So [INAUDIBLE] and I'm a speaking competition assistant at The Arts Unit of the Department of Education. And I want to welcome you to the 2015 final of the 20th year of the Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition. I want to give you my [INAUDIBLE] people who were the traditional custodians of this land. I'd also like to pay respect to the elders, both past and present of the [? Yura ?] Nation, and extend that respect to other aboriginals present.

As I said, my name's [? Tony Gabey, ?] and I'm pleased to be here at this final. And I want to welcome you all for coming along. And thank you for making such a great crowd, and for [INAUDIBLE] making this what's going to be special day. I promise that I've seen quite a few of these speeches before.

You see before you people from amazing schools who had great success in this and other competitions, a couple of people who've been through the finals their junior years, one person who was in a [INAUDIBLE] tournament for the last three days as well. So an awful lot of talent, which I think should make this a really entertaining day for you.

I want to begin by welcoming a few people today. First of all, Dr. Geoff Lee, MP, [INAUDIBLE] who's here representing the Minister for Multiculturalism, [? that's ?] [INAUDIBLE] the member of the legislative council. I also want to welcome another [INAUDIBLE] who is the holder of the [INAUDIBLE] medal, and the chair, most importantly, of the Multicultural New South Wales Advisory Board. Thanks for them.

And finally, [INAUDIBLE] education. One of the people who helped found this competition, and has kept it running for over these 20 years. She's currently [INAUDIBLE] Assistant Director of Early Learning and Primary Education in New South Wales Department of Education. That's reasonably important, if you're a primary school kid, and you're wondering. It's kind of up there. One or two people above her, pretty close.

So with that, I just want to say, again, a thank you to everybody whose helped get the competition to this point. It's great fun to come along and watch the people that we picked as the 12 best speakers of the year. It's much more fun to think about all those local finalists, and the thousands and thousands of kids who delivered speeches with the help of literally tens of thousands.

And for parents and teachers and [? loyal ?] adjudicators, and principals who've given up their schools. To all of those people, we say a massive thank you for making the multicultural perspectives competition such a success, for not just this year, but we had more than 2,000 people enter, but over last 20 years.

And it's going to be a great pleasure to add the 20th name to the list of winners at the end of this final. So thanks to all those people. They're really what makes today possible. My last job, then, is to introduce you to the adjudicators, and then hand you over to our chairman [INAUDIBLE].

So our first adjudicator today is Mr. Lloyd Cameron. He used to speak in competitions [INAUDIBLE] at the Arts Unit in the New South Wales Department of Education. He's again, one of the people who founded this competition 20 years ago, and has been with it since its beginning, and has adjudicated this final every year for 20 years.

The next adjudicator is [? Bronwyn ?] [INAUDIBLE]. [INAUDIBLE] is one of most experienced adjudicators and coaches, and has coached just about every [INAUDIBLE] debating team that New South Wales has to offer. Although, the most important thing on her resume is she just returned this week from adjudicating a state final of the Premier's Debating Challenge for years 5 and 6. It was a highlight for her. Congratulations, by the way, [INAUDIBLE] who won that final and are your reigning debate state champions.

The last big adjudicator today is Rachel Hennessy. She's the [INAUDIBLE] Program Advisor for [? Equity ?] in the New South Wales Department of Education. So without further ado then, I'm going to hand over to our chair people and time keeper for today. That's [INAUDIBLE] public school. They're an extraordinary public school on the northern beaches. And in that school, we find the people who run most of the debating and public speaking in that area. So it's great to have them with us today.

I'm going to hand you over to Taylor, to open the proceedings. Guys, thank you for coming along, and I hope you have great fun. Cheers.

[APPLAUSE]

Thank you [INAUDIBLE]. Ladies, gentlemen, and students, in the years 5 and 6 prepared speech section, eight students will speak for four minutes. There will be a warning bell at three minutes, with two bells at four minutes to indicate the speaker's time has expired. A continuous bell will be rung at five minutes. After this section, there will be a 20-minute break, followed by the impromptu speeches. Before we begin, just a reminder to make sure that all mobile phones are switched off.

[APPLAUSE]

Cricket is considered as Australia's national sport. Every summer, thousands flock to various grounds to watch the Aussies take on visiting nations. As a cricket-mad family-- thanks, Dad-- we also make this pilgrimage. And yes, I'm ashamed to admit that we are part of that elite group who go all out, wacky hats, weird costumes, flags, banners, and even a giant blow-up finger.

Anyway, on one such occasion, while watching a hotly contested battle between Australia and India, we were approached by a spectator who was puzzled by us. Because you see, we were in green and gold, cheering for Australia. Now, I understand she was just being curious. But it got me thinking.

What is my identity? Do people perceive as an Australian or as an Indian? Or more importantly, how do I define my identity? In today's multicultural society, I'm positive that many Australians face this dilemma every day. Australia is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, with over 300 different ancestries.

Take my family, for example. My mom was born in Fiji, but is of Indian ancestry. And my dad was born in India, but is of British ancestry. And now they're both Australian citizens.

It's safe to say the concept of identity has definitely changed. It is no longer singular, or exclusive. The notion of a person's identity being this, that, or the other no longer exists in our multicultural world.

We need to respect that identity is both dynamic and multi-faceted. It's not limited to just one thing. The spectator's behavior at the cricket much towards us highlights the narrow-minded view some people harbor.

It doesn't make my family any less Australian just because of how we look. We live, learn and work here. We certainly feel like members of the Australian community, so why shouldn't we support Australia?

It is wrong to assume that people of migrant backgrounds always support their countries of origin. On the other hand, it's also wrong to assume that just because someone wants to support their country or origin, that it makes them any less Australian. Thousands of Australians live overseas for various reasons. Doesn't mean they can't support Australia anymore.

Going back to cricket, the World Cup held earlier this year in Australia provided us with a great opportunity to see examples of multi-faceted identity at work. There were families with parents dressed in support of their countries of origin while their kids were decked out in Aussie colors. Somebody even customized outfits where one half represented their country of origin, and the other half represented Australia. It's a great feature of this country to be able choose to have your own identity.

We live in a world without boundaries, so we have to adopt a new way to view identity. Avoid generalizations, stereotypes, and labels. View people as individuals. Unlike our confused spectator, don't assume. Ask who they support. Start a conversation. It'll help to educate everyone, and make us feel comfortable in our own skins.

Today, I'm making a declaration. I'm not just an Australian, nor am I just an Indian. Both are equally important in making me who I am. Instead, I choose to be identified simply as Karina White. My identity is shaped not only by my heritage or my nationality, but by many different factors. My identity is unique, and so are all of yours.

[APPLAUSE]

When British non-identical twins Maria and Lucy Aylmer appeared on the TV morning show Sunrise recently, the host, Samatha Armytage welcomed them with an introduction that caused controversy all around the country. It went something like this. And I quote, "the Aylmer twins come from a mixed-race family in the UK. Maria has taken after her half-Jamaican mum with dark skin, brown eyes, and curly black hair. But Lucy got her dad's fair skin-- good on her-- along with straight red hair and blue eyes."

Samantha's "good on her" comment about Lucy's pale skin was meant to be sarcastic, commenting that having pale skin was a lot to handle, as Samantha herself knew what it was like. But it was mistook as a racist comment. It was implied that Lucy was better off or luckier because she had white skin.

The lesson to be learned is that although Samantha didn't mean anything, words can hurt. The funny thing is, is that the twins weren't bothered at all by the comment, understanding that it was not meant to be racist or hurtful, and that it was completely innocent. However, people all around Australia were offended and enraged on behalf of the twins. There was even an online petition created that demanded that she apologize.

Luckily, the twins rushed to her aid in time, and made it clear that no apology was necessary. The saying might be sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me, but the truth is words do hurt, whether you mean to be racist, or whether your statement is misinterpreted as a racist comment.

