2010 IDEA Youth Forum participants selected!

We have received applications from 300 interested participants but we unfortunately have space only for 226 debaters and coaches. The criteria for the selection have been publicized at the General Assembly meeting of IDEA NL in December in London as well as on the YF website. This is the ranking the Participants Selection Committee used in order to determine the final list of participants:
criteria

1. diversity: at least one team per country (individuals in some cases)

2. cap on 20 individuals per country: there will not be delegations larger than 20 individuals (this number includes debaters, coaches, observers, but excludes staff, board members and trainers)

3. preference will be given to the individuals coming for the whole event: KPDC students will have lower priority than students who want to attend the entire YF.
example: if there are two teams from country A and only one comes for KPDC only and a team needs to be eliminated, it will be the one coming only for KPDC. The rule 1 still takes precedence, meaning if country A brings teams only for KPDC, then one has to be accepted.

4. three teams per institution: if there are still teams that need to be eliminated, then the institution that brings more than three teams will be stripped off of a team.
So if Country A Debate Association or Debate Club registered 4 teams and we still had to eliminate teams, one of the teams from Country A Debate Association would be placed on waiting list.

The above mentioned criteria weren't enough to make the final list complete, so the Participants' selection committee had to evaluate the remaining applicants based on the following criteria:
- motivation and impact that the participation of the given individual is going to bring to the YF and his/her home environment
- opportunity for the individual to take part in and international event (competition and/or workshop) in his area

There were a few exemptions that took precedence over all of these rules:
• The People Speak teams - if interested to come 10 winning delegations have to be accepted
• early registrants have been granted spots irregardless of these criteria (only criteria 1, 2 have been applied)
• participants from institution that attended in the past are granted one place if they register within deadline
• for the KPDC - judges/coaches are exempt from the elimination criteria


List of partcipants' countries selected to attend YF 2010

Here is a list of countries that made it through the selection this year: Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana,Bulgaria,Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Netherlands, Palestinian Territory, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, USA, Zimbabwe.

The waiting list now entails names of 34 individuals who will be asked to participate in case a team or an individual drops out. We are looking into possibilities of enabling more participants to attend at least the KPDC, by providing alternative venues outside of the Navy Facility (sleeping venue) and close to Hogeschool Zeeland (debating venue). If this is possible we will inform all the persons on the waiting list, however it is likely that it will increase the costs of the fee for participation for these individuals, as we received generous support from the Ministry of Defense and we stay in the Navy Facility for only service costs.

If you have any questions or comments to these criteria or their ranking, please do let us know!

On behalf of the Participants Selection Committee

Veronika
Forum Director

Debate organization announces 'Youth Forum Seliger'

The "World of Debate" section of the International Youth Forum Seliger-2010 is bringing together over 150 students from different countries to enhance their debating skills, discuss various matters, promote debates to over 2,000 other participants of the Forum and set up joint projects with other debating societies and clubs.

The "World of Debate" section includes:

• A tournament in the American parliamentary format and games in the British parliamentary, Lincoln Douglas and Carl Popper formats, as well as political debates
• Workshops aimed at developing participants' debating skills
• Lectures by international business leaders, politicians, academics, etc.
• Round tables on joint debate projects and the promotion of debates

Seliger-2010 will take place in Tver Region in the Russian Federation, July 1st-8th. Submit your applications and learn more about Seliger-2010 at www.seliger2010.com

If selected, you will be responsible only for your fare to and from Moscow and a participation fee of 70; we will take care of everything else, including your visa.

If you have questions, please write to debatenet@mail.ru.

IDEBATE Press publishes 'Digital Activism Decoded'

Next week, IDEBATE Press will release Digital Activism Decoded: The New Mechanics of Change. The media has recently been abuzz with cases of citizens around the world using digital technologies to push for social and political change: from the use of Twitter to amplify protests in Iran and Moldova to the thousands of American non-profits creating Facebook accounts in the hopes of luring supporters.

These stories have been published, discussed, extolled, and derided, but have not yet been viewed holistically as a new field of human endeavor. We call this field “digital activism” and its dynamics, practices, misconceptions, and possible futures are presented together for the first time in this book.

Author Mary Joyce is an internationally recognized speaker, trainer, writer, consultant, and commentator in the field of digital activism. She is the founder of the Meta-Activism Project, which seeks to build a new body of activism strategy that recognizes the radically different communications infrastructure of the digitally networked world.

She is also the cofounder of DigiActive.org, an organization dedicated to the study and promotion of digital technology by grassroots activists around the world. Mary was the New Media Operations Manager for President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign.
To order your copy, visit the idebate.org store today.

International Tournament of Champions wraps up with excellent competition, fun

On May 22 and 23, excellent teams from Canada, the Philippines and several states within the US gathered on the campus of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, for the 6th annual International Tournament of Champions. The three-person teams debated, in the World Schools format, the topic, "In some cases, juveniles should be tried as adults."

Competition was fierce during the day, but in the evenings students gathered for impromtu talent contests, games on the Wii, foosball, air hockey and movies.

"WOW! We had an amazing time," said parent Karima Kassam. "Our son Armaan is actively involved with debate and we have gone as far as the Czech Republic to debate. Truly, the organization, the atmosphere, the comradery, and yes of course the FOOD exceeded our expectations."

Here are the results:
1st Christina Yu, Armaan Kassam and Annie Jin of Team Burnaby, Burnaby, British Columbia
2nd Annie McKenna and Logan Brog of Bentley School, Lafayette, California
3rd Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy
4th Ashley Bowron, Trevor Davis and Liam Carson of West Point Grey Academy, Vancouver, British Columbia

The International Tournament of Champions is known for its more relaxed, fun, intimate atmosphere. Students stay on-campus in dorm rooms, getting a taste for campus life while making friends with students from different corners of the globe.

Registration for the 2011 tournament will begin in January 2011.

2010 IDEA NJFL Nationals biggest ever

The premier US middle school tournament, the NJFL Nationals, closed registration at 219 teams from 45 schools all over the US and Asia. This marks the largest NJFL Nationals yet!

