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.