Global Debaters: IDEA Challenge deadline fast approaching

On your way to the Global Debates grand prize, don’t miss out on the IDEA Challenge, a special contest this fall 2009. You could win participation fees for your team to attend the 2010 IDEA International Tournament of Champions at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, U.S., plus 500 points toward your Global Debates! Simply submit 2 essays summarizing the best arguments and evidence you gathered for your public debate. Essay #1 argues in favor of the resolution; Essay #2 argues against. Essays are due November 16th. Find out more here.

Macedonia Open 2009 holds seventh annual international debate tournament

The Macedonia Open is an international debate tournament which takes place annually in Skopje, Macedonia. The seventh annual open will be hosted by the Youth Educational Forum from December 18-20, 2009, during which the organization will be celebrating its ten year jubilee.

The Macedonia Open offers an opportunity for guests to experience the culture and social life of the capital city, Skopje and the rich traditions of Macedonia. Held in English, the tournament will be conducted in Karl Popper debate format. The final debate is traditionally held at the Parliament building in Macedonia, where debaters are joined by high profile ambassadors, Parliament members, and other public officials. This year's resolution is "Intellectual Property Rights should be abolished." Last year, the tournament hosted more than 120 participants, from Macedonia, the surrounding countries, and from across Europe.

All interested debaters and coaches should apply no later than November 20th. To register, email either Petar Dimitrov (petar_dimitrov@mof.org.mk) or Sanja Stefanovik (sanjastefanovik@gmail.com). Participation fees of 25 Euros per person cover food and accommodations in Skopje. Visit the Macedonia Open 2009 Facebook page for more information.

IDEA-Netherlands "Debate in the Neighborhood" program increases dialogue with youth

From September-December 2009, several activities focusing on debate have been planned in the Netherlands. All part of the "Debate in the Neighborhood" program organized by IDEA-Netherlands, these activities take place in the cities of Zeeland, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Recently, the program has worked in the community of Tholen to increase youth knowledge in policy-making. In addition, IDEA has worked to increase dialogue between youth and local police in Rotterdam.

On October 30th, Doutsen Langhout, the head of Dutch projects in the Netherlands, gave a training to the local Youth Council on how to organize public debates for youth. Additionally, the council was given instructions and tools, like games and exercises, on how to develop debate and public speaking skills in students. The Youth Council will use this training to organize a Debate Battle competition for eighth graders and a Debate Festival in March for high school students. In March 2010, the Youth Council will also organize shadow elections for the youth on youth policy.

On November 9th, local youth in the neighborhood of Crooswijk, Rotterdam will meet with local police to suggest solutions for the growing tension between them. Doutsen recently organized a series of meetings with local youth and police force members in Crooswijk to help them resolve issues. Tension has been growing between the two groups for some time now. These youth, particularly a group of 16-25 year olds, are referred to as "Hangiongeren, which has a bad connotation that people associate with loitering and criminal mischief. While the youth do admit to committing some crimes, the police use their authority to fine and incarcerate the youth, so as to keep the neighborhood quiet — even in some cases where they would be overlooked in normal circumstances. Thanks to the "Debate in the Neighborhood" program, these two groups have agreed to adress this situation, in a cooperative debate.

Tournament in Minsk joins debaters from far and wide

On October 24th and 25th, debaters gathered from various regions to participate in the recent tournament held in Minsk, Belarus. Participants came from as near as Minsk, and from as far away as Grodno and Baranovichi, and other cities. A team from Yakutsk, Russia traveled 9,000 kilometers, not only to debate, but to also share some of their cultural traditions. At the tournament's opening ceremony, the team prepared a presentation of some of their national traditions, such as the Yakut dance, cultural songs, and their national instrument, the "Hamus."

The tournament itself discussed problematic issues of modern society, as participants discovered new ways of communicating across cultures. The debates were held in the Minsk Gymnasia #7, and discussed the motion, "Genetically modified foods are in the public interest." The finalists included a team from Minsk and another team from Borisov, Bulgaria. In the end, local participants, Kirill Burko and Irina Fedorova, from Minsk won the final debate. However, the enriching cultural exchanges at the tournament gave all debaters a winning experience.

