Video transcript
Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition 2022 - Years 5 and 6 state final

[intro music]

ANDREW LASAITIS: Good morning, everybody. Welcome to the NSW Teachers Federation Conference Centre for this morning's 5 and 6 2022 Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking state final, live for the first time in a couple of years. It's lovely to see so many people in an actual live audience.

My name is Andrew Lasaitis. I'm the Arts Programs and Partnerships Coordinator at the Arts Unit for the NSW Department of Education.

Before I start, I'd like to acknowledge all the lands that you've come from, and that we're on Gadigal land, always was, always will be. I'd like to pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging.

I'd like to-- we'll introduce them very soon, but I'd like to thank Ashfield Public School. And welcome, Lily and Jonathan here to be our chairperson and time keeper.

I'd also like to acknowledge a couple of people that are joining us today to help out with the presentations later. Firstly, Nell Lynes, she's the leader of the Multicultural Education Team, and Marianne Powles, she's the leader of the Arts Unit. So thank you for attending.

And also, thank you to the Multicultural Unit for supporting this very, very important public speaking competition. It's been running for a very number of-- a very long time. And without Multicultural Education's support, we wouldn't be here. So thank you, Nell.

I'd also, before we get started, introduce the esteemed adjudicating panel. Firstly, we have Annette Bremer, she's a EALD literacy and numeracy advisor with the multicultural team. Thank you very much, Annette. We also have Justine Clarke, she's the Speaking Competitions Officer, who runs debating in public speaking across NSW. And we also have Justin Lai.

Now Justin Lai has got a bit of a reputation in public speaking. He's not only a state champion-- he's getting a bit embarrassed now. He's also not only the state champion of the Plain English Speaking Award for senior students, he's also the national winner of that said competition, and also, a world runner up in public speaking as well.

So we are in very, very good hands with our adjudication panel.

[applause]

And while we are having round of applause, before we do get started, I would like-- I think it's important to acknowledge the 11 other speakers that we have here today as well. There's been thousands of students that have entered this competition across the state, and that's not to mention all of the school competitions that take place, to choose the individual who represents each school.

And then they've gone through a series of online recorded speeches to get here, and then regional finals that took place across NSW as well to get here to the state final in Years 5 and 6 for this competition. So we're going to hear some wonderful speeches today. And I think they all deserve round of applause, just to get here.

[applause]

So that's enough for me. I'd like to now hand over to the students from Ashfield Public School, Lilian and Jonathan, to look after us for the rest of the morning. Thank you, guys.

[applause]

LILIAN LIU: Thank you, Mr Lasaitis. Ladies and gentlemen, in this 5 and 6 prepared speech section, each students may speak for 4 minutes. There will be a warning bell at 3 minutes, with 2 bells at 4 minutes, to indicate that the speaker's time has expired.

A continuous bell will be rung at 5 minutes. After this session, there will be a 20-minute break followed by the impromptu speeches. Before we begin, just a reminder to make sure all mobile phones are switched off.

The first speaker this morning is Nina Hespe from Ashfield Public School in the inner west of Sydney. The subject of her speech is Representation. Please welcome Nina to the stage.

[applause]

NINA HESPE: Australian politician. Think about this for a second. By now, you probably have a picture in your head. And it's probably a white man. Australia is a multicultural society. One in 4 Australians are born overseas. And nearly 20% of Australians speak a language other than English at home.

Migrants make a huge contribution to the Australian economy and daily life. They have and continue to shape our national identity. Women of colour are severely under-represented in Australian parliament.

A survey conducted by The Guardian in 2016 found that out of the 266 members of the Commonwealth parliament, there was 6 women with a non-English speaking background, less than 3% of the members.

To have the level of representation that matched society, there should have been at least 4 times that. That is a big issue for all of us. If parliament is made up of lots of people, both men and women from different backgrounds and cultures, we receive different views and perspectives. When we have these, it means that everyone is heard in decisions that affect them. This brings people together and helps them belong in a multicultural society.

So why is parliament lacking in diversity? It has always been very easy for me to claim that I want to be a politician when I grow up. My culture has always been represented in government. But when you can't see people in politics who look like you or share your culture, you question your abilities and doubt whether you are capable.

Seeing women in power like foreign Minister Penny Wong or NSW Senator Mehreen Faruqi helps. But believing you can do it is just the first step. Then comes preselection.

Preselection is when parties choose a person to become a candidate for an election. But it's often unfair and the people selecting the candidates can be biassed or hold racist views.

One in 5 people in the seat of Fowler are of Vietnamese ancestry. Tu Le is a local young lawyer and daughter of Vietnamese refugees. When she sought preselection from the Labour Party for Fowler, she was enthusiastically backed by the current MP. But instead of her, they chose Kristina Keneally, an Anglo-Saxon woman from the northern beaches.

It is really hard for women with a non-English speaking background to get preselection with the major party. Even when they get there, they face racism and sexism and bias. Anne Aly is the first Muslim woman to be a member of parliament. She has received hate mail, death threats, and been called racist names too rude to repeat.

But wait, I didn't write this speech to discard your political dreams. In this election, we have seen more women of colour in parliament than ever before. Australia has proved that we want and need a government where everyone is seen and heard.

After winning it for the past 13 elections, Labour lost Fowler to Dai Lee, a local Vietnamese woman who ran against Kristina Keneally. In this election, all over Australia, communities have voted for a more representative parliament.

As a child, you may not be able to vote, but there are a couple of things that you can do to help. For a start, you can encourage yourself and peers to follow their dreams no matter their background.

You can also get involved in a conversation with your parents. If you talk about this issue, not only will you learn, but you might teach your parents something as well. And you can practise voting fairly at class and student council elections.

Remember the importance on judging someone on their ideas rather than their appearance. In the words of the honourable Penny Wong, 'Progress towards greater equality and greater justice is never linear, and it is never easy, and it must always be fought for.' Thank you.

[applause]

LILIAN LIU: The 2nd speaker is Jake Wolfson from Mudgee Public School in western NSW. The subject of Jake's speech is Everyday Racism. Please welcome Jake.

[applause]

JAKE WOLFSON: Hi, I'm Jake. I'm white. And I've never been discriminated against. I've never had people avoid sitting next to me on a bus because I look different from them.

I've never had people comment on how white I am. No one has ever crossed the road to avoid me, following me around in a shop, clenched that bag tightly when I sat next to them, or told me to go back to my own country.

Unfortunately, for many Australians, these subtle racist acts often referred to as everyday or casual racism are a part of daily life. In a study of 8,000 Indigenous Australians, researchers from the Australian National University found that nearly 60% of Indigenous Australians had experienced some form of everyday racism.

Everyday racism is often hard to spot because it's so common that it often goes unnoticed. For example, have you ever asked someone who looks different from yourself where they're really from or comment on how well they speak English?

Even as Australia continues to welcome new migrants to our society, the fact is many people of different ethnic backgrounds are Australians who are born and raised here. Anything that depicts race in a negative way, such as targeting a person's physical appearance, their accent, or their culture is racism.

As we know, Australians like to have a good laugh and make fun of each other. Hey, mate, look what the cat dragged in. Well, that's not racist. We need to be aware that often, racism is used in jokes where people feel like they're being funny. A joke that would need to be intentionally hurtful for it to be racist. But if just one person is offended, it shouldn't be said.

