Lydia Verschaffelt's views on race relations has won her first place in the 2012 NZ Race Unity Regional speech awards, and a place in the national semi-finals.

Initiated by the NZ Baha'i Community in 2001, the annual national speech contest is co-sponsored by the NZ Police and supported by the Human Rights Commission and the Office of Ethnic Affairs.

Judges Hohepa Maxwell, Christine Meyer, with winning contestant Lydia Vershaffelt, runners-up Emily van Arendonk and Alice McFall, and Inspector Kevin Taylor.

The contest, which supports the annual Race Relations Day on March 21, is aimed at celebrating the diversity of cultures and races.

The Year 12 Tauranga Girls College student addressed the topic ‘A Fair Go for All: Rite Tahi Tatou Katoa'.

In Lydia's speech she states, 'To give everyone a fair go, it is still perfectly fine to acknowledge we are different. As Yolanda King said 'What we need to do is learn to respect and embrace our differences until our differences don't make a difference in how we are treated.” Lydia continues, 'If we canal make an effort to meet every person without pre-conceived ideas, celebrate our differences and realise that we are one - everyone can have a fair go.”

Head judge Christine Meyer says the contestants all showed they had undertaken a lot of research and all spoke well. The judging panel included Inspector Kevin Taylor, and Hohepa Maxwell.

Lydia will travel to Auckland to compete against other regional winners at a national semi-final to be held on March 30. If successful at that level, she will participate in the finals and have the opportunity to participate in the National Race Unity Conference on March 31.