No, the reaction caused by Samantha's words just proves how sensitive and alert people are in Australia today about racist language. However, 40 or so years ago, it wasn't always like this. 40 or so years ago, a racist comment like this wouldn't have caused such an uproar. In fact, it might not have even been noticed. This shows how much our society has changed and evolved in its response to racism over the years.

Words have hurt through history. From when the British first settled here, words have been used to put people down. From when the aboriginal Australians were called savages, and the Chinese immigrants in the 1850s gold rush were described as yellow peril, through to after World War II, when Italian and Greek immigrants were described as wogs and refus. These words were once small but significant part of the racism that oppressed these people on a daily basis.

The use of hurtful words over the years shaped the way that people thought about each other. But gradually, attitudes changed, and these words became unacceptable. Part of this change of attitude was when in 1975, the Racial Discrimination Act was established, which now makes it illegal under Section 18C to offend or insult on the basis of race.

Through this journey, Australia has made great progress in becoming a multicultural and accepting country. But this doesn't mean that we still don't have a long, long, long, way to go. Racism still hurts, and causes a ricochet effect in today's society, a society where racist words can blow up into a media storm.

All we have to do is look at the recent controversy surrounding indigenous AFL star and previous Australian of the Year, Adam Goodes that started with a young girl calling him an ape, and leading to racism on and off the AFL field. These words, what some people believe to be harmless, and others believe to be a perfect example of how words can hurt more than sticks and stones.

We see it in history. We see it today. But hopefully, we won't see it in the future. Because sometimes, silence can be golden, and words can either hurt or heal. It's your choice. So let me end this speech now with one piece of important advice.

Think about how yours words could influence someone. You have the power to make someone joyful or miserable, happy or sad. Because you can change your world by changing your words. And as Rudyard Kipling said, words are the most powerful drug used by mankind. So please, use them wisely.

[APPLAUSE]

What is Team Australia? In a multicultural society, the term Team Australia can be thought of both positively or negatively. It was used in political debate last year, and it caused a lot of trouble. It could be seen as including all or restricting all.

With use of the word team, I'm going to explain to you how I see Team Australia myself. The T in team stands for tolerance. If you don't agree with someone there is no need to fight or argue. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and we have to respect that as long as this isn't hurting or controlling others. Bono from U2 wisely said "to be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater."

The E in team stands for equality and equal rights. If everyone is treated equally, and they all have the same rights, then no one can possibly feel like a second-class citizen. Everyone has the same right to chase opportunity, and change any problems.

The A in team stands for acceptance. We all accept each other, regardless of race, religion, culture. I mean, who really cares, as long as these differences aren't hurting or controlling others? Don't fear what you don't know. Try to embrace it.

The M in team stands for morals. If we all learned good morals, and we use those morals daily, then everyone will be a lot kinder to each other, and the world be a lot more harmonious.

There are many different religions, but most religions are very similar in that their main aim is to teach good morals to the community. Some groups wrongly use religion as an excuse to fight their cause. It is not right to reject a religion because of this. There are extremists in all communities, and their illegal behavior is dealt with by the law. The vast majority of religions are peaceful and welcoming.

A team is a group that works well together by supporting each other. This is good. But the word team is often used in sport and competition.

When there's competition selection is involved rather than inclusion, this is not good. It also suggests that there are other teams out there that are different. But if you think of Team Australia my way, it can be all-inclusive. And Team Australia is one big multicultural team, including all Australians rather than Australia being made up of many teams that don't work together.

It's great to have a positive team, but being part of Team Australia should not mean you agree with everything. I mean, it's important to have critics and people who question what's happening in the team. This helps keep everyone on their toes, and makes sure that the team is always improving.

Like in my soccer team, I would want someone to tell if I was running the wrong way. And in my basketball team, I would want someone to tell me if my pants were falling down. Tolerance, equality, acceptance, and morals, together make a very successful Team Australia. It also makes Team Australia proudly multicultural, and that's a Team Australia I would want to be a part of.

[APPLAUSE]

Growing up together, yet we couldn't be more different. Just imagine growing up next to someone and then being told go back to where you came from. Although you have grown up together, your parents have still taught you different morals. And although we are all humans with the same rights, we still discriminate based on appearance and belief.

"This Sunday, every Aussie in the shire get down to North Cronulla to help support Leb and wog bashing day. Bring your mates down, and let's show them this is our beach, and they're never welcome back." This was the exact message, word for word that was sent to hundreds of Australians on the shire in 2005.

Some went for a fight. Some wanted revenge. And others just wanted to show Aussie pride. If you got there around 10:00 in the morning, the scene was good. It didn't look like a fight, more like a day to celebrate, like Australia Day. There was alcohol and a barbecue.

But as more people arrived, this scene quickly faded. Soon, a man of Middle Eastern appearance was spotted. People started shouting at him, just because of his appearance. He quickly took refuge in a local pub, but was literally dragged out and physically assaulted until the police could get him away from the angry crowds.

"All Leb/wog brothers. Sunday, midday. Must be at Punchbowl Park. These Aussies want more. Bring your weapons, and let's show them how we do it." This was the message sent round in retaliation to the many attacks that had already taken place this day.

More than 100 people gathered at Punchbowl Park, because the community knew if there was ever trouble, this was the place to meet. Together they formed a convoy of over 40 cars, all full. People were stabbed and beaten. Mothers, daughters, and sisters were too afraid to leave their own homes in fear of being attacked.

Many people may think that this story does not relate to them in any way, because they weren't there, or they didn't know anyone that was there. But in reality, this story relates to everyone, whether it's through racism, bullying, or injustice. If you still can't think of how this relates to you, I'll tell you how it related to me, and then maybe you find out.

When I was in K to 3, I never really felt a sense of belonging in my school, because all the other kids had known each other before they came to the school. So I was the odd one out. I never really thought I fit in until year 3, where I became more open to the other kids, and learned more about them. And through that, I became more happy at my school.

For some, four years may not seem like a long time. But for someone who has only lived 12, this is a long time for not having a sense of belonging. My point being everyone needs a sense of belonging to feel truly happy. And even though there's no real reason for the violence and hate that happened at Cronulla riots,

I think that when you deny people a sense of belonging, they become unhappy, which could lead to anger, which can ultimately lead to violence. At the Cronulla riots, people thought they had the right to deny others a sense of belonging, because by doing this, they would be "Australian." But I could never be proud to be Australian if it meant denying others a sense of belonging, because I know how much that hurts.

In the end, islanders, Lebanese, and people Middle Eastern appearance still go to Cronulla Beach. Because it's not that hard to respect other people's morals, as we are starting to learn. Nelson Mandela once said, "no one is born hating another because of their skin or background. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can learn to love. For love comes more naturally." As young Australians, we must not participate in the racism and hatred that happens around us, and instead listen to the moral that is taught to every child by their parent or guardian, be kind. Thank you.

[APPLAUSE]

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. You're fat, dumb, hopeless. Go back to where you came from.

They're the voices you hear. They're the words that you go to bed with at night. They're the words that taunt you, and spin around in your head like a merry-go-round that you can't get off, no matter how hard you try.

Do you still think words can't hurt? If so, think again. OK, so to me, words are like weapons. They have power. They have the ability to do good. And sadly, they have the power to decimate lives.

In an iconic Australian song written by Bruce Woodley of The Seekers, I Am Australian, the chorus is "we are one, but we are many. And from all the lands on earth we come. We share our dream, and sing with one voice, I am, you are, we are Australian."

But after these people hoping to take refuge in our wonderful country have come from all the lands on earth, we aren't letting them sing as part of our nation's one voice. We're excluding them, making them outcasts. How would you feel if this happened to you?

Did you know that Australia is regarded as one of the top 10 most racist countries in the world? But not everyone in Australia is racist. In fact, a colossal amount of us aren't. But that million or so who are are giving us a bad reputation.

