Multicultural New Zealand acknowledges the amount of volunteer time that would have gone into organising the Race Unity Speech Awards, and we would like to say thank you to all the people who have given their time.   

Multicultural New Zealand is very proud to have been a national partner to this event and hope to continue this relationship and keep supporting this wonderful event with its finals on Sunday, 4 May 2025.    

Today we heard the drum rolls for change from our youth. This event was such a success. We heard words from young people who wanted to change the future. If you want to change the future, nurture the youth. We heard from them “the ocean is shaped by the many rivers, and the ocean does not make any exceptions.”  

We heard beautiful choices of words, and we saw the need for policies that foster equity, harmony and growth. We heard words that in terms of describing the ocean - “We are the ocean”.   

In Te Reo Māori, we heard “kotahitanga ke te hapori” - join together and unity of the community.   

Multicultural New Zealand congratulates all the finalists and all the participants. We want to take this opportunity to congratulate the national winner, Jordyn Joy Pillay, and the winners of all the special awards.   

We would also like to make special mention of the winner of the Multicultural New Zealand Award - Tohu Ahurea Rau – Multicultural NZ Award for Diversity – by Zara Oliyath.