World Debating Website

2nd Malaysia Debate Open‏

2009-12-02T07:08:00.000Z

Dear Debaters,

Voices Melaka Debating Society of Multimedia University Melaka is back with the 2nd Malaysia Debate Open. Here are the details of the tourney:

Date : 5th - 8th March 2010 ( Friday - Monday )

Venue : Multimedia University, Melaka

Format : Asian Parliamentary Style

Cap : 80 teams

Institution Cap : 3 teams ( N = 1 )

Registration Fees : RM 170 per debater/adjudicator, RM 350 per observers

Accommodation Fees : Seperated from the registration fees. Check our website for more details

Registration : 14 December 2009 - 7th January 2010. Registration must be done at our website. here's the URL :

http://www.malaysiadebateopen.com/

Arun Valliappan
Convenor of 2nd Malaysia Debate Open
Voices Melaka Debating Society
Multimedia University Melaka ( MMUM )

Slovenia International Debate Academy results

2009-12-02T06:09:00.013Z

From worlddebateinstitute

The University of Ljubljana recently hosted their annual international debate academy which includes both training and a debating competition.

In the final of the tourmanent the motion was, THBT armies should overthrow corrupt governments.

Winners: Jernej Jenko & Jernej Jenko (6-5 vote by panel)
Second: Sam Natale & Sarah Anders
Finalists: Tom Dionesotes & Alli Hamlin, Ana Stritih & Zan Zveplan

The full tab can be found at: http://debate.uvm.edu/usudc/idas2009/

NorthEast Asian Open Results & Motions

2009-12-01T03:30:00.003Z

Greetings!

On behalf of Chief Adjudicator Cecilee Xi Li and her Adjudication team (He Jingkai, Atsushi Inutsuka and Kim Ah Young), here are the full results of the 5th North East Asian Open! The first to be held in the British Parliamentary format, and the first to the held in China!

Thank you Beijing Foreign Studies University for hosting a warm and wonderful tournament, especially given they only had two months or so to do it.

There were 88 teams from 39 institutions, representing China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Korea and Thailand.

Results Summary

Main Break
Champions : Underwood International College (UIC) 1
Runners Up : Ewha Womens University (EDiS) 1
2nd Runners Up : Korea University (KU) 1 & Hanyang University (HU) 2

EFL Break
Champions : Wenzao University (WENU) 1
Runners Up : Peking University (PEKING) 1
2nd Runners Up : Northeast University of Qinhuangdao (NEU) 1 & 2

Best Speakers
Main Break - Jang Won Joon (UIC 1)
EFL Break - Peng, Cheng (PEKING 1)

Motions
Rd1
THBT social networking sites should prohibit children from using their services

Rd2
THBT governments should hold airlines liable for viral diseases spread due to their flights

Rd 3
THW end support for the Karzai government in Afghanistan.

Rd4
THBT the state should provide criminal background information to couples when they register to be married.

Rd5
THBT the state should regulate bonuses in private corporations.

Quarters
THBT governments should prioritise fighting climate change over poverty

EFL Semis
THBT taxpayer money should not fund international sporting events

Semis
THBT that African nations should choose Chinese investment over Western aid

EFL Finals
THBT states should side with surrogate mothers who don't want to give up their children

Finals
THBT that first generation immigrants should have the right to vote in their country of origin

Full Tab is available here

Cheers
Logan

NEAO Beijing Results

2009-11-30T06:49:00.000Z

UIC, Yonsei 1 have won the 2009 NEAO competition in Beijing.

EDiS were runners up while the other finalists were Korea University and Hanyang University

78 teams participated from China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand

Source: Mail from Jason Jarvis on koreadebatelist

Asian BP Championships results

2009-11-27T08:46:00.002Z

MMU A have won the 2009 Asian BP (worlds style) championships.

Grand Final:

OG - ATENEO B (Gotamco & De Castro)
OO - IIU B (Tasneem & Danial)
CG - MMU A (Ips & Groobie)
CO - ATENEO A (Tagle & Parmanand)

Cecile Danica C. Gotamco (Ateneo B) was the top speaker on the tab.

