Kosovo debate students shine at Prishtina Open 2010

The 2010 Prishtina Open, the national debate tournament in Kosovo, was held on February 27-28. The event attracted high school students from across Kosovo to participate in Karl Popper debates, the format primarily used in debate clubs and tournaments throughout secondary schools in Kosovo. By training coaches and student debate teams, the region's Karl Popper Debate Program is helping to prepare a new generation of articulate and socially aware citizens.

During the tournament, high school students tested their knowledge and critical thinking skills on the topic, "Should children be allowed to work?" Fifteen teams participated in the first day of the tournament, which included three rounds of debate. After the semifinal rounds the next day, a team from Ferizaj and a team from Prishtina remained. The final round was a close match, and the judging panel consisting of nine senior debaters was divided on the winner. In a five to four vote decision, the team from Ferizaj was declared the winner. This team will be sent to represent their country at the annual IDEA Youth Forum in the Netherlands in July, 2010.

The event was supported by the Kosovo Open Society Foundation, the FOL (Speak Up) Movement in cooperation with the Balkan Investigatory Reporting Network (BIRN), and other organizations including Vision Eye in Peje, Initiative for Progress (INPO) in Ferizaj, and the Youth Intiative for Human Rights in Prishtina. Since January 2010, the Speak Up Movement, BIRN and other regional partners have established three regional debate clubs with fifteen high school debaters in the cities of Peje, Prishtina, and Ferizaj.