This year, the Nationals will take place in Des Moines, Iowa, within three Des Moines high schools, June 24-27. As always, students compete in several speaking events:

Policy Debate
Lincoln Douglas Debate
Public Forum Debate
Dramatic Interpretation
Humorous Interpretation
Poetry Interpretation
Prose Interpretation
Duo Interpretation
Declamation NEW!
Original Oratory
Extemporaneous Speaking
Impromptu Speaking
Congressional Debate

To read more about the NJFL Nationals, visit the new juniorforensicleague.org website.

And the winners of The People Speak Global Debates are...

Congratulations to New Hope Academy (US), Santee High School (US), Liceul Academie de Stiint (Moldova) and Nancho Popovich (Bulgaria), the winners of the fall 2009/spring 2010 Global Debates! These top two US and top two international teams receive all-expenses-paid trips to the 2010 IDEA Youth Forum in Zeeland, Netherlands. The Youth Forum is an incredible three-week event bringing together high school students from more than 90 countries.
The winners maximized their Global Debates points by completing as many service projects, public service announcements, press releases and blog posts as possible, and they enlisted the involvement of their local elected leaders to help spread their climate change message.
The remaining top six schools will win UN Foundation grants ($2,000) to support their school's climate change initiatives, as well as 50% off Youth Forum registration fees. View the final results here.
Participating schools post their public service announcements and debates to the Global Debates YouTube channel. To participate in the the next round of Global Debates, register here, and be sure to leave "I'd like to receive periodic e-mail updates from this campaign" checked. You will receive updates on the prizes, deadlines, topics, and more to prep you for your Global Debates!

Registration ends tomorrow for 2010 National Middle School Tournament

Tomorrow, May 15th, marks the deadline to enter for the premier debate event that prepares middle school students for competition on a national level. Hosted by International Debate Education Association (IDEA) and the National Junior Forensic League (NJFL), the 2010 National Middle School Tournament will be held at Dowling Catholic High School in Iowa City, Iowa June 24th-27th. Click here to register your team today.

Plus, when you register for the tournament, your team will also receive organizational memberships to both IDEA and NJFL! For more information on tournament events, schedule, travel and more, visit the tournament website or download the complete 2010 tournament manual. For further details, contact tournament organizer Elizabeth Carson-Garland at ecarson@idebate.org.

Application and scholarship deadline extended for Advocacy Institute in China

The deadline to apply for the Advocacy Institute in China has just been extended to May 21st! Don't miss this amazing opportunity to study debate and persuasion this summer with award winning U.S. professors and experienced local trainers. IDEA is also offering full scholarships to applicants from East Asia and developing countries to attend the institute.

Hosted by IDEA, Willamette University, and Xiamen University, the Advocacy Institute invites university students to the city of Xiamen, in the Fujian province of China, for a two and a half week program June 7th-23rd. The institute will give participants the necessary tools to advocate for cultural and environmental sustainability with courses that focus on sustainability, tangible and intangible cultural heritage, argumentation and debate, and new media.

Ensure your spot today at the IDEA Advocacy Institute in China! Click here to download the application. For more information on this event, click here or email Crystal Jeffers at cjeffers@willamette.edu.

Activity points due for Spring 2010 Global Debates competition

The final day for Global Debates teams to submit their points is tomorrow, May 15th! All activities including video PSAs, research blogs, press coverage, or community service projects, must be submitted in order to count towards your team's overall point tabulation. To submit your Global Debates points, click here.

In addition, all debates and climate change adaptation plans must have been completed by April 30th. A showcase of videos on The People Speak blog has been posted of already submitted public debates, adaptation plans and community service projects. More videos of Global Debates activities can be found on the YouTube Global Debates page.

Want to get involved next year? The People Speak Global Debates are free to join and are held both fall and spring semesters. Students organize public debates and write action plans. Then they earn extra points by making video public service announcements and research blogs, inviting local elected leaders to participate in their debate, organizing community service projects, and more. Visit The People Speak Global Debates website for further information.

Position for IDEA Northeast Asia Program Coordinator available

The International Debate Education Association announces an open call for applicants for the position of the Northeast Asia Program Coordinator. The position begins in September 2010 and the contract period is for one year with the possibility of renewal.

IDEA develops, organizes, and promotes debate and debate-related activities in communities throughout the world. IDEA’s mission is to promote mutual understanding and democracy globally by supporting discussion and active citizenship locally.

The Program Coordinator for this office will be based in Seoul, South Korea and will be supervised by Robert Trapp in the IDEA offices in Salem, Oregon.

Essential Functions:
1. Manage a regional debate program
2. Make site visits to establish local infrastructures for programs
3. Coordinate debate workshops
4. Supervise the development and translation of debate education materials into local languages
5. Communicate with other IDEA offices and staff
6. Network and establish relationships with local and regional partners
7. Assist with additional events when needed

Qualification Standards:
1. Must be a citizen of the United States or Canada
2. Must speak and write fluently in English
3. Fluent Mandarin and or Korean preferred
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 Seoul, Korea

Application Procedure:
Interested parties should send a cover letter, resume, and contact information for at least three references to Robert Trapp at trapp@willamette.edu and Lin Lu at llu@idebate.org. We will begin considering applications on April 30th, 2010 and will continue until the position is filled.

First annual China Open registration nearing deadline

Only two weeks remain until registration closes on May 21st for the first annual China Open! This large debate tournament for university students will take place May 28th-30th on the beautiful campus of Xi'an Jiaotong University in China. There are no participation fees; schools are only responsible for their lodging, meals, and transportation. The grand prize includes a debate tour of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

Debaters can choose from English or Mandarin divisions of debate competition or Moot Court competition. So far in the debate competition, 72 teams have registered for the English division and 26 teams have entered in the Mandarin division. Each school is limited to two English debate teams; however, for every Mandarin team entered, each school may enter one additional English team. Both of these divisions will use the Four-Team Parliamentary Debate format, which will be discussed during debate training. Learn more about the debate divisions.

