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.

Green Hearts at Bloomfield College go all out for 350 Day of Action

As the 350 Day of Action quickly approaches, several organizations are preparing for their events to show their support for the 350 movement. The Green Hearts Environmental Movement will be hosting an event for the Global Day of Climate Action on October 24th, on the Bloomfield College Quad. Students, faculty, friends and family will gather to express the importance of making a change when it comes to global warming and being eco-friendly.

The day will consist of many events starting with a march to the college's Foley Field to form a 350. A picture of this will then be uploaded to 350.org, and with other pictures from similar gatherings on that day, it will be turned into a virtual petition given to world leaders in December at the climate conference in Copenhagen. Other events that day will include relay races for green prizes and a carbon footprint workshop held by Green Hearts. Other local environmental groups will also be present, including the Sierra Club. Environmental activist, Gray Russell from the Montclair Environmental Commission will also be present, who has worked with Al Gore, the Essex County Greens, and Barbara Conover of the Sierra Club. To find out more about this event go to their twitter or blog page.

Good luck to all those who are planning or participating in an event on October 24th. To find out more about Day of Action, or to locate an event near you, check out their website.

Sign the Nepal petition

Support 350 effort and combat climate change

The 350 team from Nepal has put forth a petition to show the governments of the United States, China, Japan, India, and the European Union people’s demand for more constructive action toward climate change negotiations. The petition will be delivered to these government embassies in Nepal on October 24^th, the 350 Global Day of Climate Change.

Go to http://www.350.org/nepalpetition, sign this petition, and pass it along. This petition is especially meaningful for Nepal, as it is among the ten most vulnerable countries. Climate change is threatening their Himalayas, endangering the region’s biodiversity, and destroying local livelihood systems. To combat these issues, the 350 Nepal team, a network of local organizations and individuals, worked together to form this petition.

The 350 movement is a green movement aimed at uniting the world in order to achieve a safe level of global carbon emissions, which is 350 parts per million. This past summer, 350, Bloomfield College, and IDEA partnered to host the Climate Advocacy Institute, which hosted international students. Many of the participants are now working, in similar ways as the Nepal team, to spread the 350 mission in their own communities.

Registration opens for the IDEA-BFSU Tournament, Beijing

If you'd like to compete in Mandarin, English, or Moot Court divisions in the capital of the People's Republic of China, register now.

Join us for an amazing experience in historical culture and debate as we host this fourth annual international university tournament from December 11 - 13, 2009 at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing. This tournament will feature an English division, a Mandarin division, and a Moot Court division.

The official format of the tournament will be a four-team (worlds style) parliamentary debate. Training sessions for judges and debaters will also be available immediately before the tournament. In addition, qualified adjudicators will also be able to apply for IDEA accreditation upon successful completion of the training session. IDEA international accredited trainers will conduct all training sessions.

Each university is initially allowed to register two teams. Universities will be allowed to enter one additional English team for each Mandarin team they enter.Students do NOT need to register as a team. They may register as individuals and IDEA will help find partners for these individual debaters. Registration ends December 5, 2009.

Additionally, our tournament site offers students an opportunity to see the historic and modern sites of Beijing, from the Forbidden Palace and the great Wall of China to Tiananmen Square. Tours can be arranged locally.

Opportunity to serve on the IDEA-NL Board of Directors

At the next IDEA General Assembly, a session will be held to elect at least two new members to the International Debate Education Association of Netherlands Board of Directors. This election will take place in London on December 11, 2009 before the annual IDEA Youth Forum.

Nominations for these positions need to be submitted by November 20^th. Download the description of the position to find out more about the responsibilities of a board member. To submit a nomination, or inquire further, contact the vice-president of the board, Andrej Schulz, at andrej.schulcz@sda.sk.

New Dutch debate manual to help with Debate in the Neighborhood projects

A new manual on debate has been produced by Doutsen Langhout, IDEA-Netherland's program director. The title of the book , "Logisch Toch?", Dutch for "logical, isn't it?", is a phrase commonly used in persuasive dialogue. The manual will be used for the Debate in the Neighborhood projects in the Netherlands and will help trainers, debate mentors, and trainees learn how to improve their debate using sound and well-founded arguments. The book also focuses on developing presentation skills and how to effectively use emotions to persuade opponents without compromising the main message.

