Why Should We Care? — Public Speaking Competition for Young People

We live in a world where problems are everywhere — and it’s easy to shrug and move on. Why Should We Care? is a public speaking competition, organised by Speak Up, that challenges young people to do the opposite: to speak clearly about what isn’t working, persuade others that it matters, and propose what can be done.

Each participant delivers a speech that answers two essential questions:

1. Why should we care?
2. What can be done? (even at an individual level)

Tracks

1. Local Issues (Romanian): issues that affect your school, neighbourhood, or city.
2. Global Issues (Romanian): climate crisis, misinformation, polarization, rights violations, and more.
3. English Track: any topic, as long as it answers the two questions above.

Speech length

• 5 minutes — participants aged 15+
• 3 minutes — participants under 15

Topic guidelines

Topics are open, but speeches must be:

• Non-discriminatory
• Free of harmful, insulting, or hate-inciting messages
• Not linked to extremist ideologies

Format (Hybrid event)

• In-person (Bucharest): 14 February, GDS, Calea Victoriei 120 (attendance in the venue is only after email confirmation)
• Online (Zoom): for participants from across the country
  Online speeches will be streamed and projected in the room.

The event is open to parents and the wider public.

Registration

To validate your registration:

1. Complete the form: https://forms.gle/5YY6wrsoo8RfWw6D6
2. Send a relaxed 1-minute video explaining your chosen topic:

• via WhatsApp to +40 744 321 041, or
• upload to YouTube (unlisted link) and include it in the form.

Note for schools

Schools registering more than two participants are kindly asked to provide a teacher available to serve on a judging panel.