Kia ora koutou, As-Salām `Alaykum, Talofa lava, Bula Vinaka, Kia orana, Mālō e lelei, Fakaalofa lahi atu kia mutolu oti, Ni Hao, Konnichiwa, Namaste, Guten Tag, Hallo, Kumusta, Hola, Shalom, Ciao, Bonjour, Sannu. Warm Greetings to all people from all parts of the Globe.

This week I would like to share my assembly speech with you, marking the anniversary of the Christchurch Mosque attacks and celebrating Race Relations Week. It is a time when we can look at our own treatment of others in the school setting and reflect on our own relationships.

Salam Alaikum, Eid Mubarak

It is appropriate at this time to acknowledge our Muslim students, many of whom are former refugees in our school and have amazing stories to share of being exiled from their homeland, surviving - sometimes for years - in refugee camps and finally, coming into a country they had barely heard of and with customs and language foreign to their own. We remembered this week the five year anniversary of Christchurch Al Noor and Linwood Mosque attacks. We also noted the start of Ramadan - the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community.

Despite progress made in the aftermath of the mosque attacks, racism, threats, harassment and discrimination have worsened for minoritised groups in New Zealand, according to the latest police reports. Unity Week, introduced last week, Is about working collectively towards a future where everyone, regardless of their physical attributes, ethnic identities and idealogical affiliation, feel they belong and are empowered to advocate for each other. This week is Dunedin Race Relations Week and Thursday is Race Relations Day, observed around the world as the international day for the elimination of racial discrimination. We will be celebrating this day at school this week with lunchtime activities on Thursday.

On a more general note, it is good to reflect on our own friendships and relationships in this school. Do we include everyone and make an attempt to meet people outside of our friend group? Do we know and make friends with people different to ourselves? Are we ever unkind or intimidating to others? Do we show kindness and respect to everyone? Have we ever unintentionally or intentionally spread a rumour about somebody? Do we ever judge other people on their appearance or mannerisms? Have we ever given ‘judgy’ looks or raised our eyebrows to our friends about others? Do we consider that others may be less fortunate than ourselves and have tragic or traumatic challenges they are dealing with?

Let us go forward together - as one school - as students, staff and school families together. Let us enjoy each other’s difference and embrace our commonalities. Let us be tolerant, patient and emotionally regulated.

Jo Cox, a British MP who fought for social justice, democratic values and equality until her death in 2016, is famously quoted to have said “we have more in common than what divides us”. Yes, we have differences but we must see beyond those and importantly, to have the capacity to be in another’s shoes. To have empathy for one another, even if it is hard, even if there are historical divides. Because underneath, we are all the same, regardless of race, age, sexuality, gender, national origin and all the other divides and classifications we create and perpetuate.

Marian Anderson became the first black singer to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in 1955, shattering racial barriers. Despite the fact that she won first prize in a voice contest in New York in 1925 and made an appearance that year with the New York Philharmonic, she was unable to find operatic singing jobs. At age 57 she finally sang at the Opera, fulfilling a childhood dream. Marian said:

Ngā mihi nui