Video transcript
Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition 2022 - Years 3 and 4 state final

[intro music]

TONY DAVEY: So my name is Tony Davey. And I want to welcome you to this Years 3 and 4 final of the Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition. I want to begin by acknowledging that I'm on the traditional land, as we are all, of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. You're going to hear people who are a lot more eloquent than me talk to you today about land, and country, and race, and issues like that. But it's still important that I acknowledge that and pay my respect to all Elders past, present, and emerging, and extend that respect to any First Nations people who are here today.

So I've only got a few brief jobs to get through. And then we'll get you into the most important part of the day, which is the speakers. So the first job is just to let you know how important today is. It happens that this is our first time at a final for multicultural perspective since like 2019. So that's three years ago when we stood in this very room. Fun fact, I was looking at a video today, and I apparently have turned up in the same shirt and tie. So it's a bit embarrassing.

But it is great. The point of that is that it is great to have everybody back in person, to have a great audience come to watch us as well. We're super thrilled that you guys get the chance to do this live. Thank you for coming, especially if you've come a really long way. To celebrate the occasion, we're obviously going to be videoing. And also there'll be a photographer, Kristen, running around, there she is there waving. She's asked that you ignore her while she takes photo of you. But obviously, we won't interrupt your speeches or anything like that.

All right. So next, I just want to give you a quick bit of context about this competition. The competition started this year with video submissions of prepared speeches. So it was a little bit different. I think something like 720 odd videos were submitted to this competition of kids giving prepared speeches on multiculturalism. So that's a pretty amazing start to the competition. Come in, guys. Don't worry, I can talk over you. I'm super loud.

And I think the most important thing to note about all those videos is the work that teachers did to get that stuff in. I'm sure the teachers have had a very, very busy year. And then on top of all of that busyness, we were like you're also a cinematographer, and a lighting expert, and a video person now. Plus you're the IT expert at your school who gets to upload all of these weird formats of videos to me. So the competition 100% wouldn't work without those teachers who are willing to do that extra stuff. And if we give the teachers round of applause, actually, that'd be great.

[applause]

Thanks, guys.

So teachers uploading 1,700 odd video, 17-- Yeah. OK. The next step was regional finals. So the regional finals this year, we were lucky enough to have eight of them in person. And they were in Grafton at South Grafton Public School, then in Valentine Public School in Newcastle. Next in Jamberoo Public School, a little bit South of Wollongong. And then down to Young Public School in the Riverina. And finally, four of them at the Arts Unit in Lewisham.

That was great fun. I got to adjudicate all of those. So I've seen all of these speakers before. And I know what an amazing day you're in for. I think the most important person to thank for those finals are your parents and family. So you can imagine, there's a lot of driving involved once you're headed to the North Coast final all the way up in South Grafton. Or you're driving to Young when you're from Deniliquin. So a round of applause to all the parents who've done a great job of getting you guys through this time.

[applause]

That level definitely would not work without the support of your families. So you owe them big. Make sure you thank them later today. And that, of course, brings us to this final here. This final is the 27 or 28th of its kind, and we've got a really long tradition of just smashing excellent public speaking. You guys are in for a treat, I promise you. The people to thank for this stage are the Multicultural Education Team.

So since this competition was founded a long-- long-- long-- long time ago, since the very beginning, the multicultural education team have been behind every cent that went into this competition and have done lots of the organising and help. This is kind of their brainchild along with the Arts Unit. So it wouldn't be possible without the Multicultural Education Team.

They were called something else way back when. If you're young, you'll soon learn that organisations, especially big ones love to change the names of their little parts as often as they can. Sometimes to reflect different roles that those people have, sometimes just to mess with you. So they won't call Multicultural Education and the Arts Unit 27, 30 years ago, but they were there right at the beginning. And the competition wouldn't work without those people. So massive thanks to Multicultural Education. Give them a round of applause.

[applause]

Just checking. OK. One last job for me, and that is to introduce your adjudicators. Aside from all of that money and support, the other thing multicultural education have given us today is one of our adjudicators, Rachel Hennessy. Rachel is a senior refugee education advisor and is acting up at the moment in a role that is more important, but sounds less important. So we decided to skip telling it to you today.

Also on the panel is Justine Clark. So she's the speaking competitions officer for the New South Wales Department of Education. Basically, that means if there's a public speaking or a debating thing that you've ever seen, she is like in charge of it. So she's the boss of all public speaking and debating in New South Wales.

And the last person on the panel is Indigo Crossweller. Indigo is still a university student. She was a champion debater and public speaker back in high school, and now in university as well. She won the Years 9 and 10 Premiers Debating Challenge in 2016, I think it was, and her life has kind of gone downhill from there. That was the most important factor. OK, great.

So with that, I'm going to hand you over to our chairperson and timekeeper to kick us off. A massive thanks to those people for helping us out today. No I won't say anything silly about you, Natalie, you're ready to go. OK, from Neutral Bay Public School, and a massive thanks to them, please welcome with a crazy loud voice, Natalie. Woo!

NATALIE: Thank you, Mr. Davey. Ladies and gentlemen, in the Years 3 and 4 prepared speech section, each student may speak for three minutes. There will be a warning bell at three minutes and two bells at three minutes to indicate the speaker's time has expired. A continuous bell will be rung at four minutes. After this session, there will be a 20-minute break followed by the impromptu speeches.

Before we begin, just to remind it to make sure all mobile phones are switched off. The first speaker this morning is Ava Ngo, from Russell Lea Public School in Five Dock. The subject of her speech is, 'A Safe Place To Call Home.' Please welcome Ava to the stage.

