This speech was presented at Senior School assembly on Monday 26th August 2024 by Lily N (SVI)
I know Mondays aren’t exactly everyone’s favourite day and the last thing you probably want is to start your week off with a serious talk. I get it. But today, I need to talk about something that matters—a lot. I know you’ve all seen the news, or at least heard it. There’s a lot of anger, a lot of hate, and it can feel like the world is just getting darker. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to look at the news anymore; sometimes, it just seems like too much. But here’s the thing: even when something feels far away, even when it doesn’t directly affect you, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care.
You should care. We all should.
We live in a very privileged area. We have a lot—more than many people in our country. It’s easy to feel like the problems we see on the news aren’t really ours and to simply sweep them under the rug. But that way of thinking, that idea that “it’s not my problem,” is dangerous. It’s an excuse to ignore the suffering of others, to turn a blind eye to the pain that’s happening right now, right here in the country we all call home.
Just last month, on July 23rd, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing released a statement describing violence against women and girls as a national emergency. Think about that for a moment. A national emergency. They reported that every single day, 3,000 crimes of violence against women and girls are recorded. That’s 3,000 mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends being hurt every day. And those are just the reported cases. Many women and girls don’t even come forward, so the real numbers are likely much higher.
Here’s another statistic: it’s estimated that 1 in 20 people are perpetrators of violence against women and girls each year. That might not sound like a lot but look around you. How many people are sitting in this room right now? How many people do you know? Suddenly, 1 in 20 feels a lot closer to home, doesn’t it?
And if that wasn’t bad enough, let’s talk about something that’s been all over the news recently—the Southport attack. Three young girls, just like you and me, lost their lives in what should have been a fun, safe space—a Taylor Swift dance class. And who took their lives? A 17-year-old boy. A boy not much older than most of us here.
But instead of focusing on the tragedy, instead of mourning those girls and thinking about how we can prevent something like this from happening again, some people turned their attention to the attacker. They started spreading false rumours about his ethnicity, about his religion, trying to use this horrific event to justify their own racist and Islamophobic beliefs. They didn’t care about the truth; they cared about spreading more hate.
And let me tell you something—hate doesn’t solve anything. That boy wasn’t Muslim. He was actually born and raised in the UK in a Christian family. But none of that really matters. What matters is that he was filled with hate, and that hate came from somewhere. It came from the world we live in, a world where people are quick to judge, quick to blame, and quick to spread anger instead of love.
What happened in Southport was heartbreaking, but it didn’t stop there. All across the country, we’ve seen riots, violence, and more hate crimes erupt in response. People are using this tragedy as an excuse to lash out at others, to spread their own anger and prejudice. In some cities, mosques have been vandalised, and innocent people have been attacked simply because of the colour of their skin or the faith they practice. Women of colour, in particular, have faced an increase in violence, leading many to take up self-defence classes out of fear for their safety. This isn’t just wrong—it’s terrifying. It’s a cycle of hate that’s feeding itself, growing stronger with each new act of violence.
Think about that for a moment. We’re living in a time where people are so consumed by their own anger and fear that they’re willing to hurt others who had nothing to do with the original tragedy. They’re willing to destroy communities, to tear apart the fabric of our society, just to satisfy their own need to blame someone—anyone—for the pain they feel.
But we can change that. We have the power to make things better. We can choose to spread love instead of hate, to stand up against racism, sexism and all forms of discrimination. We can educate ourselves, and others, about the real issues—the ones that matter. And most importantly, we can care, even when it’s hard, even when it feels like the problems are too big for us to solve.
Because here’s the thing: every small act of kindness, every time you choose to stand up for someone, every time you refuse to spread a harmful rumour or stereotype, you’re making the world a better place. You’re pushing back against the hate, and you’re showing that love can be stronger.
So, yes, this might be a heavy topic for a Monday morning. But it’s important. It’s important because you are the future, and the choices you make today will shape the world we all live in tomorrow. Let’s make it a world filled with more love, more understanding, and more kindness. Let’s make it a world where we all care for one another, no matter who we are, where we come from, or what we believe.
Let’s not forget that we are a rights-respecting school, which means your voice matters here. If you have any questions, worries, or just want to talk about what’s going on in the world, your teachers and the SVI Prefects are here to support you. And if you feel inspired to make a difference, to stand up against hate and spread more love, we have lots of clubs where you can get involved—including Amnesty, Anti-Racism, PRISM and PRETTI. These are spaces where you can learn, grow, and help create the change you want to see in the world. So don’t be afraid to speak up, ask questions, or take action. Together, we can build a future where love always wins over hate.