To anyone like me who has never been a target of racism, it might seem like these are small issues that should just be ignored. While they may not seem as hurtful as obvious discrimination, subtle comments and actions build up over time, and can be just as damaging.

Avoiding the seat next to a Sudanese boy on the bus could be hurtful, even if it wasn't intended to be. Imagine how often this might happen to this boy on his ride to and from school each day.

One study found the people who had experienced even small doses of racism were more likely to report that they were unhappy or suffer from anxiety than people who hadn't experienced any discrimination. Until now, I never really thought about everyday racism.

On the news, I've certainly seen people going on racist rants and being obviously racist. I can easily understand how horrible these extreme acts are, but I never really thought that asking someone where they were really from could be considered racist. But now I understand that asking someone where they're actually from implies that they're different and they're not Australian.

So what can we all do to fight this everyday racism? It's quite simple. First, we need to recognise the subtle acts of racism, a look, a comment, or a joke. Second, we need to say something or tell someone about what is happening. And thirdly, we need to let the person being targeted know that what the bully is doing is unacceptable.

Just as we're taught a school, to say no to bullying. Pulling someone up on a racist comment or action not only supports the person being targeted but also shows others that you will not tolerate it.

So join with me to take every opportunity to challenge racism. Never hesitate to sit next to the Sudanese boy on the bus. Never crossed the street to avoid someone who looks different from yourself. And never feel threatened by people who live their lives differently from you.

We need to realise that our country's multiculturalism is one of our greatest assets. And assets are valuable that we must do all we can to protect and defend it.

[applause]

LILIAN LIU: The 3rd speaker this morning is Georgia Pilgrim from Kurrajong Public School near Richmond. The subject of Georgia's speech is Identity, It's Complicated. Please welcome Georgia down to the stage.

[applause]

GEORGIA PILGRIM: When I look into the mirror, I see me, the real me. Sometimes, I cringe my unruly curls. Sometimes, I feel grateful that my skin is clear. But all the time, what looks back at me is a reflection of how I see myself, no labels, no judgments, no stereotypes.

Sadly, this is not always how everyone else will see me. Some will label me for my olive skin. Some will judge me for my gender. Others will make assumptions based on my age. And this is why identity is so complicated because we tend to label others and judge appearances. But appearance and identity don't always align.

My great grandmother had this issue when she was little. The little wog girl, they called her. Teased for looking different as a new Australian, my great-grandmother grew timid, not wanting to go to school, feeling ashamed of her culture. Judged by her looks, her identity got complicated. And she felt shame when she looked into the mirror.

For our Aboriginal people, this is a significant and ongoing issue. Too often, we use the colour of someone's skin to judge and to label. Reality is those who identify with Aboriginal culture, often, don't look like we expect.

I have a friend like this. Kate has blond hair and fair skin. If we were judging her by her looks, we'd probably think she's from Sweden. But Kate is Aboriginal. She connects with her culture and she identifies with her people. And she tries her best to ignore comments like, you don't look Aboriginal.

You see, identity is not about appearance, it's about connection. Kate is not alone. This is a situation most Aboriginal people can relate to.

Mykaela Saunders, a well-known author, has shared her anger about being judged for her looks and denied her identity. With a Lebanese and Aboriginal background, Mykaela says that she constantly receives the comment, we don't look Aboriginal.

This narrow-mindedness Mykaela has experienced enforces stereotypes, encourages racism, and denies her of her history. And she's standing up and fighting for her reflection to be accurate.

Discrimination based on colour and looks is rife in Australian culture, and it is so damaging to an individual's identity. You might think, oh, well, people should just stop judging appearances, but it really isn't as simple as that. Often, our judgement is unconscious. We don't even realise we're doing it. It is so rooted in our culture and our upbringing that it may seem invisible to us.

But how do we solve a problem when we don't even realise we are a part of it? Well, we can all make a conscious effort to broaden our own experiences and seek to learn more. And we can make an effort to get to know new people from different cultural backgrounds.

We can challenge each other, making sure our friends are super aware of our own bias. We can vote for those who promote equality and inclusiveness, and until the leaders we choose today are committed to supporting cultural diversity through funding and education.

And knowing how confronting the mirror can be, we should go home tonight, every night, and examine more than just our looks. We can ask ourselves, am I proud of the way I treated every person I interacted with today? Did I judge anyone based on their appearance? Because ultimately, we are the ones responsible for taking the complications out of identity.

We must start promoting empathy and empowering Australians to embrace their culture and celebrate differences because when we put people into boxes, it's like judging a book by its cover. We only see a fraction of who they are and the beautiful story inside.

So the next time you or I, Kate or Mykaela the next time anyone looks into the mirror, it shouldn't be complicated. The reflection we see should be ours, only ours, not for anyone else to judge, not for anyone else to deny, not for anyone else to complicate.

[applause]

LILIAN LIU: Our 4th speaker is Elliot Wyer from Pretty Beach Public School on the Central Coast. The subject of his speech is Healing. Please welcome Elliot to the stage.

[applause]

ELLIOT WYER: The journey to healing. Like all other journeys starts with a map, for me, this map was produced by the University of Newcastle in 2019. On the map of Australia are lots of yellow dots. Many of them show places that we all know, the Hawkesbury, Hunter Valley, Barrington Tops.

I hovered the mouse over 3 dots in the Hawkesbury. 1794, 7 killed. 1795, 7 killed. And then I look at Liverpool Plains, 200 killed.

This is not an ordinary map. The dots represent massacres of Indigenous people, starting from the British arrival here in 1788. The map shows that thousands and thousands of Indigenous people had been deliberately killed, massacred. The map's title is Colonial Frontier Massacres, Australia, 1788 to 1930.

As an 11-year-old Australian in 2022, I thought I knew our history, an invasion by people with guns and a plan to take over the land that their maps called Terra Nullius, also known as Nobody's Land. But it is more than that. It's a story of deep injustice and pain, of death, and violence, and illness. And as the map shows, a country drenched in grief. A story where so much healing is needed.

But how can healing even begin? Well, healing starts with an apology and acknowledgment that you were wrong. You have to say sorry, and you have to really mean it.

Surprisingly, it was only in 2008, 2 years before I was born, that the Australian government made an apology for the-- to the First Nations people on behalf of the successive parliaments and governments, whose policies and laws inflicted profound grief, suffering, and loss on Indigenous people Australians.

But just saying sorry isn't enough, is it? After all of those terrible things happened, healing takes so much more than just saying sorry. So the next thing off to saying sorry is listening and hearing the problems and working together to try and find solutions that are meaningful and respectful.

The 2017 Urulu Statement from the Heart identified 3 things that I needed for healing to happen properly in Australia. Those 3 things are voice, treaty, and truth.

Voice means a voice for the First Nations people to talk to all Australians. And it's been suggested that this be added to the Constitution. Treaty is an agreement about how we can all live together, respecting and enhancing the freedom of others.

And truth. Truth is about what happened in our past. All of those stories, those real events represented by dots on the map, but meaning so much more, they need to be told and heard. And maybe, this is why previous attempts of reconciliation in Australia have been unsuccessful because the truth has remained partially hidden.