[applause]

AVA NGO: Imagine you're on an overcrowded boat in the ocean. You are hot, tired, and thirsty, and you have not seen land for days. All your belongings fit into only two backpacks as you flee the soldiers heading toward your village. But home is no longer safe. So you make this dangerous journey with your wife and two children. This is a story of my grandfather, Ye Ye, and how he came to Australia from Vietnam.

What is a safe place to call home? To me, it's a place where you can be yourself and speak your mind. A place where you're not discriminated against because your ethnicity, gender, or religion. You and I are very lucky we live in Australia, where the government is committed to promoting the rights and freedoms of everyone. But sometimes we can take this all for granted.

In Australia, I am to be able to wear my favorite clothes and dye my hair purple, when my mom lets me, of course. In Afghanistan, when the Taliban took over the country last year, many women's rights were swiftly taken away. Sadly, women must now wear at chadari, an item of clothing that covers them from head to toe with just that eye showing. If you do not follow this new rule, you and your family will be punished.

Furthermore in Australia, I can go about my day, attending school in the morning and train netball with my team in the afternoon. I don't need to fear about soldiers bombing our homes and hospitals. This however, is reality faced by Ukrainians, when Russia invaded Ukraine on the 24th of February this year. Over 5.8 million people have fled their homes to escape the horrors of war, leaving behind their brothers, husbands, and fathers, who had to stay back to defend the country.

My family is together. And I'm grateful I am safe. Today, I'm proud Australia is a multicultural society with one three of us born overseas. Many have chosen Australia for the great schools, like Russell Lea Public School, of course, while others had no choice but to flee their homes to find a safe haven.

So this brings me back to my Ye Ye. He was rescued by US Coast Guard when their boat was attacked by pirates near Malaysia. When he was offered refuge in the United States or Australia, he chose Australia, because in his own words, 'I have heard it is safe there for my family.'

I invite you to think about the decisions your past generations have made for you to be here. And consider the actions you can take to help future generations to do so. It is because of my Ye Ye's courage, and the compassion shown by Australia to my beloved grandparents, that I can be standing here in front of you all today. Let kindness and empathy lead the way because everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

[applause]

NATALIE: Thank you, Ava. The second speaker today is Isla Saunders from Jerrabomberra Public School near Canberra. The subject of Isla's speech is, 'The Power Of Sport.' Please welcome Isla.

[applause]

ISLA SAUNDERS: I want you to think about when you walked into this auditorium. Nothing significant happened, right? We all walked in together. We entered as equals and you all sit together as equals.

Now I want you to imagine a time when entering a community hall would have required separation. We would have been separated by the color of our skin, beliefs, and culture. This separation is known as racial segregation. It is hard to imagine, but this was happening as recently as 1994 in some countries.

Good morning. My name is Isla Saunders. And today I will be reflecting upon the way sport has worked as a powerful tool to bring different cultures, races, religions, and countries together. In 1994, Nelson Mandela was elected as South Africa's first ever Black president. He had hoped that his election would unify his country.

However, the white and Black communities were still very divided after hundreds of years of segregation. In an event that no one saw coming, the South African Springbok rugby team was on track to win the 1995 World Cup. Nelson Mandela campaigned to have his whole country support the team. Previously, it had been viewed as a sport for the white community.

South Africans excitedly stood together and cheered the Springboks up to victory. They had put aside color and difficult racial history to stand in unity. Nelson Mandela had changed the course of history by showing his country that they could reach common ground through sport.

Australia's first nation people have always had a proud history of sporting success. Whether it's in their traditional games or the modern sports of today. However, their inclusion wasn't always guaranteed. Athletes like Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Cathy Freeman, Adam Goodes, Johnathan Thurston, and more recently, Patty Mills and Ash Barty, have paved the way to all aspiring Aboriginal athletes.

They have used their Fame to create programs for Aboriginal children to have their talents recognised and fostered in the sport of their choice. Research shows that a positive participation in community sports improves a child's educational outcomes, future employment, connection to the community, and most importantly, the social and emotional being.

I personally know that this is very true. When I started school, I struggled to find where I fit in. It was only when I joined the local acrobatics gymnastics team that I found the friends that I still have today. I also discovered this new confidence in myself and my abilities. It was this newfound confidence that has given me the guts to stand here today.

My personal hope is that sport continues to unite us as a community country and world, perhaps it will be the one constant thing that prevents anything as divisive as segregation ever happening again. Thank you.

[applause]

NATALIE: Our fourth speaker is Jenny Li, from Wentworth Point Public School on the North-- oh ,sorry. Near Sydney Olympic Park. The subject of her speech is, 'Who is Responsible?' Please welcome Jenny to the stage.

[applause]

JENNY LI: Who is responsible? Truth, compassion, forbearance. As my dad likes to remind me, these principles can guide anyone to be a good person. Being a good person means being responsible. To be responsible means being truthful with oneself and others. Having compassion for people who need our help, and having forbearance to peacefully endure hardships and take the harder road when needed.

We all live in a lucky and great country. Our school and community are the people from over 50 countries and areas of the world. But how could we create a multicultural, harmonious community successfully? We need to give more and take less. When we respect and help each other we take responsibilities for our diverse environment.

My dad is a warm hearted person who supports me by asking the neighbor's kid or a schoolmate to join our car in the mornings when we see them and their parents waiting in the bus stop anxiously or running toward a school in a hurry.

After that, my parents quickly became familiar with those parents. Soon in school and community activities, they were often seen together, laughing and working, no matter what country they came from, whatever language they spoke. This also helped me make some new friends every year. And some of them are from Egypt, India, Korea, China, and the Netherlands.

I discovered the fact, when we are responsible for helping others, those tiny things could go so much more. This is the powers of responsibility. Our slow but sure way up the hill of life, gaining steadfast footing at every step, and mounting in life to minutes and distinction, an ornament to your family, a blessing to your country.