IDEA Youth Forum opens registration for 2010 trainers, and invites bidders for 2011

This summer, from July 22-August 4th, 2010, IDEA will host 200 young people from over 30 countries at its 16th annual IDEA Youth Forum, this time in the Province of Zeeland. The forum is a team debate event for high-school students which includes three debate competitions, along with a week of debate instruction and social activities!IDEA is looking for 21 trainers, who would be interested in teaching at the forum. Apart from having fun, and gaining hundreds of new friends, being a YF trainer offers the opportunity to develop training skills and employ them in a face-to-face week long debate instruction within an international setting. Download the application, and submit it to the forum director, Veronika (vvlckova@idebate.org) no later than December 15th.

IDEA would also like to invite organizations to co-host the 2011 Youth Forum. Apart from impacting youth from around the world, hosting the forum provides an opportunity to promote communication, debate and youth involvement among a greater number of people in your organization (debate) network, community, and country. This year's Forum is co-organized by the International Debate Education Association (IDEA) and Zeeland's Institute for Social and Cultural Development (Scoop), in cooperation with the municipalities of Middelburg and Vlissingen, the Hogeschool Zeeland and the Roosevelt Academy. For more information, please contact the forum director (vvlckova@idebate.org).

BFSU and IDEA to host international debate tournament next month

The annual IDEA-BFSU tournament is quickly approaching, and so is the registration deadline! Registration ends on December 5th. The tournament will be held on December 11- 13, 2009 at the Beijing Foreign Studies University in the heart of China's capital city. This exciting tournament will feature English and Mandarin divisions in a four-team worlds-style parliamentary debate format, as well as a division of International Moot Court. Training sessions will also be provided for judges and debaters before the tournament, through which qualified adjudicators can become accredited trainers. The tournament also offers site-seeing of historic and modern sites of Beijing.

For more information, contact the tournament host Xi Li (pearlilysweet@gmail.com) or Robert Trapp (trapp@willamette.edu). Registration is free at IDEA's website. Students do not need to register as a team; they may register as individuals and IDEA will help find partners. The tournament will accept 120 teams. Each university is limited to two team entries, but can add additional English team for each Mandarin team they enter.

Registration now open for the International Debate Budva Open 2009

On November 20-22, 2009, the Logos Center for Creative Communication will be hosting its third annual international debate tournament in Budva, Montenegro. The Budva Open 2009 invites all debaters, coaches and international judges to participate. While guests enjoy their stay in this Mediterranean city, the tournament will also be held to help commemorate the Budva Municipality Day celebration.

The tournament will be held in English, and will be debated in Karl Popper and World Schools formats. Both debates will discuss the resolution, "The state should do more on the issue of Roma rights." Participation fees are 30 euros per person, which include food, acommodation and activities. To register for this event, send team information (names, preferred debate, and arrival time) to logosbudva@gmail.com. Hurry! Registration ends on November 17th.

“Road to Copenhagen” campaign deadline

As part of the “Road to Copenhagen” campaign, Clean Energy Nepal (CEN) and Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA) are carrying out a “Basecamp to Copenhagen” campaign in which ten youths will trek to Everest Basecamp. This campaign team will carry out awareness to school students and local communities on climate change and its impacts on the Himalayas, in the mountain ecosystems and livelihoods. In addition, this campaign team will collect signatures, make a documentary, and take photographs that relate to climate change issues. The outputs of this trek will be displayed at the COP 15 in Copenhagen this December.

Participants should commit the first week of November to December 12th (Global Day of Action on Climate Change). Those who have a passion for and skills in photography and videography are highly encouraged to apply. Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered by the campaign’s organizers. However, those who would like to fund themselves, fully or partially, are most welcome.