Ateneo A topped the team tab
Motions
Rd1: This house would ban children working as models.
Rd2: This house believes the US should withdraw military aid from Israel until the settlements in the West Bank are removed.
Rd3: This house would allow teachers to have sexual relationships with students over the age of consent as long as the relationship is declared.
Rd4: This house would punish poachers and traders of endangered species in the same way as murderers.
Rd5: This house believes individuals in developing nations who receive government funding for tertiary education should be prohibited from emigrating.
Rd6: This house believes that religions should not be allowed to discriminate on grounds of sexuality or gender when offering employment.
Octo: This house believes the Pakistani government should assassinate Taliban leaders in the north west frontier province.
Qtr: This house believes foreign companies should be denied access to developing nations natural resources.
Semi: This house believes parents should not be allowed to create designer babies to save the life of an earlier child.
Final: This house would not allow family members of politicians from participating in politics.

Here is the tab.

World Schools Newsletter

2009-11-26T05:05:00.006Z

Source: World Schools mailing list

Here is the latest newsletter from the upcoming World Schools Debating Championships to be hosted in Qatar.

Botswana Worlds 2011 : DCA Review Process - Another Additional Applicant

2009-11-25T09:11:00.002Z

Greetings,

No technical error this time - Anne Valkering (Holland) sent her application on time to my personal email address and I neglected to include her in the final list. I most sincerely apologise to Anne as well as to others who have already sent in their feedback and might have wanted to say something about her, and for flooding your inbox!

The complete (and Final) list of DCA Applicants for Botswana Worlds is as follows:

Anna Garsia (Australia)
Evan Goldman (Australia)
Fiona Prowse (Australia)
Tim Jeffrie (Australia)
Richard Lizius (Canada)
Anne Valkering (Holland)
Anat Gelber (Israel)
Muneeb Ur Rehman (Pakistan)
Estelle Osorio (Philippines)
Daniel Warrents (UK)
Frederick Cowell (UK)
Jonathan Leader Maynard (UK)
Lewis Iwu (UK)
Sam Block (UK)
Cormac Early (US)
Josh Martin (US)
Jason Jarvis (US/Korea)

The deadline for feedback remains the 10th of December.

Needing More Sleep,
Logan

On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 10:02 AM, Logan <loganimal@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello everyone,

Due to what I can only assume is a weird technical glitch, Frederick Cowell (UK) was left out of the list of applicants for DCA of Botswana Worlds. I sincerely apologise to Fred and to others who have already sent in their feedback and might have wanted to say something about him.

The complete list of applicants is as follows.

Anna Garsia    (Australia)

Evan Goldman    (Australia)

Fiona Prowse    (Australia)

Tim Jeffrie    (Australia)

Richard Lizius    (Canada)

Anat Gelber    (Israel)

Muneeb Ur Rehman    (Pakistan)

Estelle Osorio    (Philippines)

Daniel Warrents    (UK)

Frederick Cowell (UK)

Jonathan Leader Maynard    (UK)

Lewis Iwu    (UK)

Sam Block    (UK)

Cormac Early    (US)

Josh Martin    (US)

Jason Jarvis    (US/Korea)

The deadline for feedback remains the 10th of December.

And thank you to the people who have already sent feedback on the candidates!

Cheers

Logan

On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 12:53 AM, Logan <loganimal@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Global Debate Community,

The adjudication team for Botswana Worlds 2011 wants to hear from you! We want feedback on candidates who have applied for the position of Deputy Chief Adjudicator of Botswana Worlds. Feedback will be kept confidential and will not be released to candidates at any point under any circumstances.

Please email comments directly to me, James Dray or to adjudicationteam@botswanaworlds.com. We will accepting feedback until the 10th of December 2009.

We have a wonderful list of very qualified applicants, and we thank them all for taking the time and effort to apply!

The list of applicants, grouped by the countries they are based in (in alphabetical order) are listed below

Anna Garsia    (Australia)

Evan Goldman    (Australia)

Fiona Prowse    (Australia)

Tim Jeffrie    (Australia)

Richard Lizius    (Canada)

Anat Gelber    (Israel)

Muneeb Ur Rehman    (Pakistan)

Estelle Osorio    (Philippines)

Daniel Warrents    (UK)

Jonathan Leader Maynard    (UK)

Lewis Iwu    (UK)

Sam Block    (UK)

Cormac Early    (US)

Josh Martin    (US)

Jason Jarvis    (US/Korea)

Thank you very much for your help, and we look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers
Logan

Chief Adjudicator
Botswana Worlds 2011

Botswana Worlds report.

2009-11-25T07:24:00.000Z

Dear World Debating Community,
I have great pleasure to share with you our progress in preparing for Botswana worlds in 2011.We have been working hard here in Gaborone Botswana and we have exciting plans that we hope will leave long lasting memories on the minds of all participants of Botswana worlds in 2010/11.