Healing can be a long and difficult road for us, but it's the only good option. So if you, like me, and the thousands of other Australians want Australia to be able to heal from the tragedies of the past and cruelties, then get out there, listening and talking about this stuff, learn about local Aboriginal culture, language, and history, including the sad and horrible bits.

And when you're old enough to vote, make sure you consider healing when deciding who to vote for. Talk to your parents and friends about your hope that one day, First Nations people will feel respected and understood, and that everyone in Australia will live harmoniously. Be brave and make change.

And then we can say that we are a part of that healing process. Even though we are just kids, we can heal Australia.

[bell rings]

[applause]

LILIAN LIU: The 5th speaker today is Elicia Oxenbridge from Narranga Public School in Coffs Harbour. The subject of Elicia's speech is Representation. Please welcome Elicia out to the front.

[applause]

ELICIA OXENBRIDGE: Netball is Australia's most popular women's team sport, and regarded as a first choice sport for girls and women of all ages. But does it represent all the many cultures that call Australia home?

When I go down to my local netball courts on a Saturday afternoon, I don't see the same cultural diversity that I have in my classroom at school or down at the local shopping Centre. Perhaps, the history of netball help us to understand better.

The first game of netball was played in England in 1892, where ladies used broomsticks for posts and white paper bags for baskets. Six years later, the court was divided into thirds, and a smaller ball was used. The first set of rules was made in 1901, and netball officially came into existence in that country.

The Australian Diamonds followed in the 1930s with very little diversity or multiculturalism within the team. The first world tournament took place in 1963, with 11 teams competing. It was a further 23 years for the first Indigenous Diamonds player, Marcia Ella-Duncan, was selected for the Australian team.

Currently, this giant Diamonds netball team has selected 2 culturally diverse players, Donnell Wallam, who is Aboriginal, and Sunday Aryang, who is of Ethiopian heritage. This is much better multiculturalism in netball compared to when the sport started out.

But it's not all smooth sailing or should I say, smooth shooting. The sport still has a long way to go, and have made a few mistakes in their time. For example, Jemma Mi Mi is the only Indigenous player in super netball, but in the Indigenous round of 2020, she had 0 game time, provoking people to question super netball's commitment to diversity.

Marcia Ella-Duncan said there has always been a tremendous amount of goodwill in the Nepal community, but the system fails, and that the Indigenous Australians are not the only culture that is highly underrepresented in the netball high performance pathway.

Only a month ago, the Australian Sports Commission's CEO, Kieren Perkins, said, 'Australians must see themselves in their sporting heroes because it helps to raise national pride, create participation, and increase our talent pool.'

We can all agree that we want these benefits for our communities. When my mum played netball as a teenager, Muslim girls and women were excluded from the game a lot of instances due to clothing requirements. Their culture requires them to have clothing over the arms and legs, and wear hijab. This did not fit with the strict netball rules of wearing short skirts and short sleeve tops. Thankfully, this is no longer the case.

One of the many reasons that there is usually minimal cultural diversity in netball teams could be due to a lack of diverse role models, as mentioned by Kieren Perkins. Another one of the reasons that sports cost money to play, and even though you have the Active Kids voucher, there's still a gap fee to cover uniforms and the rest of registration.

People with less money, including refugees and new migrants, rather spend that money on food and other necessities than getting their child to play sport. So what is Netball Australia doing about this? When you read their core value statement, they say they treat all people with dignity and respect, embrace diversity, want to be sharing, open, inclusive, and cooperative. But what is really important is not just what they say, but the outcomes they deliver.

Netball Australia celebrates multiple local programs and courses run to increase representation of different cultures in netball. For example, Lauren Coelli has run a weekly netball clinic in Albury, creating an inclusive environment for children and families from refugee backgrounds for 4 years.

She has helped refugees and new migrants to feel safe and included, which is vital for people who have just had a mostly traumatic experience. As great as this program is, it is not helping the majority of refugees and new migrants that are living in multiple communities around Australia.

Netball Australia has also joined the Australian Sports Commission's Indigenous sports program to provide opportunities for Indigenous people in the Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia. This program has created opportunities for more culturally diverse people to represent Australia in the future. But many Indigenous people are missing out, including the people in this very state.

I think Netball Australia needs to look at the best program being run across the country, and support local associations to adopt the programs that will work the best for their community. This would help to increase the representation of different cultures in all levels of netball.

Cultural representation starts in children's netball, leading to a more diverse Australian team in the future. We all know that the Diamonds represent Australia for netball, but is Netball Australia doing enough to ensure that Australia's diverse cultures and backgrounds are truly represented?

[bell rings]

[applause]

LILIAN LIU: The 6th speaker this morning is Ishani Thakur from St. Andrews Public School in South Western Sydney. The subject of Ishani's speech is In My Language. Please welcome Ishani to the stage.

[applause]

ISHANI THAKUR: Confused, isolated, alone, that was what I was feeling when I wasn't able to speak or understand my native language. You see, I was born here in Australia, but my home country is in Nepal. The language spoken by both my parents and my grandma is Maithili, a rare language native to parts of Nepal and India.

But to this day, I still can't speak my language properly. When I was in Year 2, I visited Nepal in the holidays to see my relatives. I wasn't able to communicate with them because I didn't know how to speak or fully understand my native language.

Everywhere I went, I felt as though I was being mocked or look down upon because of my inability to fluently speak the language. It felt strange, like I'd lost a part of myself without even realising, my language.

I know that my own experience is definitely similar to what other people of colour face living in Australia. The reason why? Well, in a society where being white and speaking English is a norm, many immigrants and ethnic minorities grow to become ashamed of their culture and feel embarrassed speaking their mother tongue, it's because of this cultural shame that so many people lose a sacred connection to their native language.

An example of this can be seen through the assimilation of the Indigenous community in Australia. It's believed that once over 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait languages but due to the effects of colonisation, many were banned from speaking their native language and forced to speak English instead.

Can you imagine someone telling you to erase your own language from your memory, and then learn a new language that's completely unfamiliar to you? You'll probably refuse. But the Stolen Generations didn't have a choice.

Now more than half of these languages are extinct and forgotten. As Dottie LeBeau said, losing the language means losing the culture. It breaks my heart that the languages of the Indigenous Australians and the past has been erased from this country's memory. Those now lost languages that are part of beautiful rich cultures, gone.

It's vital that people know that languages aren't just simply words, they're what connects us to culture, they're part of a rich history and a part of our identity.

Another issue that is highly relevant in Australia today is language discrimination, being treated unfairly solely because of the language you speak. In particular, language shaming is commonly experienced by minority groups in schools, workplaces, and in public.

This can range from being treated like a language is less valuable than others or being criticised for not speaking English fluently. This can lower self-esteem and eventually cause an individual to reject their own language.

But one thing must be made clear, no matter what country we come from or what language we speak, our differences are what make Australia a proud multicultural nation. If we aren't able to respect and acknowledge all languages and those who speak them, then how can we be the inclusive multicultural society we promote ourselves as?

Language is a part of who we are, and should be celebrated. Because just like how I felt when I couldn't understand or fully speak Maithili, many people around the world feel that same way. [non-english]. And that's how you say thank you in my language.

[applause]

LILIAN LIU: The 7th speaker this morning is Sienna Shipp from Drummoyne Public School in Sydney. The subject of her speech is Welcome to Country. Please put your hands together for Sienna.

