Martin Carroll presents award for Manaakitanga to Race Unity Speech finalist

Ansh Dhot, a Year 13 student from Tauranga Girls’ College, was presented with a special award for Manaakitanga at the recent Race Unity Speech Awards national finals held at MIT’s Ngā Kete Wānanga Marae.

Martin Carroll, Deputy Chief Executive Academic at MIT and Unitec, and one of the judges on the finalists’ panel, presented Ansh with the Tohu Manaakitanga - Manukau Institute of Technology Award for demonstrating manaakitanga through ngākau (compassion) and aroha (empathy) in overcoming prejudice and building bonds of kotahitanga (unity).

MIT has been a partner of the Race Unity kaupapa and host of the national finals for the past four years.

During the weekend’s finals, seven secondary students from around the motu issued different challenges around the theme, The Rope of Unity – Te Taura Tangata, outlining how Aotearoa can move towards being a racist-free country.

Jessica Tupa’i, a Year 12 student from Wellington’s St Mary’s College, was named the Race Unity Speech Awards National Champion for 2024 and received the Tohu Raukura ā-Motu – New Zealand Police National Champion’s Award.

In her address, she challenged parliamentarians, government policy-makers and community leaders to “strip our country of unnecessary burdens” such as “racist laws and social policies”.

The Race Unity Speech Awards are organised by the New Zealand Bahá’í Community and were established after the tragic death of race relations advocate and Bahá’í Faith member, Hedi Moani.

They are New Zealand’s only and longest-serving platform dedicated to hearing young people’s ideas on race relations and solutions to racism in Aotearoa.

This year’s national finals were attended by a wide range of dignitaries, including Hon. Melissa Lee, Minister for Ethnic Communities; Pieri Munro, Deputy Chief Executive of NZ Police; Saunoamaali’I Ddr Karanina Sumeo, Acting Chief Commissioner, Human Rights Commission; Dr Claire Achmad, the Chief Children’s Commissioner, along with several MPs.

One of the national co-ordinators of the Race Unity Speech Awards, Bev Watson, says hearing young people speak on such sensitive issues is refreshing and essential.

“In a world that often feels more divided every day, it’s essential that we listen to the voices of our rangatahi as they share their views, ideas and insights about one of the most divisive issues of all – race relations,” said Watson.

“The Race Unity Speech Awards allow our youth to do exactly that, and they are well worth listening to.”