We don't always have to be a doctor, a scientist, or government leader to be responsible to make a difference. We are all citizens of the world. No matter who we are, whatever talents we have, we always need to follow the universal principle of truthfulness, compassion, forbearance. Truthfulness, compassion, forbearance.

There's always a kind of role for us to play. That is our true responsibility. My family brought car from a local dealer. Her relatives are still in Ukraine. Sitting Australia, I cannot change what happens in Ukraine. But I'm responsible to donate my pocket money to Ukrainian family who's suffering the pain of war.

I cannot control the situation in China. Tens of millions of people locked at home because of zero policy, but I'm responsible to call the people I know, share my life experience, and encourage them to fight a virus scientifically and bravely. I cannot prevent the climate change from happening. But I'm responsible to reduce gas emissions, like turning off lights when I leave a room, walking or bicycling where I can, and saving a dying planet abandoned by an international student. After I watered it, I could see it sleet leaves turn from yellow to green day-by-day and started absorbing carbon dioxide again.

When I take these small responsibilities, I trust they automatically create a domino effect for others. It will create a better future for us, for the community, for the planet Earth, when we work together as one, people from many nations and backgrounds. So in the future, if we're ever asked who's responsible, I'll suggest we say it is me, it is you, it is all of us. When we are responsible, we can see how our powers, actions, build a multicultural society more harmoniously and successfully. Truthfulness, forbearance, compassion, the key to responsibility. Thank you.

[applause]

NATALIE: Thank you, Jenny. The fifth speaker today is Frankie Kelly from Kahiba Public School in Newcastle. The subject of Frankie's speech is, 'A Safe Place To Call Home.' Please welcome Frankie out to the front.

[applause]

FRANKIE KELLY: Everyone needs a safe place to go home. I recently read if you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food to eat, you are luckier than 70% of the world. I've recently been learning about Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which tells us the most important thing for human beings is physical safety, shelter, food, and clothing.

My grandmother and her family found a safe place to go home in Australia after World War II. My Babcia, which means grandma in Polish, grew up in a refugee camp where things were hard for them. But they are very grateful for the generosity of Australians at the time. It's funny to think if my Babcia never came to Australia. I never would have been born. It feels like I won the lottery to be born in such a safe place with no war or famine.

I wonder whether the descendants of the Ukrainians will get to win the safety lottery. In February this year, Russia invaded Ukraine leaving over 13 million Ukrainians without a safe place to live. 6 million have left the country altogether, and more than 3.5 million of these have gone to neighboring Poland.

Some of my relatives that are still in Poland have taken in 40 refugees from Ukraine to make sure they too had a safe place to call home. My relatives are in a medical building, which luckily had some free space on the top floor. And now several Ukrainian families are living there safely. The refugees have a cooking space where they make food like cheesecake and pierogi, a Polish dumpling.

Around 4,000 Ukrainian refugees have come to Australia, even though we are 25 times bigger than Poland. So why aren't we accepting more refugees? It's not just Ukrainians who are seeking asylum. Our government has turned away thousands of refugees from other countries like Afghanistan and South Sudan. Did you know that 84% of asylum applications are rejected? Imagine fleeing from hostility in your home country and hoping to find a safe place to call home in Australia only to be turned away.

Our Australian government needs to be more generous with other refugees as well as the Ukrainians. We have the space and the resources for more people here. Since COVID-19 unemployment rates are the lowest they've been in 50 years. And many companies are struggling to find workers. Why don't we give these jobs to refugees from countries such as Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, and help them find a safe place to go home?

We can all be a part of the solution. Me and my family helped put together welcome bags at Kiwanis, a charity that supports local refugee families. You can also donate money, toys, and clothes to Red Cross or UNICEF, organise fundraisers at school, and write letters to politicians. So if like me and my family you've won the safe home lottery, think about this. We have a roof over our heads clothes on our backs and food to eat what can we do for the 70% who aren't so lucky? What can you do to make sure everyone has a safe place to call home?

[applause]

NATALIE: Thank you, Frankie. The sixth speaker today is Kabir Khaira from Neutral Bay Public School in the Northern Suburbs. The subject of his speech is 'Racism, No Way!' Please welcome Kabir to the stage.

[applause]

KABIR KHAIRA: One day I went up to my dad and said, some kids in school said I have a funny name and call me beer. My dad said he was not surprised, which surprised me. He said that my name means the great one, but a part of my name also sounds like a beverage in English.

I asked him if it was racist of them to mock with my name because it's different. He said, not really sure. Unfortunately, this sometimes reminds me that I'm different. Even spellcheck calls me Labor or Katie. I hate spellcheck. I find myself wishing that I had an easy name. But hang on, my name is easy. It's Kabir. Then why should some people make fun of it and pronounce it wrong? May there be an aspect of racialisation to the name calling because my name is different?

Racism is a discrimination of a group of people who might be a different race, which generally involves different forms of bullying. People that indulge in name calling might think that it's a harmless joke. However, this can ruin someone's day, and at most contribute to the feeling that one does not belong, aren't welcomed, or not normal.

Extreme name calling can lead to self-doubt and a fear of being verbally or physically attacked constantly. And it can become a habit for the person calling names. Research shows no one is born racist. It is a learned behavior as one gets older. Perhaps racism starts off with a little name calling as a kid. And if left unchecked developed into something ugly.

Did you know there's a 48% chance that a name like mine is less likely to get a job, and some people have been known to anglicise their name for an interview? To tell you the truth, I don't feel out of place with my different name as it reflects my heritage. I always see myself as a fair dinkum Aussie, and I'm proud of it. To say no way to racism is to ensure that we all start respecting people's names and to not indulge in name calling.