Doutsen, a teacher by profession, wrote the book so that teachers in the classroom, as well as students in vocational high schools, can grasp the sometimes difficult concepts of debate through a clear-cut explanation. The pictures and sketches in the book, produced by Geert Gratama, also help illustrate the lighter, fun side of debate.

Look for a copy at the upcoming IDEA Exchange in London!

Debatepedia launches new page for IPPF tournament

The International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) is officially underway, and teams from around the world are writing their first essays for a chance to progress in the tournament. Qualifying essays are due October 28th, and are written on this year's topic: "Resolved: The United Nations should substantially increase humanitarian assistance for persons living in poverty."

In support of this debate tournament, Depatepedia has launched an informational page on the debate topic, with several aspects on the resolution. Debaters can visit the site for helpful information on the topic, and gain useful insights on the economic, media, or moral possible portrayals.

Debaters are competing for prizes that include an all-expense-paid trip to the IPPF Finals in New York City (April 16-18, 2010), and more than $30,000 in prize money (including a $10,000 grand prize). It's a one of-a-kind universal debate competition! The IPPF welcomes debaters from around the world — and from a wide spectrum of debate and forensic events. For more information on the IPPF, visit their website.

Roma debate event encourages dialogue among local youth

On November 19, 2009, participants of a debate at Red House in Sofia, Bulgaria will be discussing the motion, "Hate speech transforms Roma into 'tenants' in their own home." These young Roma debaters are between the ages of 17 and 30, and were trained in debating this past summer by the Bulgarian National Debate Association (member of IDEA). The purpose of this training was to help Bulgarian Roma youth become effective advocates for the Roma cause, and to enable them to launch a series of public debates as well as establish debating societies in Roma communities.

The goal of the debate program in Bulgaria is to bring minority and majority youth together, and through debate, provide an opportunity to discuss important and often controversial issues. Three of the orgnaizers of the upcoming debate at Red House took part in the IDEA Youth Forum in Sarajevo, where one of them took fourth place in the Mixed Teams track. The upcoming event is being organized by the Roma Initiatives of the Open Society Institute in cooperation with Red House, Roma newspaper "Drom Dromendar," the Bulgarian National Debate Association, and IDEA.

Global Youth Panel offers young people a voice in the UN Climate Change Conference

The most important environmental conference of the decade will take place in Copenhagen this December. The United Nations Climate Change Conference is expecting representatives from over 170 countries to attend, in an effort to discuss today's pressing environmental issues.

Debatewise and IDEA are doing their part by calling on youth who would like to contribute to this cause by serving on The Global Youth Panel. The aim of this panel is to create a one-thousand strong focus group of young, proactive, and passionate debaters to have their say on what happens in Copenhagen. Members of the panel will debate on the 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.

This is a unique opportunity to play a significant role in a very important global event, the consequences of which will have a huge impact on the world the youth are about to inherit. To learn more about The Global Youth Panel, or to sign up, visit Debatewise.

Last call for the 2009 IDEA Exchange

Hurry! Registration for the 2009 IDEA Exchange ends this Thursday, October 15th! This year's Exchange will take place in London on December 12th-13th. The event will commence with a grand opening on December 10th at the House of Lords in the Palace of Westminster, and with an IDEA General Assembly on December 11th.

Organized by IDEA and Debatewise, the event will discuss the theme created by the media department at Goldsmiths University, "The Web and Social Change." The Exchange will provide an opportunity to explore a variety of topics related to the use of Internet and digital technologies to engage young people as well as different segments of the population in the process of communication, debate and dialogue as well as participation in change.

The event will accept up to 150 young people from around the world who have qualities of tomorrow’s leaders, are highly active in their community, often work under very difficult circumstances and are trying to bring change to places often very resistant to it. Participants in the Exchange can be teachers and educators, activists, university students, or program administrators.

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 15, 2009. If you would like to speak at the event please contact David Crane at http://www.debatewise.com/pages/contact-us.

Win Global Debates points and a trip to the International Tournament of Champions

Participating in the Fall 2009 People Speak Global Debates and want to get ahead? The IDEA Challenge is the perfect opportunity! This special contest allows teams a chance to win 500 extra points for the Global Debates, plus an all expense-paid trip to the 2010 IDEA International Tournament of Champions.

