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8 February 2008

Amsterdam Open

From Britishdebate


Registration for the Amsterdam Open 2008 has opened (April 25th & 26th). Go to this page:
http://amsterdamopen.asdvbonaparte.nl/registration/ And register!


Here's the quick info:

1. For teams it's 70 euros (35 per person) and for judges it's 20 euros.
2. CA-panel: Daniel Schut, Kirsty Russell and Avihu Tamir
3. We provide crash, and the option to let us book a ho(s)tel for you - but for that you'll have to pay an extra fee.

Do I need to explain why you want to come? I think not - you're already well aware of the following reasons:- We provide an excellent tournament: good motions, well-run schedule, ideallocation, highly professional movies for motions, it's all there!

- We provide Amsterdam. Well, technically the city was there before us. Buthey: this gives you an excellent reason to visit the city where capitalism was invented, and explore both the low and the, ahem, high ends (*get the joke? haha. hahaha. haha. ahem) our culture provides.

- We are easy to travel to, and well-accomodating of all our guests.


You knew all this - what more reasons could you need?

So, sign up ASAP with the registration form provided at our website - and we'll be welcoming you soon!--

Daniël Schut

Limerick IV

The annual Limerick IV will be held on March 1st-2nd. This event regularly attracts teams from around the world as the campus is just 20 minutes from Shannon Airport (which is a Ryanair hub). This year's CA is Stephen Nolan (UCG/UCC) and the DCA is Eoin Kilkenny (UCD).

You can register by contacting Aoife Finnerty on +353861632835 or at uliv2008@gmail.com or facebook.

Hope to see you all there.

7 February 2008

Tallinn Euros 2008 update

Dear Europe

We are writing to prepare you for some upcoming communication about Tallinn Euros 2008 from members of the organising committee.

All official communication from the organising committee will be posted on the EUDC list, the Tallinn Euros facebook group, the British Debate list and the website.

On Sunday, February 10th, Maarja Teder, our Communications Director, will be sending out information on how to register for Talinn Euros 2008, starting on Monday March 10th 2008. The email will include a Frequently Asked Questions section. If you have a query which is not covered there, you will be able to write to Maarja – she will compile your questions and publish a weekly FAQ to address them.

Keep up to date with progress on our website - http://www.eudc2008.eu/

And you can email us at the following address - info@eudc2008.eu

We look forward to seeing you all for a fantastic week in Tallinn. Be Estonished!

Best wishes

Helina and Neill

Helina Loor, Convenor
Neill Harvey-Smith, Chief Adjudicator

Debate Championship in Botswana.

Monash University of South Africa Sponsors Debate Championship in Botswana.

A Form Five student in Botswana, at Gaborone Secondary School (GSS) has won a scholarship worth P120,000 to study at Monash University in South Africa.


Bakang Phokoletso got the scholarship after he emerged the best speaker in the national debating championships held at St Joseph's College, Gaborone last week. The event brought together about 28 senior private and public schools among them Maruapula Secondary School, Legae Academy, Naledi Senior Secondary, Mater Spei College and Lobatse Secondary School.

The overall winner was Maruapula Secondary School ahead of GSS by two points. Phokoletso teamed up with Thabang Lesetedi, Letlhogonolo Mosama, Bakang Phokoletso, Babui Nyepetsi, Ontiretse Motlhabane and Thato Chima to power GSS to second place and win the school P5,000. "I did not expect to be the best speaker at all, not to mention winning this prize. I was just focusing on the competition," he said with a shy smile.

"I feel honoured to be the first winner in the first competition. I can only encourage other students to take part in extra-curricular activities and know that there are no limits. One can achieve anything if they believe in themselves," the young boy said. Speaking at the school assembly where Phokoletso was awarded the prize, Monash's international recruitment executive, Tshidi Khonou encouraged the other students to take interest in extra curricular activities. "This is just to officially welcome Phokoletso to Monash University. You are welcome sir," he said to the beaming student who is yet to seat for his final examination at the end of the year.

