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Twelve remarkable Canadian students took the stage today north of Toronto to share their inspiring speeches on human rights issues that matter to them and how they envision creating positive change in the world.

Broadcast live from studio, this year's annual Speaker's Idol student speech competition, hosted by Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC), covered topics such as racism and discrimination, child soldiers, gender inequality, missing and murdered Indigenous women and the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack. In preparing their speeches, contestants had to reflect on Holocaust survivor and Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal’s quote, "I believe in the good in people."

Today's finale featured two rounds, the first featuring six students in grades 6-8 and the second with six students in grades 9-12. The winners were selected by FSWC's esteemed panel of judges: lawyer and public policy expert Annamie Paul, litigation lawyer Matthew Gottlieb and professor and chair of the French Department at McMaster University, Dr. Eugène Nshimiyimana.

Television and radio personality Rick Campanelli returned as MC of Speaker's Idol, along with Ricky Brooks, Michelle Glied-Goldstein and Tracie Graff as committee members. We thank Albert z"l and Evelyn Krakauer and their family as well as RBC for sponsoring the event.

We congratulate the Speaker's Idol first-place winners and all of the runners-up!

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Watch Speaker's Idol

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