Please feel free to offer feedback and we will take all your concerns into consideration.

All my best and I will see some of you in 33 days in Turkey

Justice

PAUDC Update

2009-11-25T07:21:00.001Z

Dear PAUDC participants,
Registration for the second annual African Debating Championships has now closed and we are not taking any more teams.

Attached is an update with information on all areas of the tournament.

Please remember the following.

Arrival is on the 11th and 12th, accommodation is available on the 11th but we start catering on the evening of the 12th

You DO NOT need to bring bedding, but you may if you wish bring extra blankets.

You must bring a white Outfit for the all white party on December 13th

You must bring a formal outfit for the final night and semi formal for the opening function.

You must bring small quantities of food, drinks- alcoholic and non-alcoholic, clothing, pictures, music, etc from you country that will be exhibited during the cultural showcase

You must select representatives to perform during cultural night and talent show.

Money for Lunch on the 17th (free day) and money for drinks during the all white party.

PAUDC Council Agenda 2009

Wednesday December 16th 4pm to 6:30pm

1. Opening and Welcome 2 minutes -introductions and Ice breaking
2. Purpose and Procedure 2minutes. How the meeting is going to run Protocol
3. PAUDC constitution review and adoption 15 mins -presentation of the constitution
4. PAUDC Council Elections 20 minutes -election of office bearers
5. Presentation of 2008 minutes 5 minutes -details of 2008 PAUDC council meeting
6. PAUDC financial report 10 minutes -detailed financial report of both PAUDC’s and advice on future budging
7. 2009 PAUDC general review 20 minutes -comprehensive assessments of PAUDC 2, recommendation for areas of improvement
8. Bids for hosting of 2010 championship -15 minutes
9. Voting 5 minutes
10. Bids for hosting of 2011 championship 15 minutes
11. Voting 5 minutes
12. Future tournaments and funding 15 minutes -PAUDC funding and sustainability
13. Development issues-Regional tournaments and success stories 15 minutes -debate development stories across Africa
14. Worlds feedback 10 minutes -African participations at worlds and Botswana worlds
15. World schools Feedback 5 minutes. African representation at world schools
16. HWS/RR 5 minutes
17. Using Social Media to Promote Debate 5 minutes
18. Adjudication Development and Training 5 minutes
19. General Issues /AOB 5 minutes

Best

Justice Motlhabani
Convenor and Chair of the Organizing Committee
debatemasters@yahoo.com
http://www.paudc.africandebating.org/

CUSID BP Championships‏

2009-11-24T06:49:00.000Z

The CUSID BP Championships were hosted by the University of British Columbia in Vancouver on 20-22 November. There were 52 teams, representing 20 institutions at the championships.

Advancing to semifinals after 5 rounds were:
1. Alaska A (14 points)
2. Hart House A (12 points)
3. McGill A
4. McGoode A [McGill/Osgoode] (11 points)
5. Carleton A
6. McGill B
7. York A
8. Queens A (10 points)

Semifinal 1 included:
McGoode A (1st Gov)
*Alaska A (1st Opp)
*Queens A (2nd Gov)
Carleton A (2nd Opp)

Semifinal 2 included:
*Hart House A (1st Gov)
*York A (1st Opp)
McGill A (2nd Gov)
McGill B (2nd Opp)

The champion debate team on a 5-2 decision was Hart House (Richard Lizius & Ian Freeman).

The 3 finalists were:
*Receiving the 2 dissenting votes: Alaska (Michael Imeson & James Kilcup)
Queens (Christina Wadsworth & Sheldon McCormick)
York (Sarah Sahagian & Emmett Soldati)

The top 10 speakers after 5 preliminary rounds were:
10th Place: Ian Freeman of Hart House A
9th Place: Adam Coombs of Carleton A
8th Place: Andrew Lawrence of Carleton A
7th Place: Joshua Sealy-Harrington of UBC A
6th Place: Christina Wadsworth of Queens A
5th Place: Saro Setrakian of McGill [McGoode A]
4th Place: Brent Kettles of Osgoode [McGoode A]
3rd Place: Richard Lizius of Hart House A
2nd Place: James Kilcup of Alaska A
1st Place: Michael Imeson of Alaska A

The motions for CUSID BP Championships were:
Rd 1: THBT aboriginal lands belong to individuals rather than the band.
Rd 2: THS a common EU army.
Rd 3: THW outlaw arranged marriage.
Rd 4: THBT the United States should support China granting aid to African states.
Rd 5: THW legalize euthanasia.
Semis: THBT the new Kenyan Constitution should not include Islamic Family Courts.
Finals: THBT the government should be able to prosecute cases of sexual assault without the victim’s continuing consent.