In addition, debaters are encouraged to enter the Moot Court competition. This division will introduce university students to the rule of law, legal representation, court etiquette, techniques, strategies and competition in a simulated courtroom atmosphere. There will also be a full day of training for Moot Court debaters before competition begins. Learn more about the Moot Court division.

Click here and register today to improve your debating skills and compete for the grand prize, for free! To view the tournament schedule, click here. For more information, visit the China Open website.

Registration now open for World Online Debating Championships

The second-annual World Online Debating Championships has just opened its registration! Don't miss this opportunity to take part in the best (and only) online debating championships in the world! Entrance costs are $20 per person, however, bursaries are available for deserving applicants. Registration will close at the end of May.

The WODC is also looking for people to help organize the preliminary rounds. These country coordinators will act as liaisons between tournament organizers and debaters, and will sort out who will be taking part in the debates. Preliminary knock-out rounds will be held during the month of June to determine the representing teams of each country. The official WODC will begin in August and finish at the end of September.

Hosted by Debatewise and IDEA, the competition invites national teams from every corner of the globe to debate against each other about important issues facing the world today. Participation in these debates opens up a unique opportunity to gain different perspectives to any debater with an internet connection.

To register for the WODC or apply to be a country coordinator, send an email to wodc@debatewise.org. For more information, visit the WODC website or Facebook page.

Full scholarships available for IDEA Advocacy Institute in China

For two weeks this summer, you can study debate and persuasion with award winning US professors and experienced local trainers...for free! IDEA is offering full scholarships to applicants from East Asia and developing countries, for the first-annual Advocacy Institute in China.

Hosted by IDEA, Willamette University, and Xiamen University the Advocacy Institute is a two and a half-week program for university students and will be held June 7-23, 2010 in Xiamen, Fujian, China. The Advocacy Institute will focus on teaching participants the necessary tools to advocate for cultural and environmental sustainability. Courses at the institute will focus on sustainability, tangible and intangible cultural heritage, argumentation and debate, and new media.

To ensure your spot at the first Advocacy Institute in China, send in your application as soon as possible! The deadline for applicants outside China is May 7th. Download the application here, and for more information, click here.

2010 IDEA/NJFL National Middle School Tournament registration deadline nearing

The deadline to enter for the fifth-annual IDEA and National Junior Forensic League Middle School Tournament is May 15th, just two weeks away. The tournament will be held at Dowling Catholic High School in Iowa City, Iowa on June 24-27, 2010. Hosted by IDEA and the National Forensic League, the IDEA/NJFL National Middle School Tournament is a premier event that prepares young debaters for competition on the national level. To register your team, click here.

Registration fees for the tournament also include organizational memberships to both IDEA and the NJFL. For information on tournament events, schedule, travel or lodging visit the tournament website or download the complete 2010 tournament manual here. Contact Elizabeth Carson-Garland at ecarson@idebate.org for more details.

Resources now available to help prepare for 2010 IDEA Youth Forum

With summer right around the corner, start preparing for the 2010 IDEA Youth Forum with the helpful resources section of the Youth Forum website. This section is aimed to help participants prepare for the Karl Popper Debate Championship. For those who want to get a head start on the second part of the event, this is also a good place to read more about the Mixed Team topic of migration, "governments should preserve rural life." In general, the resources section is a great place for those interested in topics that address migration, youth violence, and child labor!

As the Youth Forum nears, the resources section will grow with more core articles and their summaries, updates from daily press on these topics, and lesson plans that will help prepare your students. Other materials will also be posted, such as games, which will help students better understand the topics in a fun and entertaining way.

Keep updated on the Youth Forum and new resources at the website, and more importantly, share your research with others! If more research is available for all, the debates will be of high quality in general.

Improve your debate skills with videos and materials from IDEA training in Budapest

Do you want to build a better argument? Use videos and materials from a recent IDEA training! Even if you have never participated in a debate training, you can make use of these resources to help develop your argumentation and public speaking skills in general.

On April 12-13, as an extension of the 2010 YouthExchange, IDEA-Netherlands and the Foundation for Democratic Youth (DIA) held a debate training in Budapest, Hungary for students, youth workers and NGOs. Apart from learning other useful debate tools, the participants had the opportunity to debate for the first time by discussing issues such as banning private universities in Hungary and banning extreme right parties in Europe.

http://idebate.blip.tv/

The materials from the training (powerpoint presentations and further reading materials), as well as video recordings of the actual training sessions can be found at the YouthExchange website and IDEA's channel on Blip.TV.com. You can also check out the debate that the trainers presented for the Youth Exchange participants on the topic, "Europe should respond to populism." Click here to learn more about IDEA trainings.

IDEA holds first debate trainings in Southern China

On April 17-18, 2010, IDEA completed a province-wide training in the city of Nanning in Guangxi, China, which was the first IDEA training to ever be held in Southern China. This was also one of the first British Parliamentary Debate trainings in English and Mandarin to take place in the province of Guangxi.

The Southern China Training event was a two-day debate training held at Guangxi University. About 70-80 students participated in the training, and many came from far distances to do so. Some students and teachers from other cities in the province took up to nine hour bus and train rides. "I was inspired and touched by their motivation and eagerness to learn," said Lin Lu, the IDEA program coordinator in Southeast Asia.

The training was held in preparation for the IDEA China Open that will be held May 28-30 in Xi'an, China. IDEA trainer, Yang Ge, instructed the Mandarin Division, and IDEA trainers Holly Poole and Lin Lu led the English Division. These trainers are also part of the training teams for the China Open. More trainings in English, Mandarin, and Moot Court will be offered before the Open. For more information on trainings for the Open, click here, and for more information on the China Open, click here.

