ActionAid Ireland is reminding students in Dublin aged 14 to 18 to enter the ActionTalks national speech writing competition. The top prize for the national winner is a €500 voucher. The competition, now in its tenth year, is an opportunity for young people to explore the root causes of local and global injustices and inequalities. This year’s themes focus on the climate crisis, gender-based violence and unpaid care work.
ActionAid works with women and children, as they take the lead in claiming their human rights to build a more just world. ActionAid’s Women’s Rights programme, funded by Irish Aid, Department of Foreign Affairs, works to eliminate violence against women and girls. Irish Aid programmes are funded by Irish citizens and are part of Ireland’s important global role.
Karol Balfe, CEO of ActionAid Ireland said “The ActionTalks competition is designed to build students’ research, writing, critical thinking and public speaking skills, as well as giving young people a chance to have their voices heard on global issues. We have had a fantastic response already to the 2024 ActionTalks competition and hope for more entries from Dublin before the deadline of Friday 12th
January, with the Christmas break an opportunity for students to finalise their speeches.”
Entries to the competition can be submitted to ActionAid by email in written form and fifteen successful entrants will go forward to the regionals final, with six regional winners winning a €50 voucher each. At the national final in March, the six finalists will be asked to present their speech to a panel of esteemed judges. The national prize is a €500 voucher for the winner and a €100 voucher for their teacher. ActionAid is hoping entrants will come up with innovative, well-researched, and creative speeches, using their own unique perspective.