[applause]

SHIENNA SHIPP: Let me ask you a question. Have you ever been over to someone's house and they say, welcome to my home? Doesn't it make you feel all warm and fuzzy? And when you're the visitor, perhaps, your parents are always drilling into you, don't forget to say thank you for having me.

We use these phrases every day. But have you ever wondered why? Well, we welcome people to our home to make them feel safe and comfortable. On the other hand, we thank people for having us to show our appreciation for their hospitality.

But it's not just about having good manners for the sake of it. These everyday phrases are a very simple way in which we can acknowledge each other and show respect. And in my opinion, that can teach us valuable lessons about the ways we can and should show respect to the traditional owners of the land.

Hopefully, you were all familiar with a welcome to country. And simplest terms, a welcome to country is like saying, welcome to my home, whereas an acknowledgment of country is like saying, thank you for having me. But let's get our technical term straight.

A welcome to country is a ceremony performed to highlight the cultural significance of a surrounding area to a particular Aboriginal group who are the traditional owners of the land. Importantly, a welcome to country must be given by an Aboriginal person.

On the other hand, an acknowledgment to country is when a non-indigenous person acknowledges and pays respect to the traditional owners of the land. Not so complicated after all, but a very important difference. I mean, it would be a bit weird to go around, welcoming someone to a house that isn't actually yours.

Since the development of welcome to country thousands of years ago, Australia has changed dramatically. You might be wondering why we have a welcome to country in this day and age. Have you ever been to a sporting event like the netball and thought, I'm just here watching Swifts battle it out with the Giants. What's the traditional owners of the land got to do with it?

Well, the answer lies in our past. Sadly, Aboriginals have experienced a long history of poor treatment. They've been excluded from Australian history books, the Australian flag, the Constitution, the Australian anthem, and for many years, Aboriginals were not even allowed to vote.

Aboriginal people had their children taken away from them, and they were pushed off their land, land that they had a deep spiritual connection with.

Today, the welcome to country is all about my version of the 3 R's. Firstly, it's about recognition of Aboriginal people as the first owners of the land. It is also about showing respect for the important connection Aboriginals have to the land and ending the exclusion which they have suffered in the past. Finally, it is also about responsibility because each and every one of us are responsible for showing this recognition and respect in the future.

Unfortunately, some people are strongly against a welcome to country. In fact, 30% of our population are against a welcome to country, which is a statistic we must improve. So kids, lets lead the way. When people look back on the history books of our generation, we want to be remembered as a generation that showed the 3 R's towards our Aboriginal people.

When you're at any public event, I hope that you'll embrace the welcome to country and think about why it is so important. And just like your parents tell you, always remember to say thank you for having me. Thank you.

[applause]

LILIAN LIU: Our 8th speaker is Augustine Davidoff from Jindabyne Central School in the Snowy Mountains. The subject of Augustine's speech is Crossing Borders. Please welcome Augustine down to the stage.

[applause]

AUGUSTINE DAVIDOFF: So afraid, so hungry, so desperate. Years ago, thousands of miles away, there was a little boy younger than me, stowed away on a ship.

With his eyes glued to the porthole, he tried to see where the ship was headed. His parents had fled from the Soviet Union to China with their families, before he was even born. Yet, his on childhood in Harbin was one of extreme hunger and uncertainty as big changes swept through the government.

Once, he had eaten flaky plaster off his bedroom wall, his body seeking calcium. He recalled how foreigners were no longer welcome, how his parents had to organise visas to leave to a new country. He no longer belonged to any country. He was stateless, adrift now at sea.

For 3 days and nights, a storm battered the ship, and seasickness had all the passengers doubled over. But eventually, the storm passed. He saw flying fish sail over the waves, the sun warmed the waters. And somewhere near the Philippines, villagers came out to fish on long canoes.

Hope grew. He reached Sydney Harbour in December 1961, and was greeted by family and friends. That little boy was my grandfather, and that was his story of crossing borders.

There's probably a story like this in your family too. Everyone who's arrived on the island continent now known as Australia has crossed the vast oceans that surround it, from the First Nations people, who arrived over 60,000 years ago, to the convicts on the first fleet, Vietnamese boat people, and those who came by plane for work or to reunite with family.

Some had heart-wrenching reasons to leave, while others simply came to an adventurous spirit. We came from all over the globe. What connects our distinct stories of endurance and our often courageous journeys is faith in a better future.

Perhaps, like my grandfather, there are migrants that left behind hunger and hardship. Others may have crossed the border, never to return to their old home. They left their family and their friends.

Now the crossing of a physical border into Australia can take just hours. And for most, there's no dramatic voyage by sea. Though the crossing of cultural borders can still take years or even generations. Retaining cultural traditions, language, faith, and even how you dress, while at the same time, embracing the traditions of the new home can be a complex and emotional journey.

Once the border to Australia is crossed, the new arrival and the community will have to embark on a voyage of understanding. When he first arrived here, my grandfather didn't speak English on his first day of school. The teacher seated him next to another migrant school kid, who's from Italy, thinking they could speak to each other. They couldn't.

The only way to reach a mutual appreciation of each other's cultural differences is through education, an open mind, and camaraderie. These are the building blocks of our contemporary multicultural society.

The local community had rallied around my grandfather's family when they settled in Cabramatta in Sydney's West. They donated clothes, money to buy pots and pans, and the landlord even helped with a home loan.

Sixty years later, my grandfather is still in touch with his first Australian friends that crossed their playground to speak to him. He says that in Australia, we make the ties that bind us, not by force, but by openness.

My grandfather is a community leader in Melbourne. He built a church there and has helped hundreds of migrants to get on their feet. His story of crossing borders profoundly changed his life and has inspired mine too.

[applause]

LILIAN LIU: The 9TH speaker is Adam Jebara from Berala Public School in South Western Sydney. The subject of Adam's speech is Everyday Racism. Please welcome Adam down to the front.

[applause]

ADAM JEBARA: Martin Luther King had a dream. That dream was that one day, his children would live in a world where they would not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.

If Martin Luther King were alive today, would he say his dream was fulfilled? Well, compared to 1960s America, the situation of racism has improved very much. Public displays of racism have mainly been terminated due to laws making it illegal. But unconscious bias still exists today and can make people behave in a racist way without them realising.

How come we rid the world of everyday racism if they don't realise the problem?

Only a few decades ago, racism was ubiquitous in many parts of the world. For example, before the new laws making racism illegal, Black people weren't allowed to study at the same schools or dine at the same restaurants as white people.

Australia today prides itself on being one of the most multicultural countries in the world, but it used to have the White Australia Policy, which denied non-white immigrants from migrating to Australia, and denied Aboriginals' fundamental human rights. These are only a few examples of how overt racism has mostly been eliminated from the world today.

But what about unconscious bias? How can unconscious bias make us commit acts of racism without a second thought?

Let me tell you a story about 2 young boys. They were friends from kindergarten until the end of high school. One of these boys was an Aboriginal, and the other was a white boy with Scottish grandparents.

A few years after university, these friends decided to catch up and go watch the footy together. So one of them drove to his friend's house in his fancy, expensive Mercedes-AMG to pick his friend up. Cool car, said his friend, who couldn't afford to buy his on car.

As they head to the footy, the owner of the car said, how's your dad? My dad is currently overseas, visiting my sick grandmother in Scotland, the passenger replied. Wait a minute. How many of you thought that owner was the white man?