If you come across a name that seems hard to pronounce, instead of making fun of it, ask the person how to pronounce their name and then remember it. I want to make my friends aware that different cultures have different names. Having friends from various cultures truly opens up the mind. In that way, different cultural names become a part of diversity and everyday life.

However, if name calling becomes really toxic, it is vital to involve your parents and carers. For those that call names, just be aware that you could be doing some serious damage. Now remember, there is only one race, the human race. By the way judges, when you announce the winner, my name is pronounced Kabir.

[laughing]

[applause]

NATALIE: Thank you, Kabir. The seventh speaker this morning is Pippa Findlay from Young Public School in the Riverina. The subject of her speech is, 'History Matters.' Please put your hands together for Pippa.

[applause]

PIPPA FINDLAY: Let's let history show us the way to a better future. Let's fill our minds with history lessons that teach us about the both wrong and right paths and lessons that teach us respect for each other. Way back in 1905, George Santayana, a Spanish American philosopher, said, those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. That's why history matters.

We often learn about times in history when humans have been unkind and not accepting for each other cultures and beliefs. For example, the Stolen Generation, and the sadness and horrible experiences the Aboriginal people endured not that long ago. Or the Lambing Flat Riots in Young, where I live during the gold rush of 1860 to 1861, where Chinese gold miners were attacked for simply being different. They worked together in bigger groups, used up food and supplies sparingly, and were happier finding less gold.

The European miners felt threatened by this. But in reality, that was no threat at all. Ultimately, the Chinese miners were targeted for looking and sounding different. Learning about these awful events teaches us to work hard to stop this in the future. Learning positive and inspiring stories from history can teach us what is possible when we are accepting for each other's cultures and show respect.

I want to give you an example from my own family history. In 1942, a prisoner of war camp was built in Cowra, New South Wales, to hold captured World War II enemy soldiers. Adriano Zaccaro and three of his friends were captured and brought to Cowra. My great-- great grandparents Jock and Christine Davidson needed help on their farm as their two sons were both overseas fighting. The Italian prisoners were gentle young men forced into a terrible war and didn't want to be in prison. They came to live and work on our family's farm.

Despite their own two sons fighting the Italians overseas, my great, great grandparents developed a wonderful bond with the young Italian men. They provided good food, showed respect for their culture and religion, and provided a safe and enjoyable place to live and work. Adriano returned to Italy after the war ended. The bond formed in 1942 between the two families continues to this day. This story teach teaches us that human beings are capable of love and respect, even in hard situations.

History matters because it teaches us lessons, both good and bad. Our histories are forever linked, telling our stories from generation to generation. And this will go on forever. So let's make history matter by remembering how it shaped today, by listening to others, by sharing with others, by imagining what others have been through. So are you going to do these things to make history matter? Let's do all these things together.

[applause]

NATALIE: Thank you, Pippa. Our eighth speaker today is Aditi Gupta from Westmead Public School near Parramatta. The subject of Aditi's speech is, 'The Power Of Sport.' Please welcome Aditi down to the stage.

[applause]

ADITI GUPTA: As a young boy living in a mud hut in refugee camp in Kenya, Awer Mabel could not have imagined that he would one day represent Australia in soccer on an international stage. I began playing soccer at around the age of five at the camp with bare feet and used a rolled up sock as a football. He now calls Australia his home and is proud to be part of the Socceroo team.

Though Mabel faced racism at street level, it did not deter him from focusing on his sport and skill. Currently 16 African-Australian players are playing at the highest level of soccer in Australia. Sport speaks an international language. It has the power to change and unite the world. It promotes inclusion and build social cohesion.

When talented sportspeople compete in their profession, sports fans don't see culture, ethnicity, or race. They see athleticism, talent, and the athletes strive to be the best they possibly can be. Despite the media releases and political comments from the state liberal leader, Matthew Guy, who claimed Melbourne was becoming the Johannesburg of the South Pacific. And federal opposition leader Peter Dutton, verbally criticising the African Sudanese groups, the upcoming younger generations have accepted these players from African backgrounds as their role models instead of branding them as troublesome African gangs of Melbourne.

The Australian youth were not distracted by the negative overreaction of the coalition and media towards the crime incidents. The athletes have inspired the masses with their talent and racism is overtaken by admiration. This proves that sport has a power to break down racism towards other cultures. Way to go, Australia, using sport to break down cultural differences and discrimination.

Sport is one part of our society, which binds us together as human beings. It creates a connection with others having the same passion. Sport offers a pathway for the refugees and migrants to integrate as the rules of play are the same for everyone, irrespective of race, culture, country, or faith. While watching the Commonwealth Games a few months ago, it felt great to see people from different backgrounds representing Australia. Among the Australian wrestling team at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games was wrestler Rupinder Kaur Sandhu of Indian origin. It was inspirational to see someone who had the same background as me representing Australia.

This made me feel that we are all Australians no matter what we look like or where our parents were born. This year's Commonwealth Games Australian team aged 22 athletes born overseas, and 11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes. A diversity that reflects the broader Australian public. This diversity reflects our multi-cultural society. Sport brings people together from all over the world. It has the power to do this like no other activity. Through sport's universal language, no barriers exist. That is the power of

[applause]

NATALIE: Thank you, Aditi. The ninth speaker is Purdey Killips, from Brunswick Heads Public School in the Far North Coast. The subject of Purdey's speech is, 'My Place.' Please welcome Purdey down to the front.

[applause]

PURDEY KILLIPS: When we say 'my place' what do we really mean? Usually we mean the place where we live, our home, but is my place really mine? My mom and dad are always complaining that my place, or rather, their place, is owned by the bank. So my place is actually the bank's place. How confusing is that? But it set me thinking.

