Friday, July 17, 2009

Youth Debate project holds national finals in Bucharest, Romania


The national finals of the Youth Debate project held on May 31st and June 1st in Bucharest, Romania, was organized by the Romanian Ministry of Education, Research and Innovation. The two best speakers of the tournament, Cluj Napoca and Calin Muresanu, were both from the ARDOR network; and the team from Emil Racovita National College won the tournament.

The tournament topics focused on the difficulties the Roma minority faces in Romania. The quarter finals discussed the censorship of racist statements on the internet. The semi-finals covered the inefficiency of Roma education, and the finals centered on the continuation of affirmative measures for the Roma minority.

Many honorable guests attended the tournament, such as Ms. Oana Badea, the Secretary of State from the Ministry of Education. She expressed how important it is to introduce debates in school curriculum, so that projects like this may reach a wider range of schools. Other guests that attended the tournament include:

Csaba Asztaloz (President- National Council of Anti-Discrimination)
Ms. Monica Anghelescu (Councilor- National Agency for Interethnic Relationships- Councilor)Ms. Maria Mota (President- National Agency for Equal Opportunities between Men and Women)
Valeriu Nicolae (Open Society Institute)

Several other organizations that made this tournament a success include ARDOR, Debate House, the Impreuna Agency for Community Development, the National Network of the Young Roma, and the Open Society Institute - A Decade of Roma Inclusion.

Oana Stanciu, Debate House, and Monica Mocanu, ARDOR

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