Public Speaking Finals
1st Place: Ian Ireland (Albeds)
2nd Place: Sean Husband (McGill)
3rd Place: Trenton Millar (McGill)
Finalist – Akis Gialopsos (Alaska)
Finalist – Charlie Sprague (Claremont)
Finalist – Ian Hruday (Alberta)
Finalist – Robbie Less-Miller (Alberta)
Finalist – Mike Renaud (UVic)

Source: Shawn F. Briscoe

Oxford Win Cambridge IV

2009-11-23T06:54:00.003Z

Oxford (Jonathan Leader Maynard and Shengwu Li) have won the 2009 Cambridge IV. In the final they defeated ULU A, SOAS A, Oxford CH. UCU A won the English as second language (ESL) competition.

Breaking Teams
1 Oxford LLM
2 ULU A
3 Manchester A
4 MIT A
5 Yale A
6 TCD Hist A
7 De La Salle A
8 Oxford DK
9 Yale B
10 McGill A
11 Leiden A
12 Oxford CH
13 TCD Phil A
14 Erasmus A
15 SOAS A
16 Birmingham A

ESL Finalists:
1 Leiden A
2 Erasmus A
3 Utrecht B
4 Bonaparte A

Motions
R1: THW reduce welfare payments to parents whose children break the law.
R2: THB that it should be illegal to incite others to boycott an election.
R3: THW replay international sporting events if an extreme umpiring error affects the result.
R4: THBT the USA should pay war reparations to Vietnam.
R5: THW allow children over the age of 13 to obtain gender-reassingment surgery without parental consent.
QF: THB that California should create high schools that teach primarily in Spanish.
SF: THB the State should refuse to assist in rebuilding areas prone to natural disasters.
ESL Final: THW allow the conception of children using the sperm of someone who has died.
Final: THB Western Nations should use military force to rescue journalists captured by the enemy.

Source: Achte Minute

The Tab

Victoria IV 2009 Results

2009-11-22T22:17:00.006Z

The New Zealand British Parliamentary Debating Champs (the Victoria IV) finished yesterday in Wellington. The Chief Adjudicator was Gareth Richards.

Winners: Victoria University of Wellington (Udayan Mukherjee and Paul Smith)

Runners-Up: University of Sydney (Pat Caldwell and Eliza Forsyth), Victoria University of Wellington (Stephen Whittington and Polly Higbee), "Steam" (Matt Cuthell and Ryan Orange)

Semi-finalists: Victoria University of Wellington (Kathy Scott-Dowell and Richard D'Ath), Jonathan Orpin and Ellen Thomson, Holly Jenkins and Josh Cameron, "Yogaskaran" (Max Harris and Akif Malik)

Top 10 Speakers:

1. Jonathan Orpin
2. Stephen Whittington (Victoria University of Wellington)
3. Polly Higbee (Victoria University of Wellington)
4= Clodagh O'Connor-McKenna (Victoria University of Wellington)
5= Sam Greenland (University of Sydney)
5= Richard D'Ath (Victoria University of Wellington)
5= Josh Cameron
5= Pat Caldwell (University of Sydney)
9= Hugh McCaffrey (Victoria University of Wellington)
9= Kathy Errington (University of Auckland)

Best Novice: Ellen Thomson

Topics:

R1 - This House would destroy the results of unethical research
R2 - This House believes the European Union should be an economic union, not a political union
R3 - This House would ban cosmetic surgery
R4 - This house would pay for the return of hostages
R5 - This House believes groups should have to give up their weapons in order to stand for political office
R6 – This House would end all censorship apart from age restrictions
Semi - This House would legalise the baby trade
Grand Final – This House would prevent criminals from publishing accounts of their crimes

Worlds Council

2009-11-21T17:46:00.008Z

Dear all

I am writing to announce that I will not be seeking re-election to the Chair of Worlds Council at Vehbi Koc Worlds 2010. My great friend Adiba Shareen will step up from Registrar and will, I'm sure, do a brilliant job as acting Chair.