Now for some extremely frightening statistics. Every day, one of five school students in Australia experience racism. School is the predominant location for racism to occur among children, with the majority of perpetrators being other students. The most common form is students telling other students they don't belong, manifesting through teasing, name calling, exclusion, or even being spat on.

And some people think words can't hurt. Imagine being as young as five or six, and being teased or bullied at school because of where you come from, the color of your skin, or your religion. Also, three in four indigenous Australians regularly experience racism. Sadly, these shocking statistics are going to get a whole lot worse if we do not do something about now.

In the adult world, there are laws about words and language. These laws protect the rights of people who may be a different skin color or religion against false accusations, and something called slander. This is serious business. Out there with the grownups, you can't just aim lies and shoot untrue, probably life-damaging assertions at anyone you please. It's against the law.

Just down the corridor from slanderous accusations there lies perhaps an even worse misuse of words, racial vilification. In this scenario, according to the Australian Human Rights Commission, if a person through their language decides to insult, humiliate, offend, or intimidate another person or group in public on the basis of their race, it is illegal and can incur hefty fines, or even imprisonment. The law of the land therefore agrees with me that words can hurt you, and they do.

Trust me, they do. Words can hurt, and they do. If you're being told often enough you are dumb, ugly, or don't belong, you sadly start believing it. The venom in them the spite, the cruelty you have when you say them. Try saying them with a smile. It just doesn't feel right. You're fat, dumb, hopeless, and majorly worthless. I don't think so.

But on the contrary, words can also make someone's day. Hey, your [INAUDIBLE] looks amazing on you, or you have a beautiful smile, or even welcome to Australia. Words can make or break someone. Use them correctly, and you could have made a lifelong friend. Misuse them, and it could lead to terrible things.

Just think about what you said, please. Is it T for true? Is it H for helpful? Is it I for inspiring? Is it N for necessary, and K for kind? Just think. Because one little word, just one minuscule word can change or even end a life.

So here's what I think. Words can hurt, but words can also help. By welcoming new Australians to our country with kind words and generous actions, we are making Australia a better place. Words can be the venom, but they can also be the antidote. Which way will you use your words?

[APPLAUSE]

Riots, fights, chaos, this is what will become of Australia in a world without respect. But how does a society gain respect for each other? As I see it, our society is taught respect from the great leaders around us who inspire our respect. But is this really necessary? Are we born with respect, or does it need to be taught?

In 1976, during the Vietnam war, many people in Vietnam were forced to flee to Australia to survive. Malcolm Fraser, Australia's then-Prime Minister, helped many of the Vietnamese refugees start a new life in Australia. Many people and politicians disagreed with his policies, but Fraser kept trying, and ensured that the Vietnamese people would survive. Malcolm Fraser is still remembered today for the respect he showed throughout his life to the Vietnamese people.

Representatives from the Vietnamese community in Australia showed up at his funeral waving banners that said farewell to a true champion of humanity as a mark of respect for what he had done for them. In this case, Malcolm Fraser, Australia's prime minister at the time, took charge, and stood up for the refugee's right for respect. He demonstrated that when great leaders respect something or someone, other people tend to fall into line.

Aboriginal Australians are an example of those in our society who have been shown great disrespect in the past. In the last 200 years, aborigines have been treated extremely badly. However, in 1972, when Gough Whitlam was elected as prime minister, things started to look up for the aboriginals. They were given back land and rights. Gough Whitlam famously poured dirt into the hands of Vincent Lingiari, chief of the Gurnundji people to show him that he respected his culture.

The aboriginals were inspired by Whitlam, and were encouraged by him to play a major role in society today. But the aboriginals may not have been able to do this as easily, and it was only through Gough Whitlam's inspiration to the people of Australia that brought them on board to respect and support the aboriginals into the place they hold in society today.

But the aboriginals may not have been able to do this as easily, and it was only through Gough Whitlam's inspiration that people of Australia--

But that was all 40 years ago. You'd think things would have gotten even better by now. But sometimes, some Australians still don't show respect for the aboriginals. There's been a lot of controversy recently regarding indigenous football star Adam Goodes.

The crowd's been booing him ever since he did the special spear-throwing dance after scoring a goal in a match against Collingwood. Goodes' fans were disgusted at the way the crowd was relentlessly booing him in every match. All the racist jibes were starting to wear Goodes down, so he had to take some time off. It is astonishing that the booers showed no respect for Goodes or his culture.

So why didn't these show respect for Adam Goodes? Perhaps they themselves had never had an influential leader in their lives show them how to treat others with respect. Albert Einstein once said "I speak to everyone in the same way, whether they're a garbageman or the president of a university." He understood the value of respect. He understood that it would be vital in holding together our society today.

Many have translated that virtue, Gough Whitlam, Malcom Fraser. But again, are we born with respect, or does it need to be taught? The answer is it does need to be taught, and who better to teach it than the leaders that govern our society? We've seen the consequences when there is a lack of strong leadership. Because that's what we need, strong leaders to bring all Australians together, and get them to utilize the power of respect, and to demonstrate what that power can do.

[APPLAUSE]

They'll take our jobs. They could be terrorists. What's all this fuss about? On the news each night, it breaks my heart to see thousands of refugees fleeing Syria and walking for days through Europe in search of asylum. They have a common goal, survival and a better life.

Imagine weeks of walking down dusty roads, your belongings, all gone. Your family, exhausted. And you are forced at gunpoint off the last train to freedom. Some refugees come by boat, and others walk for days, their lives in tatters. Where to now?

I wondered do I know anyone that had suffered in such a way? It turns out I do. My friend's mum, Muy Lai, was a refugee. I've know her for a few years now, but never knew her story until she told me.

Muy was born in Cambodia, 1974. And at that time, there was an extremely ruthless government called the Khmer Rouge. All the people had to work long hours in labor camps, even the children, and were starving and dying.

When Muy was five, she escaped with her family across the border to a refugee camp in Thailand. She stayed there for three years, and life was very hard. Finally, some luck came Muy's family's way. Her father met an old friend that agreed to sponsor them to come to Australia.

Muy was excited to go to school. She studied hard, and became a successful teacher. She's made many positive contributions to the education of Australian children. She has also taught refugee students how to read. How ironic.

Muy's story is just one of the many stories of the courage and determination of refugees. Surely, such willpower should only have a positive effect on our multicultural society, right? Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General said "I urge you to celebrate the extraordinary courage and contributions of refugees past and present."

Working in Blacktown as a community leader and lawyer is Deng Adut. When Deng was only six, he was kidnapped from his family in Sudan and forced to be a child soldier. When Deng was 12, he was shot in the back. How horrific. He escaped to Kenya, and in 1998, with the help of the United Nations and an Australian family, came to start a new life here in Sydney.

This remarkable man even taught himself to read at 15. He was so determined to go to university that he slept in his car so that his dreams would become reality. And they did. Deng is now a successful lawyer. What an extraordinary achievement.

I think of Muy and Deng, and what they've done for our multicultural society, and I start thinking, what can I do? As part of the [? SIC, ?] I've asked if we could have a monthly day to raise money and awareness for refugees. Or maybe I could sponsor a refugee child, especially with so many families displaced in our world at the moment. I have admiration for the courageous refugees and I'm thankful that my friend's mum made it to Australia.

It's strange to think that my friend may have never been born if Muy was not accepted by Australia as a refugee. Now when we hear about achievements like these, it's hard to understand people's comments like they'll take our jobs, or they could be terrorists. All people, no matter where they're from should have the opportunity to contribute and belong. They are people just like us, and they deserve a chance.

[APPLAUSE]

January 26, 2014, I stand on the harbor foreshore with my family, waving an Australian flag as we watch the tall ships sail past. I've gone hard-core Aussie-- thongs, boardies, singlet, [? someone ?] [INAUDIBLE] [? cap, ?] you could run me up a flagpole. Everywhere, people are smiling.