Be honest. I'm guessing most of you did by the looks on your face. Even though I never once said which one was the owner. But unconsciously, without realising, we assume that the owner was white because that's what we used to see.

Now, in this case, there was no harm done. But imagine now that the Aboriginal man was driving his expensive car on his on. And the police officers' unconscious bias tells them that an Aboriginal shouldn't be able to afford such a car, so he must have stolen it. He might forcefully pull the man over to examine his licence.

That is the potential that unconscious bias has for leading to racist behaviour. But hang on a second. If unconscious bias is unconscious, how can it be reduced? One straightforward way is the representation of all cultures in the media.

Let me give you another example. There's been a lot of media coverage about terrorism by Muslims overseas. As a result, many Australians might have developed an unconscious bias, believing that people of Muslim appearance are more likely to be terrorists.

But if they were also to see a smiling Muslim weather reporter, sporting a long beard, they would see that other Muslims are friendly, and that you should not judge someone by their appearance. In this way, the weather reporter will help reduce your unconscious bias towards Muslims.

Being a Muslim myself, maybe one day, I can be a weather reporter to reduce unconscious bias toward Muslims. But first, I'll need to work on my beard.

[laughter]

As you have seen, unconscious bias can lead to racist behaviour without us realising. Sir Martin Luther King's dream has not yet been achieved. We need to work hard to create opportunities for Aboriginal policemen, Asian comedians, female politicians, Black actors, Muslim weather reporters, and all other types of representation. In this way, we can finally rid the world of everyday racism so that Martin Luther King's dream is no longer a dream but a distinct reality.

[applause]

LILIAN LIU: Our second-last speaker this morning is Emily Vale from Valentine Public School in the south of Newcastle. The subject of her speech is Healing. Please welcome Emily.

[applause]

EMILY VALE: Healing happens when the heaviness of suffering and upset is lessened. It can happen in lots of ways. When I broke my arm in preschool, plaster, surgery, and keeping my arm very still helped it heal. Healing in your heart, in your head, emotional healing can take a lot longer and can go on forever.

When your culture or country is impacted by war, healing is something that can sometimes only happen through time and patience.

On Monday, 25th of April, I had the privilege of laying a wreath on an Anzac Memorial as school captain. On my chest, I proudly wore the medals of my great grandfather, Frank William Looker, a man who I knew as Grandpa Apple.

Grandpa Apple passed away when I was 2. To me, he was a man who always used a walking stick. He liked to eat dinner very early, put lots of sugar in his teeth, like 5 tablespoons, had false teeth, probably because of all the sugar, and underneath his gruff demeanour, had a very kind heart.

However, as I carried the wreath, I thought about how Grandpa Apple had served in the Air Force in Papua New Guinea during World War II as an 18-year-old, a boy who hadn't even lived away from home.

My great grandfather didn't talk about his experiences very much. But seeing people die, watching it actually happen had a lifelong effect on him. It must have.

What is the clash of cultures and ethnicities? What is, in fact, the opposite of multiculturalism? The opposite of cultures and ethnic groups, working and living alongside each other on shared land. Though it is not always that simple.

Sometimes, war arise due to a few people hungry for power. However, the common element that I can see when cultures collide is that the people who have suffered have to heal.

In the Ukraine this year, people have been dying, trying to escape, and to hide in bomb shelters. Cities like Kyiv and Mariupol have been destroyed by Russian forces, and many citizens have died. More than 5.1 million refugees have left, with more than 90% of them being women and children.

To try and help, organisations like UNICEF have set up safe spaces around the Ukraine to help families fleeing their homes. At one safe space, the women and children can access art classes and craft therapy to help distract kids from thinking about the family members and pets they may have had to leave behind.

A little 9-year-old girl, Amalia, who fled the shelling in Kharkiv said, my father was in Kyiv that day. My mother and I woke up to the explosions as they started firing at 5:00 AM. We took the bypass roads we knew to get away in several cars. My granny and many friends live here, but I missed my home and my dog very much.

Amalia is now making dolls in the sewing class. Mothers are reporting that they feel stressed and not able to properly take care of their kids. So the craft classes help them find a little bit of fun in that day. The healing has started.

Healing looks different for everyone. For the people of Ukraine, it will involve rebuilding their lives and learning to live with their experiences. Healing can also happen when people remember the past, and try to make amends for the sacrifice and suffering, or just acknowledge that it happened and how can we prevent it from happening again?

This is also what I was thinking about as I lay the wreath on the flagpole at the Anzac Day service. My great-grandfather actually found healing later on in life when he finally met a person from Japan, Youko. Youko was my mum's 16-year-old billet from Japan, who came to stay with her.

After having dinner together, my Grandpa Apple said to my mum, she's actually really lovely. I wasn't expecting that.

All this time, it seems, Grandpa Apple had been a little bit afraid of the Japanese people as he had to fight them against them in the war. Actually, let's be brutally honest. My great-grandfather was a racist. And he continued to judge the Japanese people by their ancestors' actions, until he met Youko, and his healing began.

Healing is different for every person in every situation. But if you take one point away from today to help another person, it is this. Everyone has one thing in common when they are healing. It can take a lifetime.

[applause]

LILIAN LIU: The final speaker in this section is Sebastian Linton from Wahroonga Public School in the Northern Suburbs. The subject of his speech is Representation. Please welcome Sebastian down to the front.

[applause]

SEBASTIAN LINTON: I'm sure that you've been asked what you want to be when you grow up, or maybe who your role models are, maybe a journalist, the prime minister, or even the star of an action movie. But how often does that person have the same colour skin as you?

Most kids have someone we want to be like. And if they look similar to us, it might inspire us. But what if you weren't always made out to be the hero, but instead, the villain? Would that affect how your friends and the community see you?

Australia is a very multicultural country, with people of diverse backgrounds. I am one of 60,000 people of Iranian descent living in Australia. Many of these people came here to escape war or religious fundamentalism. But events can change how people view your culture.

On the 11th of September 2001, planes hijacked by Islamic terrorists crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, killing 3,000 people. Shortly after, US President George Bush suggested many of the world's dangers came from an axis of evil, a group of 3 countries, including Iran.

Because of these events and the discussions in the Australian media, the lives of my Iranian mother and her family became more difficult. The comments in the streets from strangers, jokes about just eating a ham sandwich to prove you're Australian, and being stopped at airports when non-Muslim friends were let through.

Many believed that Muslims are more dangerous than other people because representation matters. And it's more than just representation in the media. Representation in government is very important as their decisions affect all in our community.

But Australia's federal parliament is nothing like its community. 50% of Australia's population has a non-English speaking background, but only 9% of parliament reflects this. And whilst 3.3% of the population are Indigenous, only 1.5% of people in parliament can claim the same.

So what's the solution? Many people would fix this with quotas. But even if the ethnic and gender mix perfectly represent society, is that enough?

Tyranny of the majority was a topic that John Adams, the second US president, discussed, and it remains a challenge for all democracies. What it means is that the majority, being the majority, ends up making the decisions that affect everyone. The minorities are silenced by this size. And even if we have a perfectly representative parliament, how would this 3% of Indigenous Australians have a voice against the 97% of people who aren't Indigenous?

