Kanniesh Theeran Kannigeswaran represented Malaysia in the age 11-14 category and delivered a compelling speech on the topic: “What does war mean to you?”
“Never Such Innocence” is a London-based charity that began as a project in commemoration of World War I. It has since expanded into a platform for young people worldwide to share their thoughts on conflicts throughout history and their impact on society.
The annual competition attracts participants from 125 countries and is divided into four categories: artwork, poems, speeches, and songs – each corresponding with different age groups. The first-place winner in Kanniesh’s category is a student from the United States.
Rather than tackling the perhaps predictable elements of conflict and devastation, Kanniesh’s entry expounds on the “war on poverty, disease, and ignorance”, the latter of which “promotes individual and collective introspection”.
“It is not a physical but rather a psychological war, and it is frequently not against the ignorant but against their ignorance,” he says in his speech delivered in a video presentation.
“It is an individual war rather than a collective war. It seeks to awaken each individual’s consciousness and subconsciousness to the reality that they are aware of but ignore.”
‘Third time’s the charm’
This isn’t the SJK(T) Rawang pupil’s first foray into the arena of international competitions. He and his sister Shaindavy have been entering contests since the onset of the pandemic, as being in lockdown meant they had plenty of free time.
In 2020 alone they participated in over 100 competitions, and their accomplishments include coming in first place in the US-based Wildlife Forever art competition for three consecutive years.
In addition, Kanniesh and two of his classmates received awards for creating an ayurvedic air cooler made from scrap metals, presented at the 2nd International Research Invention, Innovation and Exhibition event last year.
This was Kanniesh’s third attempt at “Never Such Innocence”, having previously entered in the poetry and artwork categories without success. “It’s like they say, third time’s a charm!” he told FMT, smiling.
Yet the boy remains humble, attributing the win to his mother, Kanga Ponnudurai, who guided him by proposing he look at the notion of war “through a different lens”.
Ultimately, however, it was his own passion for global issues and hard work that led to his success: Kanniesh enjoys reading about politics, war, and other global concerns, which fuelled the ideas for his speech.
Indeed, in conversation with him, it is clear he is a lad with big ambitions. Asked about his future aspirations, he confidently declared: “I want to become an agricultural minister when I grow up!”
Kanniesh’s concern for the natural world speaks to his deep empathy for life and his drive to make a positive impact. Case in point: “When I was travelling, I observed that many trees were being cut down,” he said. “This actually leads to many natural disasters.”
Speaking with FMT, Kanga shared that she was very proud of her son’s win – “not only for our family, but also for our country”.
She and her husband make it a point to enrich their children’s lives with activities and hobbies beyond academics. “As a parent, it’s in our hands to give them exposure to various experiences and opportunities,” she added.
This has clearly paid off, with Kanniesh’s thought-provoking entry earning him the award that will be presented virtually this year, ahead of a physical ceremony in the UK – which the family hope to attend – in 2025.
And of the congratulatory messages they have received, it was the one from Sunak, addressed to all participants, that took them most by surprise.
“We never expected this,” Kanga exclaimed. “We opened our eyes very wide, that he had time for us!”
Check out Kanniesh’s speech on pages 39 & 40 of the ‘Never Such Innocence’ competition winners booklet.