Khonou told Monitor that this was the first edition of what would be an annual event. "We are just trying to bridge the gap by bringing students from private and public schools to work together as no one has done that before," he said. He explained that the competition is a platform for students who have aspirations of becoming lawyers to showcase their capabilities.

GSS headmaster, Mosimanegape Mophuting appreciated the efforts of all the teachers who were involved in drilling the team.

6 February 2008

Glasgow University Euros Bid 2009 - Adjudiction Update

Dear All

As the Convenor and prospective CA of Glasgow University's bid for the European Debating Championships 2009 we are delighted to be able to make the following announcement.

As our bid has made strong progress in logistical and financial terms (as those of you at this weekend's ESU European Parliament IV and saw our presentation will have no doubt seen) we now feel it is appropriate to take our Adjudication situation to the next level of organisation also.

It is the intention of the Glasgow bid Orgcom that our tournament has the most open and inclusive ethos possible- in short we want all of Europe to tell us what it wants from our bid and their tournament.We want this openness and transparency most especially in our choice ofAdjudication team. Therefore we would like to take this opportunity to invite applications for the positions of DCA for the 2009 EuropeanDebating Championships in Glasgow. All those who are interested in applying are invited to reply to this email enclosing the information described below. Completed applications must be emailed to tait.da@gmail.com by 6pm(GMT) on Wednesday March 7th 2008. This process will be undertaken very much in the style which was recentlyused by the Cork Worlds 2009 Orgcom.

Please include the following informationin your application:

(a) Name, Email, Telephone Number (including international dialling code)
(b) BP Debating Experience
(c) BP Adjudication Experience
(d) Samples of motions which you have set at internal or external competitions

(e) Other Debating Experience (Convening/Tabbing/Equity/Council etc.)

(f) Other Relevant Experience(g) List of Current/Past Institutions

(h) Academic/Professional/Personal Plans until January 2009 (As best you can predict)

(i) Planned level of involvement with debating until January 2009.

We welcome applications from across the continent and candidates would ideally display, a level of enthusiasm and commitment in keeping with the best spirit of European Debating. We particularly wish to encourage applications from ESL speakers and adjudicators as it is crucial to us that this bid be not just represent Glasgow, but all of Europe.The full adjudication team will be announced by the end of April. We are more than happy to provide prospective applicants with more information about our bid and team should they request it (with the exception of where we are bound by commercial confidentiality to our partner organisations). More information can be found on our facebookgroup at http://glasgowuni.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4611927373, and shortly our website http://www.glasgoweuros.com/

We would also welcome feedback and comments on any aspect of the bid. As we said this isn't just for us but all of Europe. So if there is anything you've particularly enjoyed in the past, or want in the future please let us know. As ever thanks for your time and support, we look forward to hearing from you.

Claire Brown

Prospective CA Glasgow Euros 2009

David Tait
Prospective Convenor Glasgow Euros 2009

Chinese New Year



I'd like to take this opportunity to wish any visitors to the blog who celebrating the Spring festival at this time congratulations and be prosperous in year of the rat. 恭喜发财

5 February 2008

Results from Scotland

There were three IVs in Scotland this weekend.

ESU European Parliament IV

16 teams from across Europe competed in the ESU European Parliament IV. St Andrews (representing Scotland) won the IV with Rich Penny of Helsinki, Finland the top speaker on the tab and Art Ward of Cork, Ireland the best speaker in the final.

The finalists were:
1st Prop - Deree College representing Greece (Manos & Eirinie)
1st Opp - St. Andrews representing Scotland (Doug & Connie)
2nd Prop - UCC representing Ireland (Art & Tiernan)
2nd Opp - Hesinki University representing Finland (Rich & Ina)

The motion for the final was: This House Believes That The European Union Should Have A Common Foreign Policy.

Strathclyde Cup

UC Cork (Tiernan Fitzgibbon & Art Ward) won the Strathclyde Cup with Beth O'Connor the top speaker on the tab.