IDEA and Tulane University start new generation of debate in New Orleans

A new wave of debate is spreading throughout the city of New Orleans. The project "Aristotle in New Orleans," is a service-learning course at Tulane University that collaborates with IDEA and the Middle School Public Debate Program. The program was created last fall by Tulane professor Ryan McBride, who was inspired to action by an IDEA training held in New Orleans just one year ago. Read more about McBride's recent actions.

Now, in an effort to form a city-wide debate league, more than 60 students from several New Orleans public and charter schools are enrolled in "Aristotle in New Orleans," which is coached by 39 Tulane University students. McBride is also offering free training sessions for local teachers who are interested in starting their own debate programs.

As a finale event of this year's program, a debate tournament was held Saturday, April 24th at Tulane University. The event brought together middle school students from six schools in New Orleans. The topic of the debate was whether improving the levees around New Orleans should be prioritized over restoring Louisiana coastal wetlands.

To learn more, check out an interview with McBride on a National Public Radio station affiliate in New Orleans. For more information on the "Aristotle in New Orleans" program, click here or email Ryan McBride.

Registration deadline for the International Tournament of Champions extended

Don't miss this unique opportunity to debate with teams from around the world! The registration deadline for the 2010 International Tournament of Champions has been extended a week until April 29th. Register your high school debate team today!

Photo by Ron Cooper

The sixth-annual ITOC will take place May 21st-23rd in Salem, Oregon at Willamette University. The weekend will kick off with a debate workshop hosted by IDEA and the Willamette University Debate Union. Participants will learn how to debate in the "World Schools" format, which will be used during competitive debate. Participants will also enjoy the atmosphere of college life as they stay in university dorm rooms, relax in the Montag Den and participate in fun activities on the beautiful summer campus.

To register for the ITOC, click here!

Register today to join teams from the Philippines, Zambia, Pakistan, South Africa, Canada, and more! For more information, visit the website, Facebook page, or contact Crystal Jeffers at cjeffers@willamette.edu.

The World Online Debate Championships returns this summer

The next round of the popular World Online Debate Championships has just been announced. The debates are tentatively scheduled for mid-July, and as space is limited, teams are already registering for this competition.

Hosted by Debatewise and IDEA, the competition invites teams from every corner of the globe to debate against each other about important issues facing the world today. These debates are a unique opportunity for any debater with an Internet connection to gain different world perspectives. To see the debates from the first round, click here.


National teams are now being formed for the second round of the WODC to take on the defending champions from Lithuania. Even more preliminary rounds are being held this year, as the competition will be restricted to 32 teams. Already, Monica from Venezuela and Deddy from Indonesia are organizing rounds in their countries. To get involved and organize prospective teams from your country, contact David Crane at dc@debatewise.org. To register your team, or for more information, visit the website.

Deadline for The People Speak Global Debates one week away

The clock is ticking for The People Speak 2010 Spring Global Debates! Teams must complete their debates by April 30th. Also, as the IDEA Challenge, teams will receive a bonus 500 points if they submit their climate change adaptation plans by April 30th as well.

The last day to submit all activities points is May 15th. To submit your Global Debates points, click here. Good luck to all Global Debates teams in the final month of competition!

The People Speak Global Debates are held every school year, and are split between fall and spring semesters. Students organize public debates and earn extra points by making video public service announcements and research blogs, inviting local elected leaders to participate in their debate, organizing community service projects, and more. For further information on The People Speak Global Debates, click here.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Leadership Program concludes with Youth Leadership Festival

On the evening of April 20th, local high school students from the Willamette Academy and high school students visiting from Bosnia and Herzegovina gathered for the second-annual Youth Leadership Festival in Salem, Oregon. This championship debate was organized by the IDEA and Willamette University at the John C. Paulus Great Hall, where peers, family, and community members gathered to support the debaters. Judges from the Oregon State Court of Appeals also attended to adjudicate the debate, who included Honorable Jack L. Landau, Honorable Robert Wollheim, Honorable David Schuman, and Honorable Darleen R. Ortega.

The Youth Leadership Festival featured the debate topic, "The United Nations should abolish capital punishment." The affirmative team consisted of one student from Bosnia and Herzegovina and two students from the Willamette Academy, and the opposition team consisted of two students from Bosnia and Herzegovina and one from the Willamette Academy. After compelling arguments from both teams, the judges adjourned to make their decision. With much deliberation, they returned with praises for each team, but announced the affirmative team as the winners. The two Willamette Academy students from the winning team were awarded trips to the 2010 IDEA Youth Forum in the Netherlands this summer.


The festival also marked the finale of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Leadership Program, and the students gave a presentation about their time in the United States. Since arriving on March 26th, participants have resided with local host families while attending the Civic Education and Leadership Institute taught by Willamette University professors. The program is supplemented with activities such as community service projects and visits to local high schools, cultural sites, and events.

After the festival, the Bosnia and Herzegovina participants said goodbye to their host-families, and presented them with flowers, cards and tears of thanks. They departed for the concluding portion of the program, a trip to the United States capital, Washington, DC. The participants will then return home on April 25th well-equipped to lead the next generation of their country.

Organized by IDEA, Willamette University, and the U.S. Department of State, the program selects eighteen students and three teachers from Bosnia and Herzegovina to come to the United States during the month of April to explore the meaning behind active democratic citizenship.

After weekend of final debates, champion of International Public Policy Forum emerges

On April 16-18, the "Elite Eight" teams of the International Public Policy Forum gathered in New York City for a weekend of competitive debate. After the finals round, the team from the Ministry of Education in Singapore rose to the top as the 2009-2010 IPPF Champion!

The final round featured debates between the champion team and the runner-up team from Henry Clay High School in Lexington, Kentucky. For the first time ever, the final round was broadcast live online, where viewers also acted as a seventh judge and had the opportunity to vote on the winner. The other judges included William Brewer, Retired General Wesley Clark, NYU President John Sexton, National Forensic League Executive Director Scott Wunn, and Emory University Director of Forensics Melissa Maxcy. The Singapore team won with a four to three vote.