Please send a letter of interest no later than November 4, 2009 to theprashanta4us@gmail.com or nyca.np@gmail.com. The letter should highlight your campaigning experiences, skills in youth and climate change, your trekking experiences (optional), your age, gender, education, and available commitment time for the involvement in this campaign.

Paper submission deadline for eLearning Africa conference

The fifth International Conference, ICT, for development, education and training will be hosted by eLearning Africa from May 26-28, 2010 in Lusaka, Zambia. It is the continent's largest annual assembly of e-learning and education professionals from Africa and beyond. The deadline for submitting papers is December 14th.

ELearning Africa continues to build and expand a worldwide network for people involved in all aspects of technology-enhanced education and training in Africa, including management and policy-making. The conference will once again be conducted in English and French.

For more information on the conference and details on paper submissions, visit their website at www.elearning-africa.com.

IDEA seeks Southeast Asia Program Coordinator

The International Debate Education Association announces an open call for applicants for the position of Southeast Asia Program Coordinator. The position begins in January 2010. The contract period is for six months with a possibility of renewal.

The Program Coordinator for this office will be based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The Program Coordinator is supervised by Robert Trapp in the IDEA offices in Salem, Oregon.


ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Manage a regional debate program.
2. Manage a Youth Action Fund that gives small grants to youth-driven projects.
3. Make site visits to establish local infrastructures for programs.
4. Coordinate debate workshops.
5. Supervise the development and translation of debate education materials into local languages.
6. Communicate with other IDEA offices and staff.
7. Network and establish relationships with local and regional partners.
8. Assist with additional events when needed.

QUALIFICATION STANDARDS

1. Must have the legal right to live and work in Thailand.
2. Must speak and write fluently in Thai.
3. Must speak and write fluently in English.
4. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
5. Debate training experience.
6. Flexibility and willingness to travel on short notice.
7. Excellent communication skills.
8. Self-motivation and efficiency.
9. Willing to be based in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Interested parties should send a cover letter, resume, and contact information for at least 3 references to Robert Trapp at trapp@willamette.edu, Lin Lu at llu@idebate.org, and Alisa Keetanitinun at akeetanitinun@idebate.org. We will begin considering applications on 30 November 2009, and will continue until the position is filled.

Global Youth Panel filling up quickly- reserve your spot today!

With nearly 300 members already signed up, The Global Youth Panel is quickly reaching its goal of 1,000 members. Panelists have joined from over 70 countries, and from every continent except Antarctica. Membership is already closed for those who live in the UK, Bangladesh and Indonesia. However, the panel still needs more participants from other countries! Visit Debatewise to register.

The Global Youth Panel is also seeking country coordinators, who will represent their country and get ten friends to participate in this event. There will an extra benefit for these coordinators as well!

Debatewise, IDEA, and the British Council have organized this panel to give debaters an opportunity to have their say on what happens at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December. Members will debate online about issues as they arise, and other members will vote on the points that have been made. The results will be released to the press as an indication of what young people around the world think of decisions made at the conference. For more information, click here.

Debate in the Neighborhood project trains debate mentors

The Debate in the Neighborhood program (DIN), organized by IDEA-Netherlands, is well underway. In the cities of Zeeland, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam, this program seeks to train youth workers, teachers, and volunteers to be debate mentors for students.

In Zeeland, more debate mentors successfully completed a four-day training on October 23rd. DIN now moves into its second phase, where the debate mentors will teach students how to debate and present themselves in the public arena. Approximately 50 students will then be given the responsibility of organizing local debates and festivals around the Province of Zeeland. These events will engage discussions with their peers, parents, teachers, school administrators, politicians, and local government officials on the topic of their choice.

For more information on the Debate in the Neighborhood program, visit the IDEA-NL website or the events page on idebate.org.