The majority isn't always right. At different points in history, they believed in slavery or against Aboriginal recognition and women's rights. Decisions made in parliament can be emotional, irrational, and prejudiced. And then the minorities get represented badly in the media, which can encourage desperate acts, which can further be used against them.

So how can we fix representation in both the media and in parliament? Well, they go hand in hand. It can start with diversity in the faces we see in the media, which has already improved dramatically.

'Ms. Marvel,' a new major TV show, stars a Pakistani Muslim girl wanting to become a superhero. That would have been unheard of 20 years ago. Or 'The Investigators,' an ABC program about 4 kids, each of different ethnic backgrounds who aren't just stereotypes.

And it is through a fair, balanced, and representative media, the minority groups in parliament don't seem so unusual, and then they can reach out to the public more easily. The public is what gives the majority its power. And as the public supports suggestions from minority groups, the major political parties will listen.

We all want to be seen for who we are, not just an unfair stereotype. And we want our voices to matter, regardless of where we come from.

So in 20 years, whether I'm the new Iron Man or the local federal member in parliament, I hope that my background is that they make Australia a richer and more diverse country, and that people who look like me can inspire and represent, because representation matters.

[applause]

LILIAN LIU: There will now be a 20-minute break, followed by the impromptu speeches.

JONATHAN XU: Welcome back to the impromptu section of this Multicultural Perspective State Final. In the Years 5 and 6 impromptu speech section, the students have 5 minutes in which to prepare a speech on a general topic provided by the adjudicators.

Each speaker then speaks for 2 minutes, with a warning bell at 1 and 1/2 minutes, and 2 bells at 2 minutes to indicate that the speaker's time has expired. A continuous bell will be rung at 2 and 1/2 minutes.

The topic for the impromptu speech section is Choosing Sides. Please welcome back Nina Hespe.

[applause]

NINA HESPE: Right now, we're facing a huge issue that's dividing our nation, climate change. There are some people who think that it doesn't exist at all, some people who think that it exists but it's definitely not created by humans, and some people who think that humans are creating it and we need to do something now.

People are having to choose sides in this huge national debate. But I think that when it's come to something an issue as huge as climate change, there should be no choosing sides.

In this crucial time when the sea levels are rising and temperature is reaching highs and-- temperature are reaching record highs, we need to focus on educating people and getting people all on the same side.

This could include teachers, teaching about the effects of our behaviour on climate change at school. This means that the next generation will be forward-thinking people who can help us solve this problem. This could include having huge national conversations and campaigns so everybody is aware of this issue, and everybody knows that this is something that humans are creating.

Only when we're all on the same side can we start to see real change such as reducing our waste and using electric cars and solar panels. If people aren't on the same side, then they will think that this is just a waste of time and a bother.

When it comes to climate change, there should be no choosing sides. We need to educate people and so we're all on the same side when it comes to making crucial decisions. Thank you.

[applause]

JONATHAN XU: Please welcome back Jake Wolfson.

[applause]

JAKE WOLFSON: When choosing sides between the good and the bad sides of COVID, we always thought of the negative things that happened. But what about the great innovation that happened during COVID in areas such as business, medical, the environment, and even I became an innovator.

Small businesses went online so they could reach their customers who wanted to buy from them at any time during lockdown. My local pub opened for takeaway, and I could get my favourite steak sandwich any day I wanted. And global companies went on Zoom so that they could choose the sides to decide what to sell with their company.

In the medical field, vaccines were developed in record time. Instead of years, it took only months. Telehealth was created so that doctors could communicate with their patients over Zoom. They wouldn't have to go into the hospital. And this was really beneficial for those who are disabled and didn't want to go-- and couldn't go to the hospital.

In the environment, we stop both sides of air and water pollution because we weren't travelling as much. The Beijing skies cleared up and is thought to save as much as 77,000 lives. And the Venice canals turned blue again, and dolphins swim in it.

I learnt to manage my time quickly. So in the mornings, I got my work done quickly. And the rest of the day, I could do whatever I wanted.

When choosing sides between the good and the bad side of COVID, think of the good side because the good side is what got us through it.

[applause]

JONATHAN XU: Please welcome back Georgia Pilgrim.

[applause]

GEORGIA PILGRIM: After so long, we haven't chosen a side. And now kids are sitting in the corner here, suffering, while we focus on other things that we think are more important. Stressed out, nervous, anxious. This is our kids, and this is their anxiety.

You might think I have kids anxiety. I'm standing right here, and I'm nervous. Well, that's everybody, but I'm talking about nervous, anxious on a daily basis.

And COVID-19 has made this issue so much worse. With home isolations and lockdowns, not being able to talk to real people face to face, and having schools constantly disrupted, it's been hard to choose a side. But we need to help our kids.

Although everyone has been affected by COVID, anxiety, mental health, it's kids like me who've been affected the most, because we've had the most important years of our lives taken away from us. So we're never going to get back. We have to choose a side.

We've developed bad habits, such as not being able to talk to real people face to face, using technology and social media too much, and having big gaps in our learning. We need to choose a side more than ever.

My close family friend, Abby, has been suffering. And she needs her parents to choose a side, work or her. She used to be loud and bubbly. That's all gone. Now she's nervous.

And if we want to start choosing sides and helping kids like Abby, we need to support these individuals, to stop hiding behind our screens. And we need to be nice and caring, make comforting comments to our friends. We-- and as individuals, we need to create boundaries around our technology and social media uses.

We need our schools to run the programs, just for the comfort of walking through the school gate every day. And we need our government to allow free access to professionals, people we feel like we can open up and talk to. Because we all know our kids today are our leaders tomorrow. Unless we want an uncertain, scary future, we have to choose sides.

[applause]

JONATHAN XU: Please welcome back Elliott Wyer.

[applause]

ELLIOT WYER: Alex, come over here. Come over here. Come on. We will decimate the other team if you come on our team. I don't know. It just doesn't seem fair. I mean, they only have 3 people on their team.

Choosing sides. Now this occurs a lot. And it's quite important as it can be for extremely important things. But a lot of the time, when people are choosing sides, they are forced to do it.

Sir, in my speech today, I'm going to be convincing you to never ever pressure people to choose sides. Let me give you some examples about when people oppression, and when we should try our best to defend them.

For example, a couple of weeks ago, I was playing dodgeball with my friends for sport at school. And we have this really, really fast kid in our class called Knight. Now Knight is often asked to go to this team and that team, and sometimes, it can be extremely bad for his and anybody else, that's forced to do these things, mental health.

Now this seems quite far fetched. But when they're being forced to do things and forced to choose sides, it affects their mental health on an extremely high scale.

Another example. War and conflict. War and conflict is horrible as it kills many lives. And now as war should never happen, countries are often forced to choose sides and forced to join a country side. Sometimes, these countries are even threatened with missiles and bombs. So we should never be forced to choose sides.

So next time you're playing dodgeball or making an enormous decision of what side to choose, whatever happens, don't let people force you to choose sides.

[applause]

JONATHAN XU: Please welcome back Elicia Oxenbridge.

[applause]

ELICIA OXENBRIDGE: When you choose a side, is it good or bad? But sometimes, things can be more complicated than that. Choosing sides isn't just about choosing one person to go with. It's about making a decision and trusting that it's the right one.

