Sample Speech Notes

Sample Speech Notes

This is a sample of an introductory speech that you may want to use at your events. It contains brief information about ACTSA and our campaigns. Feel free to use as much or as little as you feel appropriate. If you want additional information to add to this speech, please contact the campaigns team. Alternatively, if you give us enough notice, we may be able to arrange for an ACTSA representative to come along to your event and say a few words.

Ladies and Gentleman, on behalf of the <local area>’s ACTSA Local Group, welcome to <name of event>. Thank you all for coming – as always we could not make an event such as this happen if it wasn’t for your support.

(Optional) I would specifically like to thank <name> from <name of business> for kindly donating prizes for the raffle.

(Optional) Our sincere appreciation to <name> for all their hard work in making this event happen.

(Optional) Please can you join me in a round of applause for <the band; the caterers; the venue etc> who I am sure you will all agree have done a brilliant job in making this <day; evening> so enjoyable.

I wanted to say just a few words about the reason we are all here. <local area>’s ACTSA Local Group as I am sure you are all aware is a group of committed students, who are raising funds and awareness of ACTSA’s campaigning.

(Optional) We chose to organise this <name of event> to raise money in aid of Action for Southern Africa’s <name of specific campaign>.

ACTSA has been campaigning against human rights abuses in the Southern African region for over ten years. As the successor to the Anti-Apartheid Movement, ACTSA has a great history in political campaigning for a better standard of living for our counterparts in Southern Africa.

Since the end of the apartheid and the founding of ACTSA, they have achieved a great deal, but unfortunately there is still so much to continue campaigning for. And so, they continue to campaign alongside the people of Southern Africa as they strive to build a better future, working for peace, democracy and development across the region.

One of ACTSA’s greatest achievements was its pivotal contribution to the campaign that led to compensation of over $10 million to South African asbestos workers.

ACTSA has recently launched a campaign in solidarity with the women of Zimbabwe, to raise funds to buy and distribute much needed sanitary products amongst the women most in need. Due to the extreme poverty inflicted on the population by Mugabe’s regime, women are unable to afford the products. One box of sanitary products costs approximately the same amount as the average monthly wage.

Women are being forced to insert unhygienic alternatives, leading to serious infections and in some cases, infertility. We believe that it is completely immoral that these women are being denied this biological right and believe that collectively we can work together to help prevent this atrocity.

We cannot stand here and talk about the Southern African region and not discuss HIV/AIDS. 6,500 people die every day of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa , the majority of which are women aged between 15-24. This horrific pandemic is destroying the economic future of these countries.

ACTSA campaigns heavily for the UK government to contribute its fair share to the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. It currently contributes only 50% of what it should. ACTSA is also active in encouraging increased access to medicine, but also establishing better education practice around the issue of HIV/AIDS and sexual reproductive health.

In order for Southern Africa to begin to fight overcome their problems, more and better aid is required. ACTSA will continue to demand for better aid until the UK at least meets the target of 0.7% of its national income being given in aid by 2008.

ACTSA also works with trans-national companies to improve corporate social responsibility policies that greatly affect the lives of their workers. The organisation campaigns strongly against Group 4 Securicor’s appalling treatment of their workers in South Africa.

Other core work includes campaigning for cancelling all apartheid-caused debt. 70% of the regions debt that exists today can be directly attributed to the apartheid era, as it was borrowed to either defend or fight the regime. With these debts still in existence, crippling these countries abilities to overcome poverty, the devastation of apartheid lives on.

So in this brief synopsis of the organisation, it is clear that vital progress is being made in ensuring that the UK and EU governments accept accountability for their role in the fundamental human rights abuses that face the people of Southern Africa everyday.

So on behalf of ACTSA, as well as <local area>’s ACTSA Local Group, thank you so much for your contribution to this cause. ACTSA is solely funded by its members, so with out your support of events like this, a large number of people in Southern Africa would lose their ability to voice their concerns in this country.

There are plenty of leaflets circulating if you would like more information about ACTSA, or please feel free to come and talk to myself or one of the other <local areas>’s ACTSA Local Group members.

(Optional) I am sure you will all be delighted to know that so far <today; tonight; in ticket sales alone etc> together we have managed to raise <£….>! Well done!

Once again we really appreciate you coming and for all you have contributed.

Thank you!