The awards ceremony on April 17th took place at the W Hotel in Union Square in New York City, where the champions were presented with the "Bickel and Brewer Cup" and a $10,000 grand prize. More than 125 guests attended the ceremony and General Wesley Clark gave a special address to the debaters.

The IPPF is sponsored by the Bickel and Brewer Foundation and New York University, and is a free debate competition made available to high schools around the world. For more information on the IPPF tournament, click here.

Registration for International Tournament of Champions ends next week

Only six days remain until registration closes for the sixth-annual International Tournament of Champions. Register your high-school debate team by April 22 for this one of a kind tournament, with teams who have already signed up from the Philippines, Zambia, and more!

The 2010 International Tournament of Champions will take place May 21-23 in Salem, Oregon, USA at Willamette University and will be a weekend of learning, competitive debate, and friendship-building activities. A debate workshop will also be held before the tournament for participants.

To register for the ITOC, click here. For more details, visit the website or contact Crystal Jeffers at cjeffers@willamette.edu.

Watch the International Public Policy Forum finals live from NYC

Don't miss the live broadcast of the International Public Policy Forum finals round at 4:00 p.m. EST Saturday, April 17th. Viewers can also participate in the judging process by voting online for their favorite team, and results will be tabulated in real time. Go to www.bickelbrewer.com to view the debates and vote!

The finals of the IPPF will take place this weekend, April 16-18, where they will compete at New York University for a $10,000 grand prize and the coveted "Bickel and Brewer Cup." Since October, teams from around the world have been vying for a spot at the final competition by submitting written essays throughout several rounds. The "Elite Eight" teams who were selected for all-expenses-paid trips to the finals weekend include:

Atlantic Community High School, Boca Raton, FL
Cherry Creek High School, Greenwood Village, CO
Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, CA
Henry Clay High School, Lexington, KY
McNeil High School, Austin, TX
Samuel Marsden Collegiate College, Wellington, New Zealand
Singapore Ministry of Education, Singapore
Suncoast Community High School, Riviera Beach, FL

The finals judging panel will include William Brewer, Retired General Wesley Clark, NYU President John Sexton, National Forensic League Executive Director Scott Wunn, and Emory University Director of Forensics Melissa Maxcy. For more information on the IPPF tournament, click here.

Visa and financial aid information for Youth Forum now available

Fee waivers for the 2010 IDEA Youth Forum are being provided by IDEA-Netherlands, with support from the Open Society Institute (OSI) Youth Initiative. Although these waivers do not support travel and visa fees, IDEA does have resources than can help with fund-raising. Participants can apply for a fee waiver when filling out the online application. The registration deadline is May 15th.

After filling out an application for the Youth Forum, make sure to also apply for a visa. Participants can apply for a visa between three months and two weeks prior to departure at the appropriate embassy. In fact, about twenty countries who have either expressed interest or who traditionally attend the Youth Forum require visas to enter the Netherlands (the Schengen Zone). The visa procedure could last up to two months, so don't procrastinate! Contact the forum director for any necessary documentation that needs to be presented to the embassy.

For more information on registration, fee waivers, or the visa application process, contact the Youth Forum Director, Veronika Vlckova, at vvlckova@idebate.org. To learn more about this event, click here.

IDEA-NFL Qualifier Tournament held in China for the first time

On April 10-11, IDEA and the National Forensic League hosted the first-annual 2010 China Qualifier Tournament. Nine schools participated in the tournament, including the Orchlon School and Hobby School of UB from Mongolia, the International Secondary School of Tokyo, a school from Shenzhen in Southern China, and a number of schools from the Beijing area. Students from these high schools competed in a variety of events for an opportunity to qualify for the NFL US National Tournament this June in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.

Although debate competitions are rare in China, and speech and debate is relatively new to Beijing, coaches at the tournament bragged about how hard students worked and what a rewarding experience the tournament was for the students. The host school, the Canadian International School of Beijing provided all meals for the participants, including a pizza party.

For the past five years, IDEA-NFL Qualifier Tournaments have been held in South Korea and Southeast Asia, and this year, this event was extended to China. The South Korea Qualifier was held March 12-14, and the Southeast Asia Qualifier will take place May 1-2. For more information on these events, click here.

2010 IDEA Youth Exchange held in Budapest, Hungary

The 2010 IDEA Youth Exchange took place on April 10-11 in Budapest, Hungary which brought together youth from around the world for a weekend of presentations, discussion and fun activities. This year's exchange focused on the promotion of democratic values and combating populism in public discourse, particularly through the use of new media.

Like all other IDEA Exchanges, the Youth Exchange utilized the BarCamp principle, which allowed participants to exchange ideas, present their work and projects, and discuss ways for future cooperation. Aside from debating, participants also had the opportunity to enjoy a guided tour around the city of Budapest.


To see highlights from the 2010 Youth Exchange, go to the IDEA Flickr page to view photos from the event, or visit IDEA's channel on BlipTV.com for a playlist of several videos of presentations and speakers. For more information, visit the Youth Exchange website.

Winners of the US Universities Debate Championships announced

On April 9-11, the US Universities Debate Championship tournament was held at Regis University and Denver University in Denver, Colorado. The tournament included 124 teams from universities across the United States. Congratulations to the team of Charlie Sprague, Jesse Katz-Blumenthal, and coach John Meany from the Debate Union of Claremont Colleges, this year's tournament winners!

The motion for the final round was, "This House believes that terror suspects should be tried in civilian courts." Other teams that advanced to the final round were Portland State University, Stanford University, and Yale University.

To visit the official website of the annual USU Debate Championships, click here. For more information and full-results of the 2010 tournament, click here.

IDEA organizes community debate in Amsterdam about school issues

This evening, on April 16th, IDEA-Netherlands will help organize a debate on the problems of Senior Secondary Vocational Education (MBO) schools in the Netherlands. It has recently been said that the quality of education at these schools has decreased due to modernization and a different system of funding for these schools. Students and politicians will gather with school leaders to discuss the situation. Speakers for this event include Ahmed Marcouch, Angela Roemer, Geerten Geerts and Hans Pollen.

