MANUKURA School in Palmerston North who delivered her speech in te Reo Māori received the Tohu Manukura i te Reo - Māori Language Commission Award for te Reo Māori and the Tohu Eke Panuku - Human Rights Commission Award for Impact.
“How gallant and brave to bring te Reo into spaces that aren’t historically made for Māori. This speech gave such a fantastic example of how korero tipuna and contemporary korero can be woven together to create such a strong remedy for some of the issues that we’re facing today.”
- Rangiora Trotman - Pou Arataki - Te Hiringa, Te Taura Whiri I te Reo Māori.
“Te Kahui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission wants to commend all the finalists for their brilliant speeches but also for the way the students reinforced the importance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to building a more racially harmonious country. And we particularly were pleased to present Maia Moss, of MANUKURA School in Palmerston North, the Eke Panuku Human Rights Commission Award for Impact, for the way she articulated that while we may be a nation of diverse waka, we can still chart of a united course towards making Aotearoa New Zealand a better nation.”
- Te Kahui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission
Tanyn Wood, a Year 13 student from Mt Aspiring College in Wānaka received the Tohu Manaakitanga - the Manukau Institute of Technology Award for Manaakitanga.
“When we allow ourselves to be blinded by differences, we corrupt our rivers, and the ocean suffers. Only some areas get nourished, while others are left dry and fragmented. A young child excluded because of the colour of skin, a youth mocked because of his strong accent, a migrant father exploited at work. “We need to ensure that every river flows freely, unburdened by prejudice and hate. To make this a reality, we must make communities feel seen, heard and valued, by nurturing empathy."
- Tanyn Wood
“I hope one day, a couple of years from now, this will be so well known that we’ll pack out the Aotea Centre. I would have liked two to three thousand people to have heard you all today. I was struck by one korero, who encouraged us to think of Aotearoa as not just a collection of people, but a collection of stories. A collection of incredibly rich, expansive and compelling stories if only we take the time to get to know them. Using the genius idea of Virtual Reality to create a series of learning opportunities that will help us to stand in the shoes of those stories.”
- Professor Martin Carroll - Manukau Institute of Technology
Zara Oliyath, a Year 12 Student from Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland received the Tohu Ahurea Rau - Multicultural NZ Award for Diversity as well as the Tohu Auahatanga - Speech NZ Award for Delivery.
“I’d like to say thank you for all the wisdom that you have shared, and we will take it, and you will see it on our website - we will share it. The ocean does not reject any drop of water. I am the ocean. I can make a difference. Thank you very much for your korero - we all enjoyed your speech very much. And to the young leaders, I say to you, take your speech to wherever you can. Because I think the country needs to hear this repeatedly. That wisdom you share.”
- Pancha Narayanan – National President Multicultural New Zealand
“The final part of speech making is that delivery to bring home the message. Everybody had a fabulous audience connection and wonderful delivery. If you don’t have that connection with your audience, you’re not going to get your point across. Throughout their speech Zara used different styles of speaking within the talk and that just lifted the whole delivery. She used wonderful techniques, and used extra effective use of pause, with a lovely variety of pace. Zara commanded the stage.”
- Stephanie Caisley - Speech NZ