S P E E C H & D E B AT E
Trust for London
DIALOGUE REPORT
WORDS LEELA KOENIG
After the rewarding Public
Speaking training days with the UK
Refugee Council and Women for
Refugee Women, the Speech & Debate
department was proud to start a pilot
programme with Trust for London, an
independent charity aimed at tackling
poverty and inequality. Participants of
the pilot came from all walks of life, but
had one thing in common: they needed
public speaking skills to be better at
advocating for their cause in the media.
The media has a strong influence in how
the public views those who live on the
poverty line. The perceptions that are
created by the media of those who live
in challenging circumstances only show
one side of their story. However, it is
20 | dialogue
not easy to stand up and speak for your
cause when you feel disenfranchised. As
a result, the voices we hear in our public
discourse about poverty and inequality
come from politicians, journalists and
academic, and not from those directly
living the realities of poverty.
The pilot with Trust for London
aimed at improving the public
speaking and argumentation skills of
representatives from the London Gypsy
and Traveller Unit, Toynbee Hall, ATD
Fourth World, Fitzrovia Youth in Action,
London Citizens, Inclusion London and
Disability in Action. It also included a
meeting with a FGM campaigner who
shared her experiences with talking to
the media about difficult, and personal
circumstances. The pilot was a rewarding
experience for all participants, and we
look forward to bringing this programme
to a future stage.
FIND OUT MORE
For more information, contact Leela Koenig
[email protected]