The debate will be held from 7:00-9:00 pm at Pakhuis Willem de Zwijger, Piet Heinkade 179 Amsterdam. The event is organized by MOSA, with the support of NOS Headlines and IDEA-Netherlands.

IDEA hosts exchange project between London and Amsterdam youth organizations and police

IDEA-Netherlands is coordinating a program that will facilitate an exchange of best practice projects aimed at reducing tensions between local youth and police in Amsterdam. The exchange will be between Second Wave, a youth art organization in London, and Stichting DOCK, a youth work organization in North Amsterdam.

This exchange project will begin on April 26th, when Phil Turner, a youth worker from Second Wave in London will come to Amsterdam to share with youth workers from Stichting DOCK and police officers from North Amsterdam how a similar project was executed in London, and the results of that project. In June, youth and police officers from Amsterdam will then travel to London to learn more about the methodology and the special approach, which has reduced tensions and ethnic based profiling by police in London.

Training held for youth in Budapest to spur interest in debate

On April 12-13, IDEA-Netherlands held a debate training in Budapest, Hungary for students, youth workers and NGOs. The event was organized in cooperation with the Foundation for Democratic Youth (DIA), who along with local partners feel the necessity to reinstate formal debate into Hungarian society, especially in regions with limited opportunities. At the training, participants had the opportunity to debate for the first time by discussing issues such as banning private universities in Hungary and banning extreme right parties in Europe.

The trainers offered sessions on basic public speaking skills, argumentation, manner, style, and debate format. The trainers included Andrej Schulcz (Slovakia), Anna England-Kerr (Slovenia), Assen Kochev (Germany), Manos Moshopoulos (Greece), Milan Vignevic (Serbia) and Veronika Vlckova (IDEA-NL). As a special bonus, Vlastimil Waic (Czech Republic) gave an informative session on the Roma Debate League- an educational debate project focused on Roma minority within the Czech Republic. In 2009, the league was nominated and one of its alumni won at the Gypsy Awards.

Watch the International Public Policy Forum finals live from New York City

Don't miss the live broadcast of the International Public Policy Forum finals round at 4:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, April 17th. Viewers can also participate in the judging process by voting online for their favorite team, and results will be tabulated in real time. Go to www.bickelbrewer.com to view the debates and vote!

The finals of the IPPF will take place this weekend, April 16-18, where they will compete at New York University for a $10,000 grand prize and the coveted "Bickel and Brewer Cup." Since October, teams from around the world have been vying for a spot at the final competition by submitting written essays throughout several rounds. The "Elite Eight" teams who were selected for all-expenses-paid trips to the finals weekend include:

Atlantic Community High School, Boca Raton, FL
Cherry Creek High School, Greenwood Village, CO
Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, CA
Henry Clay High School, Lexington, KY
McNeil High School, Austin, TX
Samuel Marsden Collegiate College, Wellington, New Zealand
Singapore Ministry of Education, Singapore
Suncoast Community High School, Riviera Beach, FL

The finals judging panel will include William Brewer, Retired General Wesley Clark, NYU President John Sexton, National Forensic League Executive Director Scott Wunn, and Emory University Director of Forensics Melissa Maxcy. For more information on the IPPF tournament, click here.

Registration for 2010 St. Petersburg Komarovo nearing deadline!

The fourteenth annual St. Petersburg Komarovo debate tournament is quickly approaching, and so is the registration deadline! April 12th is the last day high school and university debaters, coaches, and international judges can register for one of the largest debate events in Russia and Eastern Europe.

The tournament will take place April 22-25 with both English and Russian divisions in the World-Schools debate format. Training sessions will also be provided for judges and debaters beforehand. The chief adjudicator will be Mr. David Whitehead from the German Debating Society. Aside from debating, the tournament will also give participants an opportunity for site-seeing of historic and modern sites of the city.

To register for the 2010 St. Petersburg Komarovo, click here. Participation fees are 65 Euros per person, which includes food, accommodations, and activities. For more details, go to the tournament website or Facebook page.

Media from IDEA Exchange 2010 now available

If you missed out on all the action at this year's IDEA Exchange in Vilnius, Lithuania, you can still experience it! Many videos and pictures are now posted from the IDEA Exchange 2010. Check out the more than 250 pictures of the event on the IDEA Flickr page. In addition, go to IDEA's channel on BlipTV.com to view a playlist of seventeen videos of presentations, debates, and the keynote speaker.

For more information on the IDEA Exchange, and to easily access this media, visit the IDEA Exchange website.

New position available for IDEA trainer in South Korea

IDEA is currently recruiting for a new debate trainer position in South Korea with the Korea Poly School (KPS). KPS is seeking Canadian or US citizens to teach debate to elementary and/or middle school students for at least one academic year at one of four campuses. You can learn more about KPS here.

Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree and be willing to work in Korea for one academic year. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working in an international educational environment and will have some experience doing so. Candidates must be ready to leave for Korea in mid-August 2010.

While IDEA is assisting KPS in recruiting trainers, as well as providing technical support to them, the instructors will be KPS employees. IDEA will, however, provide a pre-departure orientation as well as teaching and curriculum materials.