Curriculum committee and chief adjudicator selected for Youth Forum 2010

The new members of the curriculum committee for this year’s Youth Forum were recently selected by the Curriculum Director, Professor Dr. Robert Trapp, who is also the director of the Mixed Team Track curriculum and trainers. The chosen candidates will prepare the curriculum for the other tracks at the Youth Forum. The members of the 2010 Youth Forum curriculum committee are Joe Zompetti (International New Debaters Track), Sharon Porter (Coaches and Judges Track), Logan Balavijendran (British Parliamentary Track), and Elizabeth Humphrey (English as Foreign Language Track).

For the second year in a row, the chief adjudicator is Andrej Schulz. He was known at last year’s Youth Forum for his morning announcements and for holding the time paddles at the Grand Finals.

The IDEA Youth Forum is a team debate event, for high-school students, that includes three debate competitions, with a week of debate instruction and many social activities. This year, the forum will be held from July 22nd - August 4th in the Province of Zeeland, Netherlands. To receive updates on the Youth Forum be sure to sign up for the e-newsletters! To learn more about the Youth Forum, check out information, pictures and videos from last year’s event on the YF website.

Fall 2009 publication of Controversia has arrived!

The fall 2009 Controversia, Volume 6 Issue 2, is now available for purchase! Controversia is a refereed, interdisciplinary journal that explores the nexus of communication and politics and seeks to stimulate reflection on the role of dialogue and debate in fostering participatory governance in both emerging and established democracies.

In this issue, topics include the impact of historic speeches, racism in political campaign materials, gender issues, and more. Find this book, more issues of Controversia, and other publications at our online store.

350 Day of Action in Nepal

The Climate Advocacy Institute, held in July by IDEA, Bloomfield College and 350.org, has encouraged its graduates to stay involved in the 350 movement. This past Saturday, October 24th, was the highly-anticipated 350.org Climate Change Day of Action. With over 5,200 events in 181 countries, and 19,000 pictures submitted to 350.org, the Day of Action was considered a huge success!

Buhwan, a past participant in the Climate Advocacy Institute, partnered with the 350 Nepal team to coordinate events across their region, including a march in Kathmandu, a lighting of butter lamps at Swambhu, and a cycle rally. In addition, Buhwan played a significant role in circulating an international petition to a network of organizations and individuals working on the climate change issue. The Nepal petition spoke on behalf of Nepal, one of the ten most vulnerable countries to climate change. It was delivered to the US, China, Japan, India, and EU embassies in Nepal on October 24th. Check out more photos of all the action in Nepal on October 24th.

Click here to read about how other IDEA participants contributed to the 350 Day of Action.

350 Day of Action

IDEA participants take leadership skills beyond debate

This past Saturday, October 24th, was the highly-anticipated 350.org Climate Change Day of Action. With over 5,200 events in 181 countries, and 15,200 pictures submitted to 350.org, the Day of Action was considered a huge success! Participants involved with IDEA also played a significant role in the Day of Action. Students from IDEA’s Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Leadership Program submitted their own photo to the movement.

Irena Pejic, Belma Sarajlic, Emir Duric, Andrea Tesanovic, Amer Suljendic, Nadja Jahic joined friends in Bosnia and Herzegovina in support of the Day of Action.

The Climate Advocacy Institute, held in July by IDEA, Bloomfield College and 350.org, has encouraged its graduates to stay involved in the 350 movement. Franco in Panama helped raise awareness in local schools and universities by giving presentations. Nadim in Lebanon worked with 350 and IndyAct to involve youth from his region in the Day of Action. Here are some more reports on the involvement of CAI participants in Saturday’s events:

Samer organized a chain of events that took place across Lebanon, through his involvement with Rotaract Clubs in different cities. With his help thirteen clubs, from Beirut to Tripoli Mina, all participated in the Day of Action.

One Rotaract Club that Samer helped, took their 350 photo at the Sea Castle of Saida.

Dani from Kosovo got involved with the Speak Up movement that organized a symbolic event on Saturday, named “Grieving Planet Earth,” in which a globe was placed on the National Theater stairs above the number 350 decorated with flowers. Two national TV news stations reported on the event; and Dani’s own editorial about the event was published the next day in the country’s most popular newspaper, the Koha Ditore.