Australia Day is a day we stop as a nation to celebrate what it means to be Australian. It's about our freedom that our ancestors fought to preserve. It's about mateship, and giving everyone a fair go. From humble beginnings, we built a country to be proud of.

January 26, 1790. The aboriginal warrior Pemulwuy is peering out from his hiding spot as a dozen soldiers seek him out for punishment or death. Pemulwuy is not afraid of the invaders. He's just angry, angry they claimed his land, angry with the cruelty and the imported disease that have killed his people.

For many indigenous Australians, January 26 will always be Invasion Day. It is a day that ignores tens of thousands of years of aboriginal history, a day that people lost their lands, their languages, and many, many lives. It is believed that during that period of colonisation to 1900, the aboriginal population was reduced by 90%.

January 26, 1938. Sydney is at a standstill as it celebrates 150 years of white settlement in what is the first large scale Australia Day celebration. However, also in Sydney that day, one thousand aboriginals marched through the streets to mark a day of mourning, and to demand that aboriginals be granted full citizenship rights and equality.

At that time, aboriginals were still very much second-class citizens. They weren't included in the census. Most couldn't vote. Blacks and whites were often kept separated. And aboriginal children were still being removed from their families. From that day of mourning, January 26, became not just an annual celebration, but also an ritual protest that continues to this day.

January 26, 2009. Mick Dodson is a proud aboriginal Australian who has just been honored as Australian of the Year when he urges the government to consider a new, more appropriate date for Australia Day. Amongst the great men and women who on January 26th have been named Australian of the Year, there have been eight aboriginals, including Cathy Freeman, Mandawuy Yunupingu, Adam Goodes and Mick Dodson. Some would argue that proves we've moved beyond the racism of our past.

After all, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd did formally apologize to the aboriginal community less than a year prior to Mick Dodson accepting his award. Some would say why can't we all just celebrate Australia Day as a united nation? Unfortunately, while most countries celebrate the day they gained independence from colonial rule, we still honor the day that it started. We remain a Commonwealth country without our own head of state, without our independence.

As a republic, modern Australia could rethink it's annual day of celebration, and our of our national symbols with sensitivity and in consultation with aboriginal Australia, and indeed, multicultural Australia. The answer is not to change a date. The answer is to change Australia. Opposition leader Bill Shorten said on Australia Day this year "true patriots know that until a nation includes everyone in its history, it it's society, in it's economy, then there is always more to do."

January 22nd, 2022. I stand on the harbor foreshore with my family, waving the new Australian flag, as the entire country celebrates it's first day as a republic. Next to me, a young aboriginal boy is also enthusiastically waving the very same flag. Together, we celebrate the very first true Australia Day.

[APPLAUSE]

Everyone should be respected, no matter what color their skin is, no matter what their religion is, no matter which country they were born in. Everyone deserves respect. In our multicultural society can you imagine being disrespected by other nationalities just because you are Australian? Can you imagine having other people think you're worthless just because you wear thongs and eat Vegemite? How would it make you feel if other cultures thought your culture was meaningless?

I know how I would feel. I would feel hurt and angry. If people are disrespected, their self-esteem can suffer. They can feel that they and their culture are inferior to others. If people are disrespected based on their culture or religion, the consequences can be devastating.

Take the Cronulla riots. These riots began after a long period of racial tension between Cronulla locals and people of Middle Eastern descent. On the morning of December 11, 2005, around 5,000 people gathered at Cronulla Beach to protest against Middle Eastern people in the local area. Under the influence of alcohol, the Australian locals became violent, and had started assaulting anyone of Middle Eastern appearance.

During these riots, disrespectful slogans, such as "we grew here, you flew here" were chanted. Slogans such as this one are extremely hurtful to people's self-respect, and can damage their sense of belonging. The fact is, these riots started because two groups of people couldn't and didn't respect each other's ethnic differences. The result of this racial disrespect was violence. It solved nothing, and divided the community.

10 years later, multicultural disrespect is still occurring, as shown by the recent Reclaim Australia marches. These demonstrations were aimed at people with Middle Eastern culture by group of white Australians who think Australia should not be tolerant of Muslims and their beliefs. It is shameful Australia still hasn't learnt how to be a multicultural inclusive society.

Disrespect also occurs on a smaller scale. Recently, I heard a kid saying to his friends, let's go shoot some Muslims. I could not keep silent about something so important.

I told him he was being a racist, and that not all Muslims are terrorists. His response was to state that not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslim. This attitude reflects his racial intolerance, and shows that racial disrespect can occur most anywhere.

I was horrified by the fact that a kid my age had such a derogatory attitude towards another culture. I was thankful no Muslim kids were present to hear such hurtful words. To respect other cultures, we don't have to understand their beliefs. We have to not judge them on their beliefs. We have to acknowledge that other people's cultures are just as important to them as ours are to us.

But how can we achieve multicultural respect? We don't have to start any campaigns or protests about respecting others. We just have to start treating everyone equally, with consideration, compassion, and kindness. We only have to ensure that our own thoughts and actions are respectful. For if we all make sure what we think and do is kind, everyone will be respected.

Next time you see someone being disrespectful, what will you do? Will you look the other way and say nothing? Or will you stand up for what is right, and tell them cultural disrespect is wrong? When you see someone who is different from you, don't be scared, smile. Because they may be from a different race or culture than you, but we're all human, we'll all equal, and we all deserve respect.

[APPLAUSE]

I am a public speaker, a debater, a green belt in karate, a storyteller, a friend, a daughter, a sister. I am me. am a Australian. My older brother and I were born in Australia, but both our parents were born in Afghanistan. The first time that I visited Afghanistan was 10 years ago, so I don't remember much. But the second time that I visited was last year.

Up until last year, I saw myself as completely Australian, since I had vague knowledge about my parents origin. But when did visit, I saw a change in myself. For once, I actually had to use Pashto, our native language. And I started to understand a bit of Farsi, our other national language. My taste grew for Afghan food, culture, and history. I got to meet my giant family.

My self-identity that I diverted to my Afghan background grew to be a part of me, a part of my identity. When I came back to Australia earlier this year, I was well on my way to discovering my true identity. And I felt more Aussie than ever.

But When people started talking about how migrants have to be on our team, on our side, I was confused. Assimilation, integration, what did these terms really mean? For those who proudly represent two cultural identities, must they give up their unique identities just to be accepted?

Why assimilate when we can benefit from our differences, and help make Australia a better place? According to the author John Ralston Saul, alienation at its most essential level is not poverty or unemployment. It is the inability to imagine your society, and therefore to imagine yourself in it. I believe that we have an issue with this in Australian society. We are not standing on middle ground when we should be.

In 1937, aboriginal people of mixed descent were assimilated into white society whether they wanted to be or not. AO Neville, chief protector of aboriginals in Western Australia, said at the time, "in 50 years, we should forget that there were any aborigines in this country." Some officials have been using this same terms, assimilation, regarding immigrants in recent times.

Do we really want to repeat history? Haven't we learned our lesson? By emphasizing assimilation, we are alienating a large part of our society that does not want to give up their other cultural identity.

Studies done in the past 10 years have shown that many minority groups in Australia are subjected to heightened acts of prejudice, vilification, and violence, which leaves them feeling isolated and fearful. This is not how we want Australia to be known as. We need to redefine the meaning of a true Australian identity.

A true blue Aussie identity doesn't just have to be the one who loves Vegemite, the one who puts sausages on the barbie, or the one with the pet koala. But that would be pretty cool. But that doesn't mean that we had to completely deny that part of us. What about going to the temple every weekend, wearing kimonos, eating delicious Middle Eastern sweets? Let's redefine Australia together.

