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!