The final was:
1st Prop - Fluffy Liberal Kittens (Ewan MacDonald & Beth Connor)
1st Opp - Old People (Kenny Fleming & Jason Vit)
2nd Prop - Molotov & Ribbentrop (Niall Kennedy & John Stewart)
2nd Opp - UCC (Tiernan Fitzgibbon & Art Ward)

Motion for the final: This House Believes That Universities Should Act To Curb The Binge Drinking Activities Of Their Students.



Edinburgh IV
The Composite team of Art Ward and Doug Cochran won the Edinburgh IV.



The final was contested between:
1st Prop - Maddie A Torso (John Stewart & Jason Vit)
1st Opp - Manchester DB (Dan Bradley & James Dixon)
2nd Prop - Durham A (Calum Jones & Rachel Francis)
2nd Opp - Trinny & Suzannah (Art Ward & Doug Cochran)

Motion for the final: This House Would Partition Iraq.





Source: Britishdebate

Baltic Debate Championships 2008

The first stage of registration for the 2008 Baltic Debate championships is now open.


The championships are on Friday 25th of April and Saturday 26th of April


The registration fee with be €25 per debater, and €15 per judge. N-1 applies for judges


Only Baltic societies may enter during the first stage of registration. For the purposes of this competition 'Baltic' will mean the three Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and then any countries with Baltic Sea coastline (eg Germany, Denmark, Sweden etc).


Speeches in the Prelims will be 5 mins in length. The semi and final will be 7 mins.


This is a worlds style event, and use the worlds scoring system.



To register contact the Reg Officer: Anna Bessonova, at helsinkidebating@gmail.com or visit the website at http://helsinkibaltics08.blogspot.com/

4 February 2008

Anger at Oxbridge.

For the past few days there has been a fairly steady stream of articles in various newspapers about bitter internal disputes first in Oxford and now in Cambridge.

The Oxford Union, which has been criticised recently for some controversial guest speakers and debate topics, now finds itself in a dispute over the presidency of the society with allegations of electoral malpractice, abuse of power and harassment. This dispute has been ongoing since last November but seemed to have dropped off the media radar .

This morning a number of papers are carrying stories that the President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Cambridge Union have all resigned following "an altercation" at a meeting last week. They claimed that "constant in-fighting" had hampered their attempts to introduce "democratic reform" into the world's "oldest debating society" but it appears tempers boiled over into a physical altercation.

Oxford:
Oxford Union election battle gets nasty (Times)
Poll rigging, sex jibes and a case of the Oxford blues at prestigious university's union (Mail)
Oxford Union launches PR fightback in Delhi boy case (Times of India)
Indian student in Oxford Union battle (NDTV)

Cambridge:
Angry student society leaders quit (PA)
Oldest debating society talks itself to the brink of closure (The Times)
Cambridge debating society in turmoil (Telegraph)
Revered Cambridge Union Society descends into chaos after fight breaks out at debate (Mail)

2nd World Universities Peace Invitational Debate (WUPID)

Preparations are ongoing for the 2nd World Universities Peace Invitational Debate (WUPID). Having been at the 1st tournament in December I'm really happy that Yunus, Saiful and all those involved in organising the tournament are holding it again this year. They did a fantastic job and hopefully future tournaments will be larger and even better. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend attending the competition.





“Debate like you give a damn.”

Many would perhaps be wondering whether there would be another WUPID - and the answer is yes. Despite the ambitious plans of having the tournament follow the Worlds, WUPID will still be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


The organizers are currently in final talks with potential sponsors, government agencies and non-profit organizations. The website will be up the end of February and you will get plenty of info from there. In the meantime, we will also be issuing news and updates on MLYSN (the official weblog for WUPID) and you may find these updates in other blog entries via World Debating and Global Debate Blog - hopefully.


The event is tentatively scheduled to be on the 15 – 20 December 2008. If there are any changes, it will be posted in the official website and weblogs mentioned earlier.


Debate like you give a damn.