Friday, July 24, 2009

The annual IDEA Youth Forum kicks off!

IDEA's biggest, and longest running, event has finally arrived! The 15th annual Youth Forum kicked off today in the beautiful city of Jahorina, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The trainers of the forum arrived on July 21st to prepare for the forum, while the other 200 guests checked in yesterday for a pre-youth forum welcome.

Every day at the forum is jam-packed with different events and tasks for trainers, coaches, judges, and most of all, for debaters. In preparation for the Karl Popper Debate Championship on Monday, each day of the forum entails several labs and prep times for Karl Popper debaters. There will also be three or four workshops offered daily for debaters in the International New Debaters Track.

The Youth Forum is rigorous for all, but there is also plenty of time for fun! Many social events and field trips have been organized to help participants unwind from their daily activities. Games, sports, movies and music have been arranged for every evening. Tonight features a cultural night about the host country, which will include dancing, singing, and costumes from the culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A drum workshop is scheduled for Saturday night and Cultural Expo night is on Sunday, which features a festival and exhibition of the diverse cultures at the forum.

Monday is especially exciting because everyone will travel to Sarajevo. This day traip will include the KP Debate Championship, a carnival walk through the city, a tour of the city, all topped off with a cocktail party that night.

Until the end of the forum on August 5th, everyone at the Youth Forum will be learning new skills, expanding their cultural knowledge, and enjoying all the fun activities.

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