For example, my friends had a fight at school. And at the time, I was pretty much neutral. But I decided to choose a side and support one of my friends. But in the end, it just made everybody more angry. So instead of them figuring out themselves, it was an added person delving into their personal lives.

Or another example. The community elections. You have to choose a side. And although you can do donkey votes, you're putting your trust and responsibilities into this person that will represent you. What if you make the wrong decision and choose somebody who will not represent you and your community?

And there's even bigger national ones like choosing your next prime minister. That's a big decision. They're going to run the country for a long while. If you make the wrong choice and millions other of others will probably too, you could put everybody's trust and responsibilities in the wrong hands.

So with all the sides that you have to deal with, from friends to national leaders, what side are you going to choose?

[applause]

JONATHAN XU: Please welcome back Ishani Thakur.

[applause]

ISHANI THAKUR: Choosing sides can be difficult. There's a lot-- there's a whole bunch of people who have the same opinion as you, and agree in what you have-- in what you believe. But then again, there's an enormous amount of people who don't.

The issue in society today is that so many people are starting to find it so scary to share their opinion, when they shouldn't be because it's OK to choose a side, even though there's still people who don't believe-- who don't believe what you believe.

But we can't let this happen. We need to teach kids and people that it's OK to believe something because that's the only way we can truly accept each other for who we are.

For example, when I was in-- when I was in class in Year 4, we had a quick debate on whether uniforms should be banned. It was fun at first, until the insults came in. People started shouting at each other. People started insulting each other because what they thought was wrong.

I was shocked because so many people were getting mad at each other, simply because people just believed in one side.

So if we really-- if we really want to learn how to respect other people's opinions, then it needs to be taught in schools, that it's OK to choose sides.

[applause]

JONATHAN XU: Please welcome back Sienna Shipp.

[applause]

SIENNA SHIPP: There's a typical argument at your school, between your friend, who's being a little bit mean, and a stranger, who's actually really innocent and being very nice. Do you choose the side of your friend or what is right?

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, in my opinion, choosing sides might be hard, but it's always important to stand for what is right.

Firstly, if your friend is so mean, why are they your friend? Who wants to be around people who bring a negative attitude? Bullying, also, sometimes, comes from jealousy. Your friends should not be jealous. They should just be grateful for what they have, which is great friends.

Some kids at my school get jealous quite a bit, that like saying, I'm better than you. I'm-- for example, I'm better than you at public speaking. Well, if you are, then why aren't you here, competing against me today?

[laughter]

It's always important to show kindness to everyone and fill their buckets each day. Every negative thing you say is actually like getting a handful and ripping out all people's happiness. It's like a piece of paper. Once you crumple it up, you can never fix it.

Next time, you should ask the kid if they're OK. And maybe think about who you're being friends with. Thank you.

[applause]

JONATHAN XU: Please welcome back Augustine Davidoff.

[applause]

AUGUSTINE DAVIDOFF: In all of our lives, we've had to choose sides. This can be a scary and tedious process, especially when people are egging you on to be on their side of the battle.

Imagine this. Your 2 best friends are having a silly fight in the playground over a pencil case. It's-- they're getting really angry at each other. And then suddenly, one of them asks you to be on their side. They come up with all the reasons why you should be on their side, and that if you don't, they'll be angry with you.

Then suddenly, the other friend asks you to be on their side. You get so confused. You don't know which side to pick because they're both your best friends, and it's a silly argument.

This story is actually from my personal experience. And my personal advice is to just stay out of it. If it's serious, go tell a teacher or a trusted adult about what's going on. Because if you don't, it can get out of hand and become ugly quite fast.

Choosing your sides is like choosing your battles. So choose your sides wisely.

[bell rings]

[applause]

JONATHAN XU: Please welcome back Adam Jebara.

[applause]

ADAM JEBARA: Choosing sides, something that everyone has to do in life. If not once, then twice. If not twice, then many more times.

What comes to mind when I tell you choosing sides? Well, you ask me what comes to my mind? Oh, I'll tell you, all right. But you guys better be listening because I'm not going to repeat myself.

Sir, everyone has to vote at the age of 18, right? It's compulsory. You have to do it, mandatory, obligatory. Which side are you going to choose, Liberal, Labour, Prime Minister Albo or Scomo?

It's a big decision. And sometimes, it's not the easiest one. But the way I make big decisions like this, oh, I just weigh up the pros and cons. What's Labour going to do for me? What's Liberal going to do for me?

Of course, I don't vote. But-- and also, all you kids don't vote. But when I'm 18, I'm going to do exactly what I just explained to you now.

Sir, as I have explained to you, the most important thing about choosing side is not which side you choose, it's what do you back your decision. Did you want Labour? Did you want Liberal? Do you think that you made the right decision? If you did, then no matter which decision you make, you know that I backed myself and I think that I was right.

I certainly think that you go out there and take my advice. And if you don't, well, there will be consequences. Thank you.

[applause]

JONATHAN XU: Please welcome back Emily Vale.

[applause]

EMILY VALE: Choosing sides. Choosing sides have so many consequences. How would you feel if you were standing on the Oval for sport, whether it was soccer, netball, touch football, or volleyball, and you have to choose a side, a team, a people to be with?

One side has majority of your friends that you play with all the time, and you see them every day. But the other side has that one person that is only friends with you, and doesn't have anyone else to be with. How are they going to feel?

You have no idea how they are going to feel if you don't choose them. Choosing sides had so many consequences. For all you know, this person may not have ever been chosen before. They may be that outcast that doesn't have a group, doesn't have friends that support them. They could have been the person that has been heartbroken so many times by so many different people because they just don't understand them.

You don't know how they're going to feel. They may maybe crushed. They could be heartbroken again, and again, and again. They may be so upset that they don't want to come to school anymore. They don't want to play sports all because you didn't choose them.

Choosing sides had so many consequences. If they don't want to come to school, that could affect their education and their learning. If they don't want to make new friends, how are they going to have a life? How are they going to be adult without any friends or people to support them?

Choosing sides has so many consequences, but you can't think about them all, but you know you can choose the right one, because if you do, then that person will feel so good. Choosing consequences-- choosing sides has so many consequences.

[applause]

JONATHAN XU: Please welcome back Sebastian Linton.

[applause]

SEBASTIAN LINTON: Choosing sides can be a good or bad thing, whether you're choosing which side to root for in an AFL game or choosing whether you want your brother or sister to win a board game. But choosing sides can be very stressful, but also very important when choosing the right decisions and voicing your opinions.

Well, you shouldn't feel pressured to choose sides. At my school, with my friends, I don't like to choose sides. I want-- I don't want to choose sides that are right without being pressured. Choosing sides can lead to bullying and negative emotions, which can affect kids' mental health.

In terms of federal government in Australia, we can choose whichever side we want when supporting a party, whether we're supporting it or disagreeing with it. And we can say whatever we want on the internet.

We are-- in Australia, we are a democracy. In fact, recently, at our federal election, many independents were voted in without the support of major parties, who have strong beliefs about climate change and women's rights.

However, sometimes, people don't let you choose sides. For example, what's happening in Russia. Vladimir Putin was elected the prime minister of Russia in 1999. In 2000, he changed the rules and became the president of Russia.

This year, he ran for his 5th term as president. Vladimir Putin did have opponents. However, they were all silenced. The media-- Putin controls the media. And usually, only tells the Russian side of the story.

