Zachery Best

Firstly I wanted to take the opportunity to acknowledge all people that contributed to the success of tonight's celebration. Tonight marks the end of six years since the opening of the convention.

Today's deaf youth will become tomorrow's deaf leaders. It is crucial to preserve NZSL in order to keep the richness of our culture and to allow deaf youths to learn to express their opinions and participate in a democratic society that values disabilities.

Deaf Youth Aotearoa was recently formed and this is a Deaf Youth group for the whole of New Zealand. DYA aims to become the national voice for Deaf Youth in New Zealand, and will overlook the local Deaf Youth groups - DEAFinitely Youth Group (Auckland), Wellington, and Canterbury Deaf Youth Club.

NZ Deaf Youth's future with the convention will be to develop a programme to promote the wellbeing of deaf people throughout the region as aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We are in the process of establishing Oceania Deaf Youth Camp and to have workshops. The programme contains strong links with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities including Education, Gender equality, Growth, Health, Human Rights, Leadership and Governance.

As Alice Paul once said, "I never doubted that equal rights were the right direction. Most reforms, most problems are complicated. But to me there is nothing complicated about ordinary equality."

Many thanks to the interpreters for their efforts tonight, without them, I have no voice.