For my place, which is my parents' place, which of course, is the bank's place, is actually the fourth place they've owned. But regardless of who owns it, it is only theirs temporarily, for a few years or decades, but not forever. I also noticed that when I visit my grandpa's place on Bribie Island, it sort of feels like my place too. Mind you, grandpa's lived so long, the bank doesn't own his place anymore. He's paid them back.

I also feel at home when I visit my Grandma's place, and I even feel at home in England, when I visit my auntie Lindy's place and my uncle Nigel's place. But none of that places will be theirs forever. In other words, whether we are talking about our homes, our land, or even all our possessions, we are only custodians of whatever we lay claim.

And it seems to me that I feel connected to places where I have ties with my family, my relatives, and my culture. And this got me thinking, again, for my place my home is on land where the Bundjalung people have lived for at least 30,000 years. And they have always thought very differently about their land to Western cultures. They consider the land to be a part of their family, their culture, their identity, part of who they are as custodians of the land.

Western cultures, however, mostly think of undeveloped land as simply that, land requiring development to be used to make wealth. Now I know I'm only 8 years old. But I am old enough to sense that in an increasingly populated world this Western approach is unsustainable. Sooner or later, there'll be no space left to develop. So what can we do?

Well, we can open our eyes and ears. We can learn from our Aboriginal hosts. We can pay attention during NAIDOC week. We can learn about regeneration. We can learn about sustainability, then hopefully we will better care for this beautiful red land, and this wonderful world where we live in just temporarily. Only then can we pass on my place, and your place, and our place in a healthy state to future generations.

[applause]

NATALIE: Thank you, Purdey. The 10th speaker this morning is Maya Raschella, from Oatley Public School in the South of Sydney. The subject of her speech is, 'Australia On The Screen.' Please welcome Maya to the stage.

[applause]

MAYA RASCHELLA: Imagine turning on the TV, and you saw a show where people look like they were straight out of your family room. It would be so cool, right? After years of trying to look like Elsa or other Disney princesses, I was so happy to discover characters like Gabby from 'Gabby's Dollhouse' and Moana, where the main characters looked more like me.

Representation matters. Australia is one of the most beautiful multicultural countries in the world, but why is this diversity not represented on the Australian screen? To begin with, let's talk about all the current favorite movies in the world, 'Turning Red,' 'Moana,' 'Encato.' These are awesome stories about people and their cultures, but the only problem is that they are all American shows.

Can you think of many Australian kids shows where an ethnic person is the main character? Barely any. In fact, ABC'S 'Playschool' was the only place I am most likely to see people of different cultures consistently. That is because they actually have an official policy called the Diversity and Inclusion Plan where they are committed to providing inclusive shows to reflect the diversity of Australia. This plan should be mandatory to all Australian productions

I have no doubt we can learn a lot from watching TV. Hear that, parents? In 'Encanto,' how beautiful was it to see the colors, traditions, and people of Colombia represented? In 'Frozen,' did you know Arendelle was based on real towns in Norway? We learnt about Nordic customs, the music, and arts. If more Australian cinema captured how multicultural our world really is, we would have a more empathetic accepting society and therefore will have a tremendous impact on bettering racism and bullying in our country.

I strongly believe that film and TV have the power to inspire kids to become anything they want to be. Shows with characters that look like us, our homes, our food, our family life, will make us connect more deeply to the story. Last week, I watched a movie called, 'Bend It Like Beckham' which is about a traditional Indian family where the main character, Jess, is obsessed with soccer and our parents don't approve. It was so amazing to see a family like mine, and a character I could relate to, that the very next day I was inspired to try out for the girl soccer team at school.

Another great example is that this new promo of 'The Little Mermaid,' where Black actors is playing Ariel. Black parents have posted the emotional reactions of their kids being amazed and inspired watching her. It's so extraordinary, so I'm expected to see Disney princess played by a Black actor? But diversity should be the expectation, not the exception.

To sum up seeing characters and stories of different cultures will entertain, educate, and inspire us. I strongly believe that all people should see a part of themselves somewhere on the screen. Even though Australia is rich in multiculturalism, the Australian screen is not quite there yet. Australian production companies are scared to take a risk by making diverse shows. They don't think we want to see anything different. So it's up to us to tell them what we want to see on our screen. Start a conversation. Post it on social media. Make some noise because it's on all of us to make the change. Representation matters.

[applause]

NATALIE: Thank you, Maya. Our second last speaker this morning is Chloe Jozwiack from Narranga Public School in Coffs Harbour. The subject of her speech is, 'Who Is Responsible?' Please welcome Chloe.

[applause]

CHLOE JOZWIAK: A child is born. A child learns to speak, crawl, walk, and goes to school. Who's responsible for teaching them these things? Adults? You might be thinking that this learning process is as warm and fuzzy as a hug from grandma, but there is a dark side that often goes unnoticed.

While adults are teaching us positive things, we are also learning less desirable things like racism and prejudice. Nobody is born racist. Nobody is born prejudiced. So who is responsible for these things? Adults can teach kids racist and prejudiced views by making fun of someone's cultural background and disguising it as a joke. In 2020, Donald Trump was at a youth rally and was talking about COVID-19 he called it kung flu. Do comments like these from adults make adults responsible for racism?

Imagine you come from a different country and you're living in Australia. You go to school and kids tease you just because your name is different. You feel so judged and excluded that you actually change your name just to fit in. Now you have lost part of your culture and identity. How does this make you feel?

This actually happened to my pop. Australia is a multicultural country and needs to be a safe and welcoming place for all people so that no one feels like the butt of the joke, or that they can't use their own name. So who is responsible for making these things happen?

I came home from school the other day and repeated a joke to my parents that I had heard from another student. It went like this. Why can't Chinese people play baseball? Because they would eat the bat. My parents didn't laugh. They told me why that joke was not OK. They explained to me that the joke was a generalisation that all Chinese people eat bats based on no facts. They explained that the joke is racist and prejudiced. This is what adults taking responsibility for racism and prejudice looks like.