The IDEA Challenge is a written contest based on the public debate teams hold for the Fall 2009 Global Debates. Teams need to submit two essays based on the resolution for the public debate, one essay in favor and the other against. Debaters use The People Speak debate toolkit and the IDEA Challenge toolkit to write the essays, and then submit them by Monday, November 16th. The top ten submissions win 500 Global Debate Points, and the top team wins a trip to the 2010 ITOC next spring at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

For more information, visit The People Speak website.

IDEA-NJFL National Tournament dates announced

This year's IDEA National Junior Forensic League National Tournament will take place from June 24th to June 27th in Iowa City, IA. This tournament gives middle school students an opportunity to experience competitive debate on a national level, while preparing their debate skills for the future.

Registration for this tournament will begin in 2010. Continue to visit the IDEA website or the NJFL webpage for more updates. For more details, contact Elizabeth Carson-Garland at ecarson@idebate.org.

IDEA-BFSU tournament registration starting soon!

The annual IDEA-BFSU tournament is quickly approaching, and that means registration will be be starting soon as well! Look for details on our website or blog as early as next week. Students do not need to register as a team; they may register as individuals and IDEA will help them find partners. Registration ends on December 5, 2009. The tournament will accept 120 teams. Each university can enter two teams, plus one additional English team for each Mandarin team they enter.

The tournament will be held on December 11- December 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). Be sure to check back for registration updates on our website or blog.

Climate Advocacy Institute participants share their message at Bloomfield College

Participants at the Climate Advocacy Institute this past July used their creativity to share their ideas and create projects to spread environmental awareness. Now, these students are using their ingenuity to promote sustainability and spread the word about green living in their own communities and beyond.

On October 6th, eleven graduates from the institute helped kick off the school year at Bloomfield College by sharing the 350 message with students during the convocation ceremony. Their creative, informative and witty presentation engaged students, faculty, administrators and board members while encouraging participation in 350's Day of Action and the Green Hearts Environmental Movement.

This project is just one of the ways in which CAI students have been taking action in their communities. Since the institute, participants have been spreading the word at youth camps, forming groups for the 350 movement, and preparing for the Day of Action on October 24th.

The 350 movement is a green movement seeking legislature that will help reduce the world CO2 level to 350 parts per million; and 350's Day of Action will involve people from all over the world taking a stand for a safer climate future. For more information on this event, and how you can participate in the 350 movement, check out the 350.org or the Climate Advocacy Institute website.

Training begins for debate mentors in Amsterdam

New debate-mentors in Amsterdam, from 20 to 28 years old, recently took part in their first training session, and are excited to rejuvenate the debate scene in their city. "Wow, this is great,” said one of the volunteers, “Can we bring some friends next week?" Most participants are volunteers from MOSA, an organization that arranges public debates and provides an opportunity for local youth to gain experience in radio, television, and other media. These new, young trainers will now be coaching a group of 12 to 20 year-old disadvantaged students in debate.

Training disadvantaged youths in the Netherlands presents a major challenge. One youth worker said, "kids who visit the youth centers think that debate is boring and something for nerds. What is more, the youth from lower level secondary schools have often heard they are not intelligent. So, they assume this is true, which makes debate more difficult for them." Be sure to check back for more updates on how these new debate mentors are working to engage youth in public debates.

Estonian Debating Society encourages public debate during mayoral election

On October 18th, local elections in Estonia will begin, and the Estonian Debating Society is offering their expertise to help organize a debate between the candidates and local debaters. This project called, "Notice the Argument," will help analyze this public discourse, promote rational discussion, and point out any logical fallacies.

The project is a series of online debates that pits debaters from the Estonian Debating Society against candidates running for mayor in the capital city, Tallinn. The debates will take place on one of the biggest Estonian newspaper websites, the Postimees. First, the politicians will pick a topic, the debaters then present opposing arguments, which is followed by cross-examination, and the debate will conclude with final remarks from both sides. A summary of the debate will then be published in the next-day edition of the Postimees.

The first two debates have already been posted to the online newspaper, the first on local property taxes and the second on the rights of suburbs. The Estonian Debating Society has also started a blog, Demakook, which tracks more public debates throughout the election. In addition to the public debates, the society is also organizing trainings for local NGO activists. For more information on the society, visit their website.