Debate Instructor Duties:
1. Plan and conduct debate and argumentation classes in levels assigned
2. Conduct a small number of classes in subjects outside of debate with provided teaching materials
3. Assist with and participate in activities related to the instructional programs including, but not limited to, departmental meetings, general faculty meetings, and special presentations and events
4. Assist in organizing debate clubs at KPS schools
5. Assist in facilitating KPS debate events
6. Assist with out-of-classroom activities related to the regular curriculum of employer, including, but not limited to, field trips and school-wide assemblies, as well as other extracurricular activities
7. Assist with the development of teaching materials, supplementary materials, tests, evaluations, and other programs related to English language teaching
8. Assist or conduct teacher training in debate for new DIs under the direction of employer;
9. Assist, monitor, and supervise DIs in their teaching methodology and implementation, and classroom conduct under the direction of employer
10. Perform other duties as designated by employer

Compensation and Benefits:
1. Free furnished single housing (rent is paid for, but utilities and maintenance fees will be the trainers' responsibilities)
2. Free roundtrip airfare
3. Contract completion bonus (severance pay) after one year
4. 50% of national health insurance paid for by the school
5. 50% of national pension premiums paid for by the school (They will also be eligible to petition for their pension refund from the Korean pension board before departing the country)
6. Monthly Salary - 3.1 million Korean Won (roughly $3,000)

Applications should include a current CV, a cover letter, and the contact information of two references. Please send applications to Lin Lu, llu@idebate.org. The application deadline for this position is May 10, 2010. Selection is dependent on applicant's ability to qualify for Korean-issued work visa.

Winners of the 2010 HWS-IDEA Round Robin Tournament announced

On April 2-3, IDEA and Hobart and William Smith College hosted the fourth-annual Round Robin Tournament for sixteen top university debate teams from around the world. As always, the 2010 Round Robin was held on the campus of Hobart and William Smith College in Geneva, New York and this year included teams from Greece, England, Canada, Ireland, Slovenia, Malaysia, South Africa, Australia, Israel, South Korea, and the United States.

Congratulations to the team from Trinity College Historical Society of Ireland, the new Round Robin Champions! Second place went to Queen's University of Canada, and finalists were Cornell University of the United States and the University of Sydney Union of Australia. The top three speakers were Tim Mooney (Sydney Union), Bronwyn Cowell (Sydney Union), and Jack Watson (Cambridge). This year's honored adjudicator was awarded to Michael Kotrly.

The HWS-IDEA Round Robin Tournament is designed to bring together an elite and internationally diverse group of debaters each year for a weekend of debate at the highest level. The tournament is held in World-Universities Debate Championship format with pre-paired round robin teams, ensuring that each team debates against every other team at least once. For more information, click here.

Member Reports: Tournament and workshop gains momentum for debate in Belarus

On March 26-28, an Open Debate tournament took place in Minsk, Belarus, which was one of the biggest international debating events to ever take place in the country. The debates included two divisions, in which ten teams participated in the Russian division and twelve teams in the English division. Teams came from Lithuania, Germany, and one from the coldest part of the world, the Republic of Sakha. Adjudicators of the debates included both experienced debaters and debate-lovers, as well as debate students from various Minsk universities, including students from the London School of Economics and university students from Slovakia.

The final round ended with heated debates between the first-place team from Minsk, with members Kirill Burko, Vlad Sterzhanov, and Anastasiya Kuznetsova, and the second-place team also from Minsk, with members Nikita Batsenko (author), Ekaterina Oleinik, and Stanislav Kobachevskiy. A team from Heidehoff Gymnasium in Germany took third-place in the tournament, and one of their members, Elisa Walter, was unanimously awarded the best speaker. After the tournament, a new format of debate was introduced through a sample debate round.


Aside from the tournament, a debate seminar was held by the Slovak delegation that gave many Belarusian students and teachers a unique opportunity to participate in workshops and learn from experienced trainers. Beginners and advanced debaters, as well as coaches, were able to improve their debating skills. Everyone enjoyed the friendly atmosphere of the seminar while learning more about debate and how to start their own debate clubs.

Through this tournament, along with other debate events in Belarus this spring, many young people have found a new hobby and made new friends. Thus, another big step has been taken in promoting global understanding through debate.

Nikita Batsenko
Gymnasium #7, Minsk, Belarus

IDEA hosting NFL National Qualifier Tournaments in Asia

Next weekend, April 10-11, IDEA and the National Forensic League will host the 2010 China Qualifier Tournament in Beijing at the Canadian International School of Beijing. At this event, high school debaters will compete for the opportunity to advance to the National Forensic League US National Tournament, which will be held in Kansas City, Missouri, USA June 13-18, 2010.

This China Qualifier Tournament will be the second of three IDEA-NFL qualifiers in Asia this spring. Although this is the first qualifier event to be held in China, for the past five years qualifiers have also been held in both South Korea and Southeast Asia. The 2010 South Korea Qualifier was held in March and attracted debaters from across the region. The 2010 Southeast Asia Qualifier is also expecting a large turn-out and will be held May 1-2 in Bandar Enstek, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

The registration deadline for the Southeast Asia Qualifier Tournament is April 15. To register for this event, and for more information, click here. The school fee for entry is USD $125, which also includes a one-year membership with both IDEA and the NFL. Individual entry fees are USD $10 per person, per event. For further information, contact Lin Lu at llu@idebate.org.

IDEA training offered in Southern China in preparation for China Open

Looking to warm up for the China Open in May? Here's your chance! IDEA, along with Guangxi University, will be hosting the Southern China Training event, a two-day debate training in Nanning, China on April 17-18. The event will offer instruction in both Mandarin and English divisions of Four-Team Parliamentary Debate. This regional training will take place just over a week before the IDEA China Open.

Due to space limitations, each school is initially allowed to register only four students. Teachers do not have to adhere to this limit, but must register anyway. For more information and to register click here, or contact Lin Lu at llu@idebate.org.

International Tournament of Champions registration deadline quickly approaching

Registration for the sixth-annual International Tournament of Champions ends on April 22nd, which is less than a month away! Teams from around the world have already registered, from Pakistan, Zambia, the Philippines, and more. Register your high-school debate team today for this one of a kind tournament!

The International Tournament of Champions will take place May 21-23 in Salem, Oregon, USA at Willamette University, and will be a weekend of learning, competitive debate, and friendship-building activities. The event will kick-off with a debate workshop hosted by IDEA and the Willamette University Debate Union. Debaters will learn how to participate in the "Worlds-School" debate format, which will be used during the tournament. Participants will also get a taste of college life as they stay in Willamette's dormitories and relax in the Montag Den, where students can interact through fun games and activities.