If I had spoken to the kid and told them that the joke was not OK, and explained why, I would have been taking responsibility now. So kids, start taking responsibility now by not repeating racist jokes. And call out adults or other kids if they use racist or prejudiced language. Adults, talk to kids about racism and prejudice. It is clear that the solution to stamping out racism and prejudice is both adults and kids taking responsibility. Together we can ensure that nobody is born racist or prejudiced, and stay that way. Thank you.

[applause]

NATALIE: Thank you, Chloe. The final speaker in this section is Thomas Bales from Casula Public School in South Western Sydney. The subject of his speech is, 'A Safe Place To Call Home.' Please welcome Thomas down to the front.

[applause]

THOMAS BALE: If Monopoly was a game called 'A Safe Place To Call Home,' everyone would start with different advantages. Players would have different starting money. Some even own property. Some players would have nothing, others earn more money than the banker, and already own Mayfair and Park Lane.

But sadly, for those fleeing their country for safety, they would be in Monopoly jail with no use of a get out of jail free card. And they could wait the whole game, rolling and rolling for doubles, trying to reach safety. And Amnesty International estimates there are 26 million refugees. Many chance cards dealt to refugees only have a negative outcome. On some cards, they struggle with employment. On others, they can't gain housing. Other cards contain language barriers, discrimination, even destruction to school.

It's hard to get ahead, even when settled in a host country whereas someone born here like me has access to all the best chance cards. Hang on. This isn't a fun game. And I would never be able to get my siblings to play this with me. The Australian Human Rights Commission identifies access to a safe place to call home as one is basic human rights. In life, I need to be aware of my privilege and the struggles of those searching for the basic need of a safe place to call home. More than a roof of your head, it's finding safety, security, and stability.

Sunitha and Kondal are refugees who live in the flat at the back of our house. One day they turned up at our door as their cat, Dhal, was very sick. They needed to get help for the cat but they didn't know how to go about this in Australia. Dad was able to take them to a vet and communicate with the vet the problem for them. They felt very homesick when Dhal didn't survive.

Later they explained that the tears were for having no money or job. Tears were for struggling with English, and tears wondering if they should return to the home country. With so many in need, it's not time to play our own game. We need to stop and take hand of those who are in need, remove the barriers they face. Actively looking for opportunities to make life a more level playing field, unlike Monopoly, so that we can all live in a safe place we call home.

[applause]

NATALIE: Thank you, Thomas. There'll now be a 20-minute break followed by the impromptu speeches. Official guests are invited to morning tea in the foyer. Thanks for a great first session. And we'll see you back here in 20 minutes.

[applause]

Welcome back to the impromptu section of this Multicultural Perspective State Final. In Years 3 and 4 impromptu speech section, the students have five minutes in which to prepare a speech on a general topic provided by the adjudicators. Each student then speaks for one minute with a warning bell at 30 seconds and two bells at one minute to indicate that the speaker's time is expired. A continuous bell will be run at 1 and 1/2 minutes. The topic for the impromptu speech section is, 'A Waste Of Time.' Please welcome back Ava Ngo.

AVA NGO: Have you ever seen your kids doing this? Or even more importantly, your self doing this? Well, screen time is a waste of time. It can cause kids to fail grades, have gaming addiction, and be very aggressive to parents. And also according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 57% of kids here in Australia that are under 14 spent more than 10 hours a week on their screens.

So how can we solve this? Adults, model positive behavior. Have no fun dinner times and talk about the good parts and the bad parts of your day. Lastly, literacy levels is declining due to this. So reading is crucial. If you rate for 20 minutes a day, you are exposed to 1.8 million words a year. So adults we need to change.

[applause]

NATALIE: Please welcome back Isla Saunders.

[applause]

ISLA SAUNDERS: You're probably thinking, she's so confident. But the truth is I have anxiety. To me, a waste of time is sitting there having a panic attack and not doing anything about it. Here are some strategies that I use to help. Meditation, you can do this anywhere. I mean anywhere. It takes time to learn. But it can become easy after time.

You can also talk to people, like friends, family, or other trusted adults. I always talk to my psychologist too. Take a moment and think about what I told you. Never waste your time worrying. Use the strategies to help. Thank you.

[applause]

NATALIE: Please welcome back Jenny Li.

[applause]

JENNY LI: A waste of time. Have you ever wasted your time? Or have never used it wisely? Well, I'm sure I have. When I was at home, I used to have a lot of things to do. But I usually just read books, but when I finish reading them, I just stare at it and doing nothing. I could have even use that time to write homework.

I also know someone who didn't waste time and used it wisely. His name is Michael Jordan. He wasn't chosen for his school basketball team. Even though he was not chosen, he didn't spend his whole day complaining he didn't get chosen. Instead he used the time to practice and practice. And to this day, he's now considered as one of the best basketball players of all time. And a quote from me is use time wisely. Time will never wait for you. Thank you.

[applause]

NATALIE: Please welcome back Frankie Kelly.

[applause]

FRANKIE KELLY: We often see adults wasting time talking, planning, saying they'll do things. But if you're not going to take action, then it's just a waste of time. Like a lot of politicians say, we need to get to net zero by 2050. What about by 2025

If we actually want that to happen, we need to take action, actually make a difference, by supporting sustainable businesses, and buying solar panels. Our government needs to take action on climate change.

And we need to take action as well because you see, you can talk, plan, and say you'll do things, but it's a waste of time if you don't actually take action. You need to take action today. And make sure you're not wasting time saying you'll do things.

[applause]

NATALIE: Please welcome back Kabir Khaira.

