Thursday, August 23, 2007


The IDEA Weekly, Volume 142 August 23, 2007
Dear INN Readers,
At this point, I hope you’ve finished recovering from lingering post-forum blues and begun looking ahead at plans and activities for the upcoming year. I’m beginning to recover, but I miss those little packages of cookies the fairies brought out at coffee breaks. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of snack accompanies the coffee breaks next year in Bulgaria. Moving on from cookies: though you can’t easily access Dobra Voda or Dobra Rano (unless you’re still in Trest), you can visit www.idebate.org/blog to relive memories and see the latest blog postings. And, don’t forget our beloved the IDEA Alums Facebook group, where you can see photos from other IDEA Alums…and even visit some memories you don’t want to remember. J IDEA has been hard at work coordinating fall projects and activities, and we are beginning planning for next spring and summer already, so remember to visit the IDEA website often for up-to-date news! ~Arminda

TPS Global Debates 2007-2008
The weeks of Global Debate are quickly approaching. If you haven’t signed up for the TPS Global Debates, now is a good time to do so! This year, TPS looks different from years past, so be sure to read carefully and ask questions. For the TPS Global Debates this fall, you can get involved by organizing a debate at your school on the topic: “Resolved: Market mechanisms are preferable to regulatory approaches in reducing carbon emissions.” The coolest part? You and five other people from your school could with a trip to the U.N. Youth Summit in New York July 2008! There are also lots of other prizes and special benefits for IDEA members! For more information, go to The People Speak’s website and register. There is additional information on IDEA’s website at www.idebate.org/thepeoplespeak. Download the Global Debates Toolkit and learn how you can become involved in the Global Debates today! Please don’t hesitate to contact Arminda with questions. You can also email info@thepeoplespeak.org . Take advantage of this opportunity!

The TPS Global Debates Festival in Haiti
As part of this year's the People Speak Global Debates, IDEA and its partner, Fokal, are pleased to invite high school debaters to the first international debate event it is hosting in Haiti. The event will take place in the beautiful city of Jacmel October 31st—November 4th, 2007. The festival will feature a five round debate tournament, as well as training, discussions, and cultural activities. All high schools who register for the TPS Global Debates 2007 will be eligible for participation in the Global Debates Festival. You can see more information about this event on IDEA’s website.

IDEA and CCD Announce Dates for the Bosnia Open
The Centre of Cultivating Dialogue in Sarajevo, IDEA, and The People Speak announce The 2007 TPS Bosnia Open, an invitational tournament for Southeastern European countries, will be held November 17th-20th, 2007. To be eligible, debaters must participate in the Global Debates this October. We will announce this event and necessary details, including how to register, on the IDEA website soon.

The IDEA Wiki: An Important Source of Information
The IDEA Wiki is quickly becoming one of IDEA’s most popular website pages. On the Wiki, you can find information about a variety of topics that are debate-related and IDEA-related, and you can add topics and articles as well. The most recently added topics include: Karl Popper Debate Judging Handbook, The People Speak: Global Debates, The People Speak: Cartoons, Debate in the Neighborhood, the IDEA Debate Hall of Fame, and The September-October NFL LD Topic.

It’s Not Too Late to Sign up for the IDEA Exchange
The IDEA Exchange is an academic conference that will take place in Kaunas, Lithuania November 7-8, 2007. IDEA invites university professors, university students, debate activists, youth workers, and debate educators to attend the conference and capacity building workshops. This year’s academic conference topic is “Debate in the Neighborhood.” To submit workshop proposals or register to attend, contact Jurate Motiejunaite.

IDEA Multimedia
IDEA is continuing to develop multimedia resources, including the IDEA Encyclomedia, IDEA Citizen Journalism Pages, and of course, IDEA Radio. You can even upload your own materials to many of these resources! Go and check ‘em out!

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