In Auckland, New Zealand, a representative of the New Zealand Police presents the winner's shield for the 2008 Race Unity Speech Award to Charon Maseka of Wellington. With them are the other finalists for the award.

The New Zealand Police, a government department, has signed a formal funding agreement with the Baha'is for a speech contest for teenagers about race unity.

The Race Unity Speech Award, now in its eighth year, was established by Baha'is and already had received the support of the national Human Rights Commission. The nationwide contest is open to students in the last three years of high school.

The New Zealand Police has pledged NZ$50,000 (US$39,500) over a five-year period and also is supporting the competition in a variety of other ways at both the regional and national levels.

"The NZ Police is committed to reducing both the incidence and the effects of crime. We see this Baha'i initiative as a valuable tool to reducing crime through supporting youth to improve race relations," said Superintendent Pieri Munro, commander of the Wellington Police District.

The topic for this year's competition was "Finding Common Ground - He Rapunga Tahitanga," with presentations allowed in either English or Maori. Contestants were asked to comment on the following quotation: "We belong to an organic unit (the world) and when one part of the organism suffers, all the rest of the body will feel its consequences."

Students from throughout New Zealand compete in regional heats. This year, 17 contestants advanced to the national semifinals, and six to the finals, held 5 April at a national conference at the Baha'i Community Center in Auckland City.

The winner was Charon Maseka from Taita College in Wellington, who shares the first-place prize money - NZ$1,500 (US$1,185) - with her school.

Funds from sponsors are used for prizes, travel costs for entrants competing in the finals, venue hire, and shields given to winners.