[applause]

KABIR KHAIRA: A waste of time. A waste of time for me is usually doing something that's not necessary at that time. For example, you have a public speaking competition, but instead of practising public speaking, you're practising running or math. That's a waste of time.

The impact of wasting time is that you don't get to do the stuff that is truly necessary. Like I said earlier, you have a public speaking competition, and you're practising the complete opposite to it. The cause of wasting time is usually somebody telling you that you have to be doing this when in your head, you should actually be doing the complete opposite.

So the resolution to this is to tell the person that's telling you to do the complete opposite, you need to tell them that this isn't what I should be doing. I should be doing stuff that is truly necessary.

[applause]

NATALIE: Please welcome back Pippa Findlay.

[applause]

PIPPA FINDLAY: Are you sitting on the couch watching Netflix? Well, if you're doing this is a bad way to start. You are wasting your time. If you are doing this, maybe go outside. If you have a dog or any animal, maybe teach them a new trick or do something active.

Lots of other people who are famous are keeping busy not wasting their time. For example, Taylor Swift, she has just released a new album. She is not wasting her time. She is keeping busy.

If you are sitting on the couch, watching Netflix, this is a terrible way to end your day. Don't waste your time. Get outside. Play some games with your friends. And don't waste your time.

[applause]

NATALIE: Please welcome back Aditi Gupta.

[applause]

ADITI GUPTA: We have been wasting valuable time of caring for our planet. An example of wasting time was car manufacturers. Making petrol cars is a waste of time, as we need less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We can walk, cycle, or use carpooling to get to places.

Another long term solution is electric cars. Did you know that one electric car will say 1.5 million grams of carbon dioxide from reaching the atmosphere? Imagine if we all had an electric car. Our planet would be so nice and fresh. We would be able to say bye to gray skies and hello to blue ones.

Making petrol cars is a waste of time since we shouldn't pollute our air. And if we want future generations to have an amazing and pristine planet, then we must stop wasting time with petrol cars and have electric cars. Remember we all want nice fresh air to breathe. Not polluted, gray, and dusty ones.

[applause]

NATALIE: Please welcome back Purdey Killips.

[applause]

PURDEY KILLIPS: Well, my father has always said that I am a waste of time.

[laughing]

Going to that hospital at that exact moment, giving birth to me, was a waste of time. Because what am I? I'm a disappointment. At least that's at his point of view.

But Matilde Montoya did not waste her time. She was the first female doctor in Mexico. She wrote to the president two times because her university would not let her become a doctor.

The second time she wrote to the president, he passed a law letting all-female people become doctors. And now she has not wasted her time when she was there. It's also important that you don't waste your time because well, you don't live forever.

[applause]

NATALIE: Please welcome back, Maya Raschella.

[applause]

MAYA RASCHELLA: What do you do when you go home? Probably read a book, do your chores, or watch TV. But if you look outside your home there's a whole environment that is full of rubbish and pollution. And we shouldn't be staying home just chilling out. We should be going into our world and helping our environment.

If everyone is just at home watching TV or reading a book, then you're wasting time chilling out instead of helping our environment and our world. If we don't help our environment soon, our world will be a disgusting place, disgusting I tell you.

What we could do to help our environment instead of being at home? We could go and clean up our environment by picking up rubbish and putting it in the bin. We can do much more things. We can recycle at home. I strongly believe that we should all go outside and help our environment.

[applause]

NATALIE: Please welcome back Chloe Jozwiak.

[applause]

CHLOE JOZWIAK: It's a life changing decision. What are you going to do? Have a waste of time, spend it on social media rotting your brain? It could lead to obesity, many bad things. You could forget what it's like to live in the real world.

It is a complete waste of time. Yep. You heard me, kids. Most of what kids do these days is spend time on their devices. And one main thing they do on their devices? You guessed it, social media. Why is this a waste of time?

Well, it is not good for your mental health or your physical health. You'll be stuck inside all day doing stuff on social media instead of getting outside and playing. Or going for a walk at the beach. It is a complete waste of time to spend most of your day sitting in a room on social media. This doesn't even matter when it comes to real life. Social media really doesn't. Don't waste your life. It is a complete waste of time to stay on social media.

[applause]

NATALIE: Please welcome back Thomas Bales.

[applause]

THOMAS BALES: Have you ever wasted time, or say, procrastinated? Probably have. Many people do it. Some might even say it's human nature. Well I have.

When I go to bed I start reading my book. I even try to get there first so mom and dad can't stop me from reading. I say, come on. Let me finish this chapter. Please-- please. When I do this, I procrastinate, or waste time. I'm tired in the morning. And so it's actually taking me downhill.

It's bad to waste time. Not when going to bed, but in other things too. You might even be taking away someone else's time. So remember never procrastinate or waste time. It might cause trouble to you or to other people.

[applause]

NATALIE: Ladies and gentlemen, and students, that concludes the impromptu speeches. The adjudicators will retire to make their decision. I would now like to call Tony Davey back to the stage to conduct the awards ceremony.

TONY DAVEY: Thanks.

[applause]

I will sort of do that. But honestly, our chairperson and timekeeper have been so smashing. I'll let them keep doing the bulk of the work. Natalie and Emma, thanks, guys.

[applause]

Smashing bell wrangling, best announcing ever. Congratulations, guys. So we'll get them to read you out one by one. But what are we're going to do now is forget for a minute about who's going to win, and call back to the stage each of the speakers one by one to receive a medallion and a certificate in honor of the fact that they are, whatever happens now, top 12 in the state for their age group. And just like if you're wondering-- Yeah.

[applause]

I told them this at the regionals-- if you're wondering, if your top 12 in New South Wales, you're pretty much top 12 in Australia. And Australia at this age group, pretty great, you're probably top 12 in the world. So feel free to tell people that.

