“If community cohesion is a challenge of our time, the speeches gave a cause for hope that the East End of London might rise to that challenge.” The comment came from Professor Michael Keith, Former Commissioner for the Commission on Integration and Cohesion after listening to the students taking part in the Tower Hamlets Public Speaking Competition, held at Lloyd’s on 13 May 2008.
The topic ‘What can be done to build community cohesion and integration in our communities? Whose responsibility is it?’ – a key issue in our society and in the media - was passionately debated by the six student finalists of the competition in front of a panel of judges.
Now in its 13th year the annual competition, run by Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership and sponsored by Lloyd’s Community Programme, was open to Year 10 pupils (aged 14 years) in Tower Hamlets. The competition is one of the initiatives under Lloyd’s Community Programme’s ‘Ready for Work’ theme which works with young people to develop employability skills.
Star Ojo from Bishop Challoner Collegiate School impressed the judges with her speech and was awarded the overall prize of the Mildred Gordon Cup. Star said she had first hand experience of the UK’s diverse society as in her Tower Hamlets classroom all her contemporaries came from many different cultures from Argentina to Zimbabwe. She believed that the differences in our society needed to be celebrated to achieve cohesion commenting, “Change needs to start at home to break down the barriers.”
The prize for most improved speaker was awarded to Zubair Mohamed from Morpeth School. Professor Michael Keith, one of the judges, presented the Ralph Charan award to Zubair. All the finalists will be invited to lunch and a tour of the House of Commons later in the year.
Mags Patten, External Affairs Director, Equality and Human Rights Commission also took part in the judging and was inspired by the student’s views at the competition. “The event has been very exciting with the students delivering some excellent speeches encompassing so many interesting and practical ideas to foster community cohesion on the ground,” commented Mags.
To read more about Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership please visit the link to the right of page.
Finalists: Shamima Begum (Langdon Park School), Tanvir Kawser (Swanlea School), Star Ojo (Bishop Challoner Collegiate School), Nahid Hoque (George Green’s School), Suluja Serma (Langdon Park School), Zubair Mohamed (Morpeth School).
Judges: Professor Michael Keith, (Head of Sociology, Goldsmiths University of London, Former Commissioner for the Commission on Integration and Cohesion), Mike Tyler, (Director of Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership), Jane Owen, (Director of Sustainability, AON and Lloyd’s Community Programme Board member), Hannah Jackson, (School Workshop Facilitator) and Mags Patten, (External Affairs Director, Equality and Human Rights Commission).