But as we all know, saying something is different to doing something. But that's why I believe that everyone in this room can help change Australia's view on people's identities. It can start with little things, like learning a bit about another culture, making friends with a range of people from all over the world, and accepting the new, and letting the new help us help Australia. I believe that every person, every Australian, regardless of skin color, language or accent, religion or culture, can help our society, and so it can you. Thank you.

[APPLAUSE]

Our recently deposed Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, formerly said, once people come to Australia, they join the team.

My Team Australia is all the many different people that come together to work on a project that makes Australia great. My Team Australia reflects our multicultural heritage, and balances the rights and obligations of all who live here. It reflects our Australian multicultural policy, where a diverse group of Australians can work on any common goal to make Australia great, whether they're working together on a building project, playing sport, or volunteering for a school, they can benefit in economic and social ways.

All teams need a common goal that they can work towards. For example, a football club is working to win the premiereship. Or a work crew are trying to finish their building project before a certain deadline. Or a local hospital are trying to fund raise money for a new ultrasound machine.

Teams are motivated by trying to achieve their goal. In order to achieve their goal, they have to work really well together. As an early AFL team once said, a champion team will always be a team of champions.

My Team Australia is a champion team. They work together to achieve a common goal. Effective teams experience respect, good relationships, and successes and failures. Working on a team with a range of people provides the opportunity to develop respect. You might respect those that contribute the most, try really hard, or just have a special talent.

For example, you respect a teammate who shows up early to set up at every training session and soccer match. Or a work colleague who's researched all weekend in order to present your work team a proposal. Or a [? PNC ?] volunteer, who has special skills and knowledge as to [INAUDIBLE] in on a school [INAUDIBLE]. You respect people who try, [? and ?] [? are ?] reliable. You respect your teammates for their effort, commitment, and contribution to the team.

Teams need relationships. It is important to build relationships within your teammates, so you can trust and encourage each other. Relationships go beyond the superficial features of people. When you really know someone, you have more of a chance of understanding them, their point of view, how they see things in the world.

For instance, when you're at cricket training four times a week, you really get to know your mates. Your mates become people that you can trust and that can trust you. You share jokes, you share food, you help set up and pack up. You get to know the people for who they really are, beyond their differences. When you really know someone, you tend to think of them in terms of their contribution, their friendship, the skills they bring to the team, rather than what they look like, dress like, or which religion they follow. You offer encouragement and support to help them achieve their goal.

Every team has success and failure. It's not always about getting the highest price in business. Not all football clubs can win the premiership. Projects can run over deadlines. Teams win, teams lose.

Great teams learn from their losses. They ask questions, what do we need to do better? Do we have the right skills? Do we need to work harder? Where do we need to improve in order to achieve our goal?

Teams draw from their great diversity to answer these questions. It is definitely possible for diverse teams to benefit from each other, both economically by getting tasks completed, and socially, by the friends and networks made. So all teams experience a common goal, respect, relationships and successes and failures. But in great teams, people [? serve ?] their contributions, their talents, and the efforts made towards the common goal, not their religions, race, or cultural stereotype. That is Team Australia to me.

[APPLAUSE]

Imagine not being able to go to the same school as someone, of swim in the same pool as them. What if you could not even sit on a bus next to them? Just 50 years ago, this was a reality for people of color. They were separated by the color of their skin.

In a world that has been made smaller by technology, these differences have been put behind us. We have broken down borders with the touch of a button. My generation is the first to grow up with this technology. And it is our responsibility to use this power to make the world a better place.

I look around here, and I see different faces. As Australians, we've grown up in a multicultural country. We have opportunities to experience new religions, and learn about different cultures every single day But with technology we can learn so much more.

Young people like Malala are now using the power of technology to reach a global audience. Her Nobel Peace Prize speech has been viewed over 383,000 times. The borders that keep us apart are being broken down with technology such as Skype calls, or even an SMS.

Traditionally, when you look at globe, you see around 195 countries. What I see is a world that can be united online, one where we become global citizens. Something technology cannot do, however, is make our decisions for us. We must harness the power that is at our fingertips, and use it to make responsible and multicultural choices.

For example, the I Stand With Adam campaign used the power of social media to rally support for Adam Goodes, the 2014 Australian of the Year. It was a comment against the bullying and racism of this inspirational Australian. Imagine if Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and Gandhi, all different people of different cultures, lived in a time where they could join forces with the click of a mouse. Picture the difference they could make. They could form the super multicultural human rights team.

Think of your iPads and phones and computers as windows into the multicultural universe. We can open these windows by creating an online hub, a web site which I would call the melting pot, a place online where children all over the world, from Australia to Zambia, can come and share their stories.

On the melting pot, we can display our views on current affairs through our individual cultural perspective. The melting pot will enable my generation, the future leaders of this world to be connected through technology. It will show that a girl sitting in her house in Australia is not very different to a boy sitting in his house in India. Because we live in those times where a big difference can be made with a small movement of your hand. We can make the super multicultural human rights team a reality.

[APPLAUSE]

Welcome back to the impromptu section of this multicultural perspectives [INAUDIBLE] In the years 5 and 6 impromptu speaking section, students have five minutes in which to prepare a speech on a general topic provided by the adjudicators. Each speaker then speaks for two minutes, with the warning bell at one and a half minutes, and two bells at two minutes to indicate when the speaker's time has expired. A continuous bell will be rung at two and a half minutes. The topic for the impromptu speech section is a second chance.

Imagine this, you're lying in an uncomfortable hospital bed. Your arms are aching. All you want is a second chance. You feel extremely unwell, and in extreme agony, and the pain is only numbed a tiny bit by the morphine that you're given. All you want is a second chance at life. This the situation I just described for some of you might seem horrific, unreal, even.

But this scene is too real for 1,500 people who have organs that don't work, or tissue damage. But we can help these people, and give them a second chance. How, you may ask?

By becoming organ and tissue donors. Some of you may have never considered becoming a donor. So let me pose you some questions.

Imagine you were in that hospital bed again. Wouldn't you want someone to donate their organs for you? Wouldn't you want a second chance at life? Then why not be the one to give someone else a second chance at life? It's quite simple, really.

There are actually 1,500 people on the waiting for organ and tissue donation at any one time. And if we all work together, we can help reduce this number dramatically. Because each and every one of us can save the lives of up to 20 people, and give them a second chance at life. But not only these people, but their families as well, giving them a second chance to spend more time with their loved ones.

Just think about it. In effect, we could be giving second chances to hundreds of people. I encourage all of you to become organ donors. And talk to your families about your decisions, that you want to give people a second chance. Because it's really important. And if we all become donors, we can help give so many people a second chance at life.

[APPLAUSE]

A second chance can be one of the most important things for people in life. It's a chance for redemption, a chance to change yourself, and show that you have learned from your mistakes, a chance that you can fix your mistakes and start again. Over the years, second chances have been the things that have kept society harmonious. Like when Kevin Rudd apologized to the indigenous people for the stolen generation. It was a second chance for Australia to become a better society.

One of the most important parts of the second chance is getting over our pride, having the strength of character to realize you made a mistake. Now what deserves a second chance? Can we allow second, third, or fourth chances? Or is that just too much for people to change?

How do we know? A second chance is a valuable thing. Sometimes it's just saying sorry. Or sometimes, it's changing yourself for the better.

A second chance can change your reputation. A second chance can also be when someone is released out of jail. It's a chance for you to change your life of crime, and to become a better person that is respected in society. So, second chances. Thank you.

[APPLAUSE]

A second chance, another go, another try. Everybody deserves a second chance. A second chance is simply when if someone fails in something, they get another go. Another go at this, another try to redeem themself.

A second chance can be given in anything. It could be in a maths test, a spelling bee, or even in a [? ride. ?] So why do I think that everyone deserves a second chance?

Well, in some cases, people may fail tests or anything for unfair reasons. It might have been a reason like they might have slept in, or their neighbors might have been noisy, which gave them no sleep at all, and they woke up a mess. So this is why they should get a second chance.