All right, so to present those certificates, we're going to get a couple of people up. The first is Jordi Austin. Jordi is the director of Arts, Sports, Initiatives, Student Services, and Specialist Programs, all of which means she's basically the boss of the boss of the boss of the boss of the people who run this competition.

So Jordi is going to help us out. And along with her, Andrew Lasaitis, who's the Arts Programs and Partnerships Coordinator at the Arts Unit. And he's not quite as many bosses above us, but he's still kind of important. So please welcome them to the stage.

[applause]

Well, as promised, I'm going to hand you back to the chairperson to read out the names one by one. Are you happy to do that? And guys, you know what parents are like. So once you've got your certificate and medallion, if you can stand and line up on the front of the stage. And they can embarrass you awfully by taking photo after photo after photo. Everyone good with that? All right. Take us away.

NATALIE: Can Ava please come to the stage.

[applause]

[applause]

Can Isla please come to the stage.

[applause]

[applause]

Can Timothy please come to the stage.

[applause]

[applause]

Can Jenny please come to the stage.

[applause]

[applause]

Can Frankie please come to the stage.

[applause]

[applause]

Can Kabir come back to the stage.

[applause]

[applause]

Can Pippa please come to the stage.

[applause]

[applause]

Can Aditi please come back to the stage.

[applause]

[applause]

Can Purdey please come back to the stage.

[applause]

[applause]

Can Chloe please come back to the stage.

[applause]

[applause]

Can Maya please come back to the stage.

[applause]

[applause]

Can Thomas please come back to the stage.

[applause]

[applause]

TONY DAVEY: OK, guys, back down to the end. So that you're one long line. No, you stay there. You guys are good. Have the back row, come up and stand here. So good.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's your 2022 Years 3 and 4 finalists.

[applause]

Just going to make you stand there till I see the phones go down.

[laughter]

Doo-- doo-- doo-- doo-- doo-- doo-- doo-- doo-- doo. And we're there. Guys, have a break, thanks. Go on.

We've taken up a good amount of time and the adjudicators will be back very, very soon with the big and exciting announcement. Until then, hold on if you can, and we won't be long, and we'll have the big prize award at the end. Thanks for sticking through with us, guys. And while we're here, massive thanks to all the schools who've come along to support as well. It's so much fun to have you back, now that we're a little bit less COVID-y and we can see students again. It makes a huge difference. Round of applause to everyone who came along.

[applause]

All righty, everyone. Please welcome back a representative of the panel, and that is Indigo Crossweller to deliver the adjudication and announce the winner of the 2022 state final.

[applause]

INDIGO CROSSWELLER: Hi, everyone. I'm just going to set myself a time so I don't talk for an hour. So first things first. You made our jobs incredibly difficult. We've all done this before, some of us a lot of these, and this was very, firstly, really exciting to be back in person with a massive audience. Very happy to not be in my bedroom watching you all on Zoom. And also very exciting to see such a high quality of speakers today.

So in terms of how this will work, I'm going to give you guys some feedback generally. And then I'll announce the result. So in terms of feedback, we were super, super impressed by the quality of the manner today. Particularly given guys have been on Zoom for so many years, it's so impressive to see speakers who are able to project their voice, who are able to use hand gestures without being overly dramatic, to be able to vary your voice in very advanced ways. So that was super, super impressive.

In terms of a couple of things to take forward, know that you're already at the top of the state. So there's not that much to work on. But if you wanted two things to work on going forward, the first thing to do would be in terms of impromptus, making sure that you're aware that you're not wasting time because you do only have a minute. So you want to get straight into the kind of real nitty gritty of your speech and make sure that you're jumping straight into those deep ideas rather than messing about trying to get confident.

The second thing to say is that in the prepared speeches, something that we really look for is a really engaging introduction. We want to make sure that we're kind of engaged straight away, that you're saying interesting things. And all of you have so many interesting and intelligent ideas, much more interesting or intelligent than I had at your age. So you should make sure that you're giving those away in the introduction so that we can get straight into it.

So in terms of how the competition went today, you made our jobs very, very difficult, but there was one speaker who we think managed to do all of those things and a lot more. And just generally the quality of both of their speeches was particularly impressive. So the winner of today's competition is Tim Wilson from Collaroy Plateau.

[applause]

All right. Please welcome back Tim. And to present the awards to Tim, we have Jordi Austin back to the stage, and your adjudicator and representative of the multicultural education team, Rachel Hennessy to hand over the trophy. Ladies and gentlemen, the 2022 champion.

[applause]

All of that is his.

[laughing]

JORDI AUSTIN: You ready for this? There you go. Can you hold it? You've got it?

TONY DAVEY: Excellent work.

[applause]

JORDI AUSTIN: We'll get a photo of you just holding that. There you go.

[INAUDIBLE]

Yay!

[laughing]

[applause]

TONY DAVEY: That's it. Ladies and gentlemen, a couple of final thank yous. First of all to the adjudicators. You can imagine they had a super rough job of it. I think they've done an amazing job. I thought Indigo's waste of time puns were excellent, even if you didn't.

I also want to thank, obviously, the people who've handed out our awards today, for coming along and making this special. All of the kids who came along to watch, thank you. And of course, finally, just a massive thanks to the 12 speakers, not just the winner, for a pretty amazing festival of ideas. We're pretty sure we're going to see you in Years 5 and 6, but then also in debating, then also in high school, and then also running our lives.

So we look forward to seeing you guys as you grow older. Thanks for an amazing day. And thanks for everyone who helped make this possible. Finally, chairperson and timekeeper, thanks guys.

[applause]

You got the loudest applause for everyone. This officially closes the 2022 Years 3 and 4 state final. Safe travels, guys. Well done.