One opponent that was publicly opposed to Putin was Alexei Navalny. He, like many others in the past, chose sides and had criticised the government. He was mysteriously sent-- he was mysteriously poisoned. And when he returned to Moscow, went into immediate recovery.

So choosing sides isn't always the best thing. However, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't choose the right decision that we feel is good. And we need to state our opinions.

[applause]

JONATHAN XU: Ladies, gentlemen, and students, that concludes the impromptu speeches. The adjudicators will retire to make their decision. I would now like to call Andrew Lasaitis back to the stage to conduct the award ceremony.

[applause]

ANDREW LASAITIS: Please don't rise. Thank you. Another thank you to our chairperson and timekeeper as well. And I think after a fabulous morning of public speaking, I think all of our contestants need a huge round of applause.

[applause]

Now to assist with the presentations, I'd like to call to the stage Nell Lynes from Multicultural Education, she's the leader there, and then also, the leader of the Arts Unit, Marianne Powles.

[applause]

You can speak in English.

JONATHAN XU: Nina Hespe.

[applause]

Jake Wolfson.

[applause]

Georgia Pilgrim.

[applause]

Elliott Wyer.

[applause]

Elicia Oxenbridge.

[applause]

Ishani Thakur.

[applause]

Sienna Shipp.

[applause]

Augustine Davidoff.

[applause]

Adam Jebara.

[applause]

Emily Vale.

[applause]

Sebastian Linton.

[applause]

ANDREW LASAITIS: Great. And now, everyone back on stage. Or wait there. We'll just get everyone back on stage, so then parents, friends, everyone can get phones and photos ready to go. We'll call everyone back on.

I think squashing a bit to get the guys squash in a little bit more.

And one big round of applause again.

[applause]

Now we just speak amongst ourselves while the adjudicators are still deliberating about their decision. So we'll see them back very, very soon.

JONATHAN XU: A representative of the adjudication panel will now announce the winner of the 2022 Years 5 and 6 state final.

[applause]

JUSTIN HAU WAI LAI: Afternoon, everyone. Hope you've all been well. Can I just say what is an absolute pleasure it is to see a packed auditorium for some wonderful public speaking.

Now I don't know if you-- other people other than the speakers here today have done competitions like this. I'm sure you have, because they're very popular. But I think it's important to put the achievements of our 11 speakers in perspective. They've gone through so much. They've done so much public speaking. And they've probably done a lot of public speaking during the COVID era, when everything was online.

So hopefully, I think-- I'd like you all to appreciate that this final, right, irrespective of who wins today, is representative of the lots of effort and hard work that these speakers have put in. So can we get one more massive round of applause for our finalists tonight.

[applause]

I got to say, I've done quite a lot of adjudications. And this competition is always a massive pleasure to adjudicate. Because before I was an adjudicator, I was just a young kid, very much like yourselves, who loved talking in front of people, and had a little bit too much confidence than he needed to earn.

So seeing you guys get up and speak on issues that are really important to you, and particularly, values like diversity and multiculturalism, as a kid who speaks-- as once as a kid and still, I guess, a kid, who speaks Cantonese at home, who lives in Southeast-- Southwestern Sydney, these values are very important. And I'm really pleased to see them in the younger generations. And hoping that you guys, as you've really demonstrated today, bring those values up as the future leaders of our world, as I do hope you are.

Here's how this adjudication is going to be broadly structured. I'm going to start off with what the adjudication panel thought about each of the sections, so the prepared and the impromptu. And then we're going to go and announce the winner at the end because we love keeping you all in suspense.

So starting on the prepared section. We thought that this final was incredibly high quality. Now we say that a lot, and maybe you will take this word with a grain of salt, but we generally feel this is one of the closest and highest quality finals that we've seen in a very, very long time, irrespective of age division, irrespective of year.

In terms of the prepared section, what we thought all speakers did really well was that they explored a topic through their own experiences, 3 personal lens. We thought that this enabled them to really connect with the topic in a way that allowed them to show that to the audience, they cared deeply about it, they had researched about it. And they were thinking about the way that the world worked through their own experiences. This is really intelligent, very emotionally connecting public speaking. This was a particular skill that every one of our finalists showed.

In terms of a constructive point of feedback, we thought that as a panel, that speakers could have maybe approached these kinds of topics with a little bit more of an attempt to divide themselves from the conventional readings of certain ideas. Because everyone in this competition is given a broad list of topics to choose from, and the chances are that you might probably run into in the gauntlet of public speaking that you go through across the year, someone who might do a broadly similar thing to you, a different-- similar speech or might say similar ideas along those lines.

It's really important when you're thinking about ideas for your speech, to try and add that extra edge or to add that extra flavour of originality. How can I make my speech something that I know that the adjudication panel or the people that are sitting next to me have never heard before? How can I add that extra level of perspective that makes this speech really unique and thus stand out from the people around you? I think that was something that the prepared section could have definitely benefited from.

Now moving on to the impromptu section. Now impromptu is a famously difficult. This is one of the hardest. Because I think it's still pretty much the scariest thing-- like most adults think is that one of the scariest things to do. So the fact that you are all here, showing that you can actually crush it. And doing it with a lot of confidence is a massive amount of skill and a massive mental on your behalf.

In terms of what we think as the panel that you could have done as a group a little bit better, I think what we wanted to see a little bit was perhaps, bring in some more real world issues into the impromptu. A lot of speakers talked a lot about their personal experiences.

And whilst that's really important, a really helpful tip to think about is approaching your impromptu speeches in a similar way to your prepared. The only real difference is that you just have less time and less preparation. And so you should be thinking and working around ideas and themes that might pop up in prepared speeches.

For example, you might then need to turn back on things like your own personal examples or things that just end up happening to you, to some extent. So finding that balance in the impromptu section is really important and something that I know that you guys will all take into the future.

Now to the fun part, for some, the winner-- the announcement of the winner, that is. The winner for the 2022 Multicultural Perspectives Award for Years 5 to 6 demonstrated a lot of incredibly well done public speaking skill, as well as a lot of original thinking.

In terms of their prepared, well, we thought that they did really well, was approach a topic with a high degree of nuance and research, as well as choosing a perspective, which we thought that speakers, throughout the competition but also in the final, definitely stood out in a manner of speaking.

We thought that for their-- for the impromptu section, they were able to bring something from the outside world into the speech, but also talk a little bit about how this topic of choosing sides mattered in the context of that decision of that broader theme in the world, and why it was important to choose a side, perhaps, even while choosing a side was an incredibly easy decision one that didn't need to be made at all.

So ultimately, the winner for this year's Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition for Years 5 to 6 is Nina Hespe.

[applause]

ANDREW LASAITIS: Thank you very much for that, Justin. I'll call to the stage Marianne Powles, Nell Lynes, and Justine Clarke, Speaking Competitions Officer.

You go right there.

So as Justine joins us to the stage, Justine will present you, Nina, with your certificates, medallion from Marianne Powles, and the trophy from Nell Lynes.

[applause]

Fantastic. Congratulations to you, Nina. And again, congratulations to all our competitors today.

Special thanks also to principals, teachers, parents, support crew, brothers and sisters, and everybody for attending and supporting public education and public speaking. Thank you for today.

There will be a light lunch for invited guests in the foyer again. Have a lovely afternoon. Thank you.

[applause]