Though second chances can sometimes get serious. Like when someone running something might give someone a second chance just because they're their friend, or because they like them, or in very extreme cases, because of their race. This is super unfair, and should never be done. Which is why people are thinking no one should be given a second chance.

But everyone deserves a second chance. A really fair way that a second chance is shown is in HSC. If someone fails in their HSC they can have another go. But they have to do another year of learning.

Not many people would take this opportunity, though. But it is a fair way of second chances. Before I did this speech, I was thinking if I stuff up, I hope I get a second chance.

[LAUGHTER]

It's a moment of relief. It's the moment when you realize I'm going to get another go. So no matter who you are, or where you are, everyone should have a second chance.

[APPLAUSE]

A second chance is what everyone deserves. So my question is why hasn't Australian taken its second chance, when so many other countries have as well? On the 22nd of May, Ireland voted. And on the 28th of May, history was made. Ireland officially became the first country to ever legalize gay marriage by popular vote, meaning the people were the ones who decided, with 62% of voters in favor of the referendum.

For a country constantly torn by religion and hate, with being gay only decriminalized in 1992, and up until then, being gay was being treated as a mental illness. And only 30 years ago, the people of Ireland thought there was no way that a gay person could continue to live a happy and contented life. So when Ireland had the chance, they seized their second chance.

A while back, there was a huge debate over whether people from different ethnicities could be able to marry, or people from different religions should be able to marry. But they did, and the world didn't end, society didn't collapse around them. They had children, and then their children grew up. So isn't it time that Australia did some growing up?

With the US, UK, and even our close neighbor New Zealand legalizing gay marriage, shouldn't we? Australia has treated being gay as a mental illness as well, but I think that they deserve a second chance. In the United Nations bill of rights, it says you have the right to marriage in the literal sense.

Nelson Mandela once said to deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity. So why are we as the nation Australia still denying people their human rights? What haven't we seized our second chance?

[APPLAUSE]

Oh no, how is this happening? No, this is not it. It's the end of the world. Now this is what I feel after I just messed something up. But luckily, there is one saving grace, one angel coming down from the heavens. That is a second chance.

A second chance is a miracle in the making. It feels like the best thing ever. It's like you're about to explode with happiness. When you get a second chance, it's-- well, it's a renewed energy. You feel like you could just jump for joy, like in all those Toyota ads.

But imagine a world where there were no second chances, where if you completely stuff something up the first time utterly, you could not do it over for anything. With a job interview, if you went in there and accidentally said the wrong name you couldn't say, sorry, I'm Bob Bacon-- no, no, no, I'm Edith Melon. Whoops. They'd have to call you Bob the rest of your life.

[LAUGHTER]

Well, that is if you got the job. Or tests-- if you're sick, like in one my favorite books, [? Mallory ?] [INAUDIBLE] Alicia, the smartest girl in the school, is sick with chicken pox. Then her mind goes all delirious, and she can't even think straight. Well, if she didn't get a second chance, she wouldn't be able to resit the test, and she wouldn't be able to pass up into the sixth form.

A second chance to me is a chance to try, try, try again. a chance to make a better impression. A second chance is a chance to speak better than you did before, to jump higher than you did before, to laugh louder than you did before. A second chance is a miracle.

You know one thing I wish for? Is that you could get a second chance at this. Well, sadly, it's virtually impossible. Because otherwise, it wouldn't really be called an impromptu speech if you could go home the night before, think of it, and actually do a good one. Well, guess I'll just have to keep dreaming.

[APPLAUSE]

And the bowler bowls the ball down the line, and hits the batsman's pads. No, I'm not out! It was an LBW says the batsman. And then the umpire says, OK, I'll give you a second chance, I couldn't really see what happened. You get another chance.

This was one of the things I saw when I was playing cricket. The thing is, giving second chances is really valuable. But have you heard when it really mattered?

In 1852, Peter Lalor was a miner in the Eureka fields in Ballarat, Victoria. He was just an ordinary miner coming from Ireland. He was mining when the laws came in that you had to have a license to mine. The license cost three pounds, and was really expensive back then.

Peter Lalor didn't know what to do. And the miners were getting really angry. So Peter Lalor stood up. He became their leader. He campaigned that they should stop these license fees.

They built a wooden fort called a stockade on Eureka Hill, where they battled it out against the British troops. Unfortunately, they lost. But Peter Lalor got away. Tons of miners were brought before the courts in Melbourne, but no jury elected them guilty. They kept on fighting.

And then, as Peter Lalor ran away, a wanted man. But they campaigned that he should not be wanted, that he should be-- he's a loyal man. He stood up for them. And he should not be persecuted because of this.

The charges against Peter Lalor were dropped. He was given a second chance, a second chance at life, against the police hunting him down for the rest of his life. Peter Lalor eventually became a politician, and the Speaker of the House in Victoria. He demanded that the license fee should be cut down to one pound a year, not three pounds a month.

And if you got a license fee, Peter Lalor ensured that the miners were given the right to vote, the right to express their views on the world. He changed the way we see politics today in Australia. Peter Lalor gave all the miners a second chance, and the miners his second chance. Though batting and fielding may seem important in cricket, and important to you. But sometimes, we should start giving chances to what really matters.

[APPLAUSE]

Recently, there's been a lot of news about sharks, and how we think of them as beasts that want to kill us. But I think this is the wrong side of them. I believe we shouldn't think of them like this, and try to kill them back. I think we should give them a second chance.

And I think killing sharks-- they are a very important part of our food chain. Killing them could affect other animals, which would affect the whole food chain. So giving sharks a second chance will not just help us, but it will help all the creatures on earth.

Making a second chance, giving sharks a second chance could be good. Instead of trying to kill them, like some people want to do, we could try to maybe think of another way. I have thought of an idea. My idea is to maybe have a sound system which sharks don't like so the sound waves travel through the ocean and repel the sharks. Giving sharks a second chance [INAUDIBLE] giving sharks a second chance will help us and them.

So whether the second chance is good or bad for us, we want to make sure that we also not just think of us, but the sharks. Through the past years, we've been quite selfish, and only thought about what we want to, and how we want to protect ourselves, not how we want to protect them. We need-- we want-- we needed to study them, maybe, to help us see that sharks aren't really that bad, and prove to us and everyone that sharks deserve a second chance. And that's what they really need.

[APPLAUSE]

Just imagine, you've settled down into what seems as a perfect relationship. You're in a loving family. But it turns out it's not the way it seems. This family's abusive to you, and you struggle to live every day. And the problem is for far too many people, this is the case.

Over 19,631 domestic violence reports have been made. And even worse, 97 of them have ended up in death. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Because we can only assume that there are much more who haven't had the courage to tell people.

But this is why these people deserve a second chance. Because they are innocent people who have [INAUDIBLE] into an abusive life. So how can we help them?

Well, the government is just starting to help them introducing a domestic violence help plan. And they have made a minister for domestic violence. This minister recently said it's more taboo to be a victim of domestic violence than to have AIDS.

I think there are two main things that we can do to stop domestic violence in families. Number one, we need to update our facilities. What we need to do, is that we need to update our hotline first because 97,000 have been not answered. That's 97,000 people that you could have saved their lives by answering the phone.

Also, we need to update our safe houses, because too many people are being sent away. Every four in five families are sent away. And that means one in five are allowed to stay and not go back to their abusive family.

The second thing is it's not a women's issue. We need to show that it's a men's issue. Because men are the perpetrators. We can't let anyone say that it's the woman's fault for being in this relationship. We need to talk to men, and show them how to not do it, and not be abusive. This is how we're going to give women and everyone a second chance, and stop domestic violence.

[APPLAUSE]

As I speak, Syrian refugees are fleeing from their country, a country that is war torn, a country that is so bad they have no other choice but to leave, into a desert. They can walk for days, if not months to find somewhere to go.