One TV reporter interviewing a member of Dani's organization "Speak Up"

Bhuwan from Nepal circulated an international petition to a network of organizations and individuals working on the climate change issue. The Nepal petition spoke on behalf of Nepal, one of the ten most vulnerable countries to climate change. It was delivered to the US, China, Japan, India, and EU embassies in Nepal on October 24th.

Vesna and Simona organized an event in Skopje, Macedonia. They invited citizens to put their painted handprints on a 350 banner, which was hung in the capital city’s Skopje square.

Citizen hand-printing Vesna and Simona's 350 banner to be hung in the Skopje square

With the help of IDEA participants, 350.org’s Day of Action sparked international interest to the movement’s mission- to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis, to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet.

IDEA staffer makes the front page with his 350 involvement

Mite, an IDEA staff member from Macedonia, wrote a photo story about the event that Vesna and Simona organized in Skopje. That story was published on the front page of demotix.com. Read Mite's full photo story here.

Global Youth Panel filling up quickly- reserve your spot today!

Registration for the Global Youth Panel- the 1,000 strong group who will debate issues arising from the hugely important Copenhagen climate change conference- is going well. So well, in fact, that the panel already has enough UK members and cannot accept anymore.

However, there are spaces for other countries, so if you love debating and care about the environment register now at www.debatewise.info/cop15. All debates will take place online, so you can be part of Copenhagen without leaving home. You can participate as much or als little as you like and the results of your work will be released to the press and given to the participants at the conference.

Sign up for the panel and make your views on the environment heard.

International Public Policy Forum registration deadline extended

The 2009-2010 International Public Policy Forum registration has been extended to Monday 26, 2009. To register, visit the Bickel and Brewer site, and click on "registration." There is also still plenty of time to submit your qualifying round essay. Essays are due on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 2:00 PM CST. They can be e-mailed directly to sem@bickelbrewer.com.

The IPPF offers students the chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to New York City. The top eight teams will compete in oral debates, with a grand prize of $10,000! Judges will include Ret. General Wesley K. Clark, who will also be the keynote speaker at the annual IPPF Finals Weekend Banquet! Participation is free, so register today!

Find out more information from the website, Facebook , or Youtube.

Registration still open for IDEA Exchange

The registration deadline has been extended for the IDEA Exchange to be held in London, December 12-13, 2009. It is being organized by IDEA, Debatewise and Goldsmiths University, whose Media department will help organize an event themed as "The Web and Social Change."

Up to 150 young people from around the world attend this event every year. This year's Exchange will focus on how the Internet and other communication tools can be used to amplify messages, further causes, and achieve change.

If you would like to attend the Exchange, please fill out an application and email it to Marcin Zaleski at mzaleski@idebate.org by October 31, 2009.

If you would like to speak at the event please contact David Crane at http://www.debatewise.com/pages/contact-us.

Earn extra points for Global Debates contest by engaging local leaders

A new challenge has been added to this year's The People Speak Global Debates contest. If local elected leaders attend a team's debate event, the team collects 500 extra points! This new portion of the contest was inspired by an event held a few Global Debates seasons ago. One of the most active debate schools from Los Angeles, California invited Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to attend their public debate on climate change. Not only did he attend the event, but he participated by speaking to the entire student body.

To secure your team's extra 500 points, simply send in proof of your local leader's participation in your Global Debate Event. Include a the name and a picture of the leader, the event and date he or she attended, and his or her contact information. Find out more about how to engage your local leader in your event by downloading the toolkit.

Not participating in this fall's Global Debate contest? Find out how you and your debate team can participate the Spring Global Debates.

New issue of Idebate magazine hot off the presses

The newest version of IDEA's exclusive magazine, Idebate, is now available for purchase. The publication includes details about events and conferences held this past year, including the 2009 Climate Advocacy Institute, the 2009 Youth Leadership Summit, and the 2009 Youth Forum.

To order your copy of the Idebate magazine, or begin a subscription, visit our store. Or to preview this issue, visit our website.