To register for the ITOC, click here. Debate teams will be selected based on their overall experience and competitive success during the current school year. For more details click here or contact Crystal Jeffers at cjeffers@willamette.edu.

Make your way to the 2010 IDEA Youth Forum in the Netherlands!

Registration for the 2010 IDEA Youth Forum is now available! Here's your opportunity to join over sixty individuals from all over the world who have already registered, including teams from China, Egypt, Finland, India, Israel, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Moldova, Qaatar, Romania, United States, and Zambia. Click here to register!

Once accepted to the Youth Forum, participants should begin making travel plans. There are several options for transportation to the Youth Forum venue of Vlissengen, Zeeland. The Netherlands has one of the largest airports in Europe; Schiphol airport is only fifteen minutes from Amsterdam and two and a half hours from Vlissengen. Participants can also fly to smaller airports in Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Brussels, or Dusseldorf that provide quality transportation using low-cost airlines. The Netherlands also has one of the densest railroad system and is well-connected to other European capitals; trains from the main cities to Vlissengen run every half hour. The bus connection, serviced by Eurolines, also runs from every capital in Europe. Whatever means of transportation you choose, make sure you arrive in Vlissengen on July 22nd for the Youth Forum Opening Ceremony that evening!

For more information on the 2010 IDEA Youth Forum, click here or contact the Youth Forum Director, Veronika Vlckova, at vvlckova@idebate.org.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Leadership Program participants blog about experiences

Since arriving in Salem, Oregon on March 26th for the 2010 Youth Leadership Program, eighteen students and three teachers from Bosnia and Herzegovina have been blogging about their daily activities. Throughout the program, participants will write about their classes in the Civic Education and Leadership Institute at Willamette University, their visits to local university and high school classes, their work with non-profit organizations, their trip to Washington, D.C, and much more. This blog will continue to be updated daily throughout the program until the participants return home on April 25th. Click here to visit their blog.

Hosted by IDEA, Willamette University, and the U.S. Department of State, the Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Leadership Program is a month-long program that explores the meaning behind democratic citizenship through workshops and active participation in the local community. For more information on this program, click here.

Students to share ideas at local debate festival in the Netherlands

On Thursday April 10th, IDEA-Netherlands, Zeeland's Institute for Social and Cultural Development (SCOOP), and the school ROC Zeeland will organize a debate festival in the city of Goes, Netherlands. The activities of the event will provide a unique opportunity for local audience members to get to know more young people and their views on current issues that are relevant to their community. The festival will be moderated by Tanja Jadnanansing, who is a program manager of NOS, a local public broadcasting company. The intense debating atmosphere will be alleviated with a performance by rapper Dzenan and a concluding awards ceremony.

The festival will mark the end of a debate course offered to ROC students, which focused on issues of social work and health care. This course was also an initiative of the long-term Debate in the Neighborhood program, which focuses on providing opportunities for debate and public speaking to youths in neighborhoods throughout the Netherlands.

For more information on the debate festival, please contact Doutsen Langhout (dlanghout@idebate.org). To find out more about the Debate in the Neighborhood program, click here or visit the IDEA-Netherlands website.

Over one hundred participants attend 2010 IDEA Exchange in Vilnius

On March 27-28, IDEA and the Informal Education Debate Centre organized the 2010 IDEA Exchange in Vilnius, Lithuania. This event brought together over 130 youth activists interested in the promotion of democratic values, historical memory of their countries and regions, and the use of debate and new media. The IDEA Exchange utilized the BarCamp principle, which allowed participants to exchange ideas, present their work and projects, and discuss ways for future cooperation. Through this style, over forty presentations were given in English, Russian, and Lithuanian.

In addition to presentations, the Exchange also included a teacher training in debate and a workshop and mini tournament in British Parliamentary debate, as well as three public debates in English, Russian and Lithuanian, and a panel discussion on historical memory.

The Introductory Debate Seminar for teachers, "covered a variety of topics during eight lectures such as the nature of debate in exploring controversial issues, specific skills which can be developed, and rewards debate offers students in enhancing critical thinking and public speaking," said Ronna Liggett, an IDEA Trainer. "We were privileged to watch the final British Parliamentary debate and observe much of what we had discussed in our time together."

"Abortion, space exploration, organ donation, arts funding and wearing religious symbols in schools- these were the varied topics discussed by students at the British Parliamentary debate mini-competition. More than thirty participants, some of whom had never debated before, took part in intensive workshops as well as the tournament. Congratulations to Stockholm School of Economics, Riga, who won the final," reported coach Neill Harvey-Smith, a former Worlds Council chair and chief adjudicator of the 2008 European Championships. Other coaches included Worlds Masters finalist Beth Connor, Baltic Open champion Mihhail Jevdokimov, and Lithuania's own Monika Bukelskyte.

For more information on the events of the 2010 IDEA Exchange, click here. For information in Russian, click here, and in Lithuanian, click here. To view pictures of the event, visit flickr.com/idebate. To get involved or submit your ideas for the next IDEA Exchange in Spring 2011, contact Marcin Zaleski at mzaleski@idebate.org.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Leadership Program begins today

Eighteen students and three teachers will arrive today, March 26th, from Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in the 2010 Youth Leadership Program in Salem, Oregon, USA. Hosted by IDEA, Willamette University, and the U.S. Department of State, the program explores the meaning behind democratic citizenship through workshops and active participation in the local community.

During the program, participants will attend the three-week Civic Education and Leadership Institute at Willamette University, which is located just across the street from Oregon's state capitol building. Participants will also attend some classes at local high schools, and visit non-profit agencies to engage in community service projects. The program will culminate in the Youth Leadership Festival, a debate tournament on April 20th for the students, who will debate with local high school students from Willamette Academy. Next, participants will travel to Washington, DC, to explore the capital city of the United States. The program will end on April 25th, when the students will return home well-equipped with new skills to lead the next generation of their country.

For more information, visit the Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Leadership Program website. To stay updated on the program, visit the BiH YLP Facebook page.