Don't they deserve a second chance? Somewhere to go, somewhere to be safe, somewhere where they can raise a family. All through Europe, countries are opening their borders. They are giving these Syrians a second chance, the chance they deserve.

Why, why, isn't Australia? Why aren't we giving them a second chance? Why aren't we opening our borders, and letting these people in, these people that are so desperate. They can travel across oceans in rickety old boats just to find somewhere safe to go.

Why aren't we opening our borders? Our politicians are saying turn back the boats, don't let them in, they'll steal our jobs. But is this really true? Australia is a huge country, among one of the biggest. We have so much unused space.

And if you think about it, refugees will help Australia's economy. Look at Australia's multicultural society, look what it has done for us. We have one of the most diverse countries in the world. We have multiple races.

So why not let these refugees in? Why not give them a second chance? In giving these people a second chance, it will help our country. They won't steal our jobs, they'll make more jobs, more opportunities for Australia to grow, and become an even better country.

So I ask you to do the right thing. Take steps towards letting the refugees in. Vote for a government that will let the boats in. So please do your part in making Australia a better country.

[APPLAUSE]

Imagine that you are a 16-year-old, and you went to prison for a crime that you did years ago. Every day, you wake up and you regret your decisions. You regretted everything that you've done You've stayed in prison for so long that your education is lost, and every day, you think about your peers that are going out there, enjoying a proper college education, a proper university education, and having that chance to improve their lives.

But something happened in September this year, something that inspired many people in all prisons across America. The Bard College Prison Initiative debating team went against Harvard College and won. The Bard Prison Initiative is an initiative run in New York that helps people get that second chance they need, and to get proper qualified degrees while they are serving their prison sentences. It makes a great difference to people's lives all across America.

In America, over half of the Americans that are in prison come back to prison within just a period of three years. However, for graduates of the Bard Prison Initiative, it's only 2% return to prison. This is an amazing improvement, and one that changes loads of lives across America. Usually, when someone graduates from this Bard Prison Initiative, that second chance they got has made such a difference that they are able to be in good reputational jobs, like management jobs in big companies.

I believe that Australia should learn a lot from these types of college in prison initiatives. First of all, Australia can have a more ready and educated and larger workforce, so that we can improve our economy. And we don't have to fund prisons as much, because there won't be as many people there. And Australia can enjoy a more educated community. Because everyone deserves that second chance. Thank you.

[APPLAUSE]

A second chance could give you so many different things. Imagine if you had a second chance, and you chose to have a new life. Wouldn't that be something? A second chance could give you another life, and all the mistakes that you've made in the life that you have now then you would not make again. And then you wouldn't get in trouble if you got in trouble for those mistakes, and that if you made those mistakes, and you'd learned from them, then you would become more successful.

If you had another life, you'd know what to do. You wouldn't get in trouble. If you've been arrested for drink driving, you'll know to not drink and then drive. And you'll ace all your grades. In kindergarten, they ask you one plus one, and you would have known that, because you've already done that. You would know that even when you're a toddler.

A second chance would be great. There are so many different things that I regret. But if I had another chance, then I would learn from my mistakes.

So if I went the wrong way in a soccer game, and I got kicked out of the team because of that, and then I would know not to go the other way, otherwise, I would be kicked out of the soccer team. And all right, I wouldn't do an arm fart in the middle of a school assembly, when the principal is announcing a very special award. A second change can be great to everyone, no matter who they are or what they are. Everyone should have one.

[APPLAUSE]

In this world, all we really do is buy and throw away, buy and throw away. But we need to stop. We have a way to change this. And the answer to our problem is recycling.

Recycling is easy, and it doesn't take much. Everybody should have a recycling bin at home. You can give waste a new life. And you just have to be conscious about what you're buying.

Something that I'd like to try is recycling clothes. So you could refurbish them, and give them a new life, give them a second chance. Or you could give them to charities such as Vinnies, which gives other people a second chance. By giving your clothes second chance, you also give people a second chance.

At home, I have a compost bin. It changes food scraps to compost, which we then put on the garden, which then makes more food. It's again, recycling. Although I don't really like putting out the compost, and neither does my sister, it's an easy way to be sustainable.

We need to give our waste a second chance. By recycling, we create new life, and create something new. It also saves our planet. Because even though we can give other things a second chance, we only have one chance to save our planet.

[APPLAUSE]

And now, while the ajudicators still consider their decision, because I'm sure you'll agree, they've got a lot of work ahead of them, we're going to hand out certificates, medallions, and some shirts that congratulate all of the speakers for making it this far. Obviously, only one of them is going to be named, but they've all been extraordinary. Congratulations.

[APPLAUSE]

[INAUDIBLE] while you're here, I'm not sure- in particular we've seen about a million impromptu speeches that were so extraordinarily different. And so extraordinarily, confidently put together. So I've got to call to the stage first of all, Dr. Harry Harinder, the advisory board member of Multicultural New South Wales will address the audience, and he'll introduce to you, Dr. Jeff Lee, the MD. He's an [INAUDIBLE]. And he's here to represent the Minister of Multiculturalism, [INAUDIBLE]. Give them a hand as they come down.

[APPLAUSE]

Thank you, [? Tony. ?] [INAUDIBLE] It's fantastic to see all these young speakers [INAUDIBLE] and the parents have done. [INAUDIBLE]

[APPLAUSE]

[? Tony, ?] thank you for your kind introduction. And I thank the organizers for inviting me to be a part of this very important evening. When Hakan told me, I don't want you to miss this event. And go, and you will enjoy.

And I said, you are not wrong. But I can assure you that I will not take one hour as Hakan took last year. I'll briefly be speaking to you about Multiculture in South Wales. And I'll leave it to the good members [INAUDIBLE] [? which is ?] here today, to say more things about it.

Good morning, all. My name is Hari Harinath. And I'm the Chair Multicultural New South Wales Advisory Board. And in my spare time, I have practiced for this. And before I say anything, I would just would like to acknowledge the tradition of the owners of this land on which we meet today, and pay my respects to their ancestors, and ask for your presence.

I would like to acknowledge a few people here today. First of all, honorable Dr. [INAUDIBLE], as a member of [INAUDIBLE]. And [? he is ?] the most hardworking member in the west, and the most hardworking member on the Multicultural [? subject. ?] Thank you very much for coming here to talk today.

Miss [INAUDIBLE], who is from the Department of Education. Thank you for inviting me, and for being here today. Many of you are familiar with Multiculture in New South Wales. Broadly speaking, the role of multiculture in New South Wales is to promote a cohesive and harmonious multicultural society.

And this is what, here, we have seen today, with these young children, what they have done. They're doing the right what Multicultural New South Wales is looking at. And really, if I had my way to go, I would ask the New South Wales Multicultural Advisory Board to step back and let these young people [INAUDIBLE] [? for tomorrow. ?]

[APPLAUSE]

Just on our advisory board, of the 15 members, we have got two special categories. We have two youth members on the board. These youth members are joining us today. They are students.

And they also ensure that they take up the concerns of the young, and their voice stands for the young people on the board. And the second role they play, these also are the most important. Because they chair and visit the Multicultural Youth Network, which is a diverse group of young people, committed to working together to promote a value of cultural diversity and to foster acceptance and respect.

And what these people do, to this point, it can be seen. These young people have acted on [? the forefront ?] [? of discovery. ?] And it's really an eye-opener for the eduction system and what the parents, what the teachers can do to promote multicultural [INAUDIBLE]. I'm very proud and I'm very honored to be a part of this, which promotes Multicultural New South Wales.

And so like you, I came to this country about 43 years ago. And I've gone through the rigors. And I've [INAUDIBLE] chance. And [INAUDIBLE] take a chance. And I think [? that ?] [? motivates ?] is, and most of you for being here? And I thank God now just to have you be here. Thank you very much.