Lithuania victorious in first World Online Debating Championship

Congratulations to the debate team from Lithuania, winners of the first-ever World Online Debating Championships. Since the commencement of the tournament on August 10th, Lithuania emerged victorious in all five rounds of the tournament.

In the final, Lithuania (proposition) and England (opposition) debated over the topic, "We should prize freedom over security and abolish anti-terrorism legislation." In the end, the panel of six world-class judges selected Lithuania as the winner. Judge Colm Flynn, former chair of the World's Council, praised the final debate, "I think it is the best of the debates I have judged, with the two best performances I have seen coming from the teams in the final as you would hope a final should be, but rarely is." The two teams competed fiercely for the WODC victory.

Hosted by Debatewise.com, in association with 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. Hopefully the next WODC will be just as competitive and exciting as the inaugural tournament, and with even more teams who are willing to take on the world champions from Lithuania.

For more information on the World Online Debate Championship, visit the website or their Facebook page. The second WODC is slated for early 2010. If you'd like to take part, send an email to wodc@debatewise.com.

IDEA Youth Forum 2010 to offer unique cultural experience as well as debate training

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 will take place in the cities of Vlissingen and Middelburg, both of which offer international students a diverse experience in Dutch culture. Not only will students have the opportunity to improve their debating skills at the Youth Forum, they'll also enjoy unique experiences such as these cities’ main form of transportation: cycling! Possible accommodations include a Zeeland naval base and a final night stay in a Hogwarts-like venue, to add some magic to the debates!

This year's Forum will focus on increasing diversity and supporting cultural exchange, by offering more financial aid for teams in need and for teams from countries that have never attended.

The Youth 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! The Forum begins with the Karl Popper Debate Championship. It then continues with small group training sessions, which include several tracks that offer training in different debate levels and techniques.

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.

More information will be available in the coming weeks! 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.

Jumpstart your Global Debate with Debatepedia!

October is here, and that means high schools around the world are starting their The People Speak Global Debates right now! Debate and earn extra points by writing letters to local representatives and improving your community through a service project. It’s not too late to get involved. Just submit registration, download the toolkit, and start debating!

This fall’s topic is “When it cannot do both, the United Nations should prioritize poverty reduction over combating climate change.”

Need help getting started?

Poverty is a leading cause of war because it breeds illiteracy, misunderstandings and tensions. Reducing poverty would reduce national and international conflict. On the other hand, curbing climate change would reduce competition and conflict over scarce fossil fuels. Is poverty or climate change a greater priority for international security? Find more arguments on Debatepedia’s exclusive Climate Change and Poverty Portal that offers a comprehensive collection of evidence that suggests possible pros and cons for the topic.

Find additional resources for your team’s debate and activities on the People Speak Website, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Submit your debate and points activities by December 15 to win great prizes like iPod Shuffles, a trip to the 2010 Youth Forum, and more! Speak up and change the world.

Deadline Oct. 15: register for the 2009 IDEA Exchange

The IDEA Exchange will 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 will attend the event. These are tomorrow’s leaders, they are highly active in their community, often work under very difficult circumstances and are trying to bring change to places often very resistant to it.

Our goal is to help them understand how the Internet and communication tools in general can be used to amplify their voice, further their cause and achieve the change they seek.

The full list of speakers is being finalized but we hope to have representatives from leading global technology firms, people at the forefront of using social technologies such as Twitter and other leading lights on the UK Internet scene.

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 15, 2009.

If you would like to speak at the event please contact David Crane.

It's not too late to register for the International Public Policy Forum

Time is running out to participate in this year's International Public Policy Forum (IPPF), the only contest that gives high school students the opportunity to participate in written and oral debates on public policy. Hurry! The registration deadline is October 14th.

Registration is free! To enter, simply submit a 2800 word qualifying essay (affirmative or negative) on this year's topic: "Resolved: The United Nations should substantially increase humanitarian assistance for persons living in poverty."

Prizes include an all-expense-paid trip to the IPPF Finals in New York City (April 16-18, 2010), and more than $30,000 in prize money (including a $10,000 grand prize).

It's a one of-a-kind universal debate competition! The IPPF welcomes debaters from around the world — and from a wide spectrum of debate and forensic events. Every debater is invited to participate in the IPPF.

Register your team today! Click here for more information on the 2009-2010 IPPF.