[APPLAUSE]

And now, this is my pleasure, and an honor to introduce the member of [INAUDIBLE], Honorable Dr. Geoff Lee, MP, to come and say a few words.

[APPLAUSE]

G'day, thanks Harinath. Thank you very much for your kind introduction, Hari. And it is a privilege to represent the honorable John [INAUDIBLE], who is the Multicultural of today this competition, this public-speaking competition. And well-done, guys.

John sends his apologies and sends his best wishes. And I'll certainly will be conveying the great work that you've done today, and the great display of public speaking, both prepared and impromptu, and it's very good. Very good.

It's great to see so many of you young guys in the audience, too, supporting your friends and your colleagues, and your school classmates. And there's three words, I guess, which can describe today's events and those speeches that you've presented. One is articulate. So you've all been so good and so articulate.

You've been informed on major issues. And it's so important, too, for young people to be involved. And you guys demonstrate that, being informed about what's happening, and [INAUDIBLE]. And I can say that from a background not just in politics, but in academia, when [INAUDIBLE].

So important to represent two sides of the argument, and present a well-argued case to actually inform people. Public speaking, of course, is very important, and no more so than as part of [? material. ?]

And we often deliver speeches. And some of them are good and some of them are not so good. And I think the main difference, when I was an academic, you used to have to be logical and reason.

And as a politician, you have to be emotive and inspirational. So it's very different. But public speaking, I think for you guys, [? isn't hard. ?] But your skills and behavior around all the other students here today is so important, to actually argue the case.

And I'm thinking, now, of some of those very interesting issues that we deal with in society. So well done on that. but if I could give you one word of advice, and I learned this very early on, is be short. That's [INAUDIBLE]. People only the first thing you said and the last thing you said. So don't speak for too long. So I promise you, I won't speak for too long today. And I did confiscate the bell, just in case you've got any ideas of kicking me off early.

[LAUGHTER]

Of course, Australia is a very multicultural society. They say that 25 of the people who now are Australians were born somewhere else. And in Parramatta, where I'm from, where I represent, some 50% of the people were originally born overseas. And Australia, in terms of multiculture, is an exemplar in the world about how we can all run a harmonious community, a [INAUDIBLE] community, a community where our diversities are the strengths.

But of course, as you identified today, we do have some challenges. And if I could just pick up a couple of those challenges that I found very interesting is the Anti-discrimination and Racial [? Identification ?] [? Act. ?] And you can see the changes.

And it was something I was very passionate about, speaking against that. And in fact, my own party at the federal level wanted to change it, which was [INAUDIBLE]. But this seems important. And language is so important.

Oh, they tell you in Australia-- Tony had a comment about are you wanted in Australia or are you not? And I'm sure he meant it in the greatest of intent, in terms of unification of Australians. About the actual fact the message going out there, and the message that was sent was one with a mission.

And so public speaking, the importance of the words that you use, can never be so important, in terms of how you choose those words and how you frame the message, and how you get it out to me. So that's why I think public speaking is such an important skill.

And you guys are right at the forefront of that skill. So well done. Because we know that you guys in the audience will be the future leaders of our society. You guys reflect society. You guys will shape society. And to be out there, debating those controversial issues like we hear today is especially important.

Thank you very much for the privilege. I will certainly tell John [INAUDIBLE], and just to conclude, on behalf of the New South Wales Governor, I thank you, all the performers, and congratulate all the performers today. Well done in your achievements.

Whether you win the ultimate top one or not, you're all winners for making it through 2,000 other students. So many different rounds right around New South Wales. And congratulations on behalf of the New South Wales Governor.

On behalf of the New South Wales Governor, I congratulate everybody here today, for coming along and supporting these guys. As [? everyone ?] said, it's a really hard thing, public speaking for most people. You should be very good at it.

[RINGS BELL]

[LAUGHTER]

[APPLAUSE]

[INAUDIBLE]. Right.

[LAUGHTER]

Anyway, and finally, thank you very much to the Arts Unit at the New South Wales Department of Education, and the judges, the adjudicators, especially the teachers and the parents and the supporters, And everyone who came. Because without it, an audience, none of this would be possible. So well done, guys. Thank you very much. I'm Geoff Lee. Everybody, thank you for coming out.

[APPLAUSE]

I know you're all itching for the adjudication. So we might put aside of the presentation of the certificates until afterwards. And we'll call the adjudication panel out to let us know who has won. It's always seemed more appropriate to me that we announce the winner. And then once again, congratulate everybody and focus on the whole [? field ?] afterwards.

So it seems only fair that we jump to adjudication now. Also, it just seems really cruel to make them sit there and wait. So please welcome the representatives of the adjudication panel, Bronwyn Cowell, to deliver the adjudication, and our 2015 State Champion.

[APPLAUSE]

On behalf of the judging panel, I just wanted to express my thanks to all 12 of the students here [INAUDIBLE] today. For anyone to talk about these issues with such lucidity and such humor and such detail is impressive, let alone students who I assume are no more than 12 years old. So I think that coming through a grueling process of selection to get here, they all deserve another round of applause.

[APPLAUSE]

So in this competition, when inspecting the prepared speeches, the judges are looking for originality and flair of expression and how you communicate. Obviously, in a competition like this, where you have a somewhat-assigned subject area, there are ideas, like timing it to the State Grand Final, are quite [INAUDIBLE] and are familiar to us.

So all we're looking for is for students who can convey those ideas and convey original versions or original takes on those ideas in a sophisticated and engaging way. So that's what we're looking for when it comes to the prepared speech. Similarly, what we're looking for in the impromptu speech is originality and flair, but particularly ability to focus on your specific issue or small set of issues, and to make it clear that those issues or that single issue tie back quite neatly and quite closely to the given topic area, rather than just, perhaps, generalizations, or speaking without any real relationship to a single political, economic, or social issue, for example.

So that's what the judges are looking for. Obviously, our task is not enviable. Because all of those students [INAUDIBLE]. So we have to, therefore, find the winner, amongst an incredibly impressive field of competitors.

But quite obviously, we have arrived at that decision. So we're very pleased to announce that the winner of the New South Wales Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition is, 20th Anniversary Year, from [? Scofield's ?] Public School.

[CHEERING]

[APPLAUSE]

[CHEERING]

So I've just got a couple of thank you's left before we close the Final. The first is to all the teachers and parents and students who've come on today to make it such a success. Thank you. It's much more fun talking [INAUDIBLE]. You can congratulate yourselves later. All of you, congratulations.

[APPLAUSE]

Thank you, obviously, to the finalists. They did extraordinary. And I know they've enjoyed themselves as well. So thank you to them for making this so entertaining.

Thank you to everyone who helped out for the presentations. And finally, thank you to the two groups that make this possible. First of all, Equity within the Department of Education, represented by an [? Alliance. ?] They gave a lot of support to this program, and have done over the last 20 years.

And also, to Multicultural New South Wales. They also support the program. Without support from those two people, it would be impossible for this program to exist. So a massive thanks to both of those.

[APPLAUSE]

We've got another reminder that this isn't the end of [INAUDIBLE]. You can come find me in today's [INAUDIBLE], where I'll be eating and drinking alongside you. And finally, a thank you to the people who have helped today, those of the students from [INAUDIBLE] Public School, and their teacher, Ms. Smith, who made this [INAUDIBLE].

[APPLAUSE]

[INAUDIBLE] best chairpersons ever. And I'd like to hand it to Taylor, to close the Final.

[APPLAUSE]

Thank you, Mr. [INAUDIBLE]. That concludes the years' 5 and 6 State Final of Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition. Official guests, contestants, and their parents are invited to have lunch back in the Green room. On behalf of the organizers of this event, thank you all for your support. And we look forward to seeing you in competition next year.

[APPLAUSE]