Since Cork, there have been colossal and wonderful changes in my life, not least the birth of my beautiful daughter Rosie, which have led me to this decision.

Over the last thirteen years, I have been privileged to enjoy Worlds as a debater, adjudicator and DCA and to serve Council as Secretary, Registrar and then Chair. I will always cherish the memories of speaking in a Worlds final. I shall fondly remember the mind-bending pressure of trying to judge every debate, from the brilliant to the bizarre, as if it were the final. I loved the places, the socials, the Masters - in fact, I'm so old and misty-eyed I remember the comedy being funny.

I want to thank all the people I have met on the way, so many of whom remain important in my life. I will continue my evangelism for debate - bringing new people, institutions and countries into the debating community and taking the remarkable skills of debate into the places people work, meet and live. I want to encourage debate for a purpose, through a range of media and enlisting new allies, and I hope I can ask everyone who cares about debate to play a part in some exciting new programmes.

To symbolise this hope that debate should proliferate, I want to make my parting gift the institution of a best newcomer award - a prize given to the debate club of the highest ranking team at an institution new to Worlds in each year. I hope this celebration and recognition of new universities will encourage others and help the winner to continue their participation in future years.

The very best of luck to Koc. Thank you all for the treasured memories.

Best wishes

Neill

Neill Harvey-Smith
Chair, World Debate Council

DLSU launch bid website for Worlds 2012

2009-11-20T07:30:00.000Z

To the World Debating Community,

We are happy to announce the launching of the bid website of De La Salle Worlds!
http://www.dlsuworlds.com/

We have been working hard for this bid for the last three years. As DLSU is celebrating its 100 years of existence as an academic institution in School Year 2011-2012, we will be very happy to host everyone in Manila.

Should you have questions, feel free to e-mail me. Please forward this e-mail to your own regional mailing lists. :-)

Thank you very much and we hope to see you in Manila for De La Salle Worlds 2012!

Dino de Leon
Convenor, De La Salle Worlds

Toronto bid for Worlds 2012

2009-11-17T07:38:00.000Z

Hart House (University of Toronto) have announced that they are going to bid to host the World Debating Championships in 2012. For more details of the bid visit http://www.harthouse2012.com/

Oxford IV Results

2009-11-17T07:37:00.001Z

Yale A (Grant May & Steven Kryger) won the Oxford IV. The other finalists were ULU B (Max Kasriel & James Prior), ULU A (Ali Dewji & Fred Cowell), and Cambridge G (Doug Cochran & Mhairi Murdoch).

Motions:
Rd 1. THW allow deaf couples to use medical technology to ensure they have deaf offsprings.
Rd 2. THW welcome a European superstate.
Rd 3. THW redirect all state art funding for reproduction of classic works of art into new works of art.
Rd 4. THW give the UN Secretary General the power to unilaterally send peacekeepers into regions that are beyond the effective control of their governments.
Rd 5. THW abolish patents and replace them with government funded awards in recognition of R&D.
Rd 6. THBT universities should not license societies that define themselves by gender, race nationalhood or sexuality.

The Tab:

Some recent results: Hugill Cup '09

2009-11-12T08:30:00.000Z

On 6-8 November, 32 teams attended the Hugill Cup in Edmonton, Canada.

Advancing to the Semifinals were:
Alaska IK*
Alaska GS*
Alaska CH
Calgary WS

Alberta CI*
Alberta BL*
UBC CP
U of Saskatechewan HR

The champions were Alaska GS (Akis Gialopsos & Amie Stanley)
The other finalists were:
Alaska IK (Michael Imeson & James Kilcup)
Alberta CI (Emily Cliff & Iain Ireland)
Alberta BL (Ian Burch & Robert Lees-Miller)

The top 5 speakers were:
5th Place – Garrett Richards (Saskatchewan)
4th Place – Colin Haughey (Alaska)
3rd Place – Dylan Hardy (Saskatchewan)
2nd Place – James Kilcup (Alaska)
1st Place – Michael Imeson (Alaska)

The following motions were debated:
Rd 1: THBT custody hearings should not take a child’s biological parentage into account.
Rd 2: THW allow evidence obtained from entrapment to be admissible in court.
Rd 3: THW deny communion to politicians that support abortion.
Rd 4: THBT Britain UK should withdraw from the EU.
Rd 5: THW condition the award of major international sporting events upon the legalization of prostitution for the duration of the events.
Semis: THBT Saudi Arabia should cancel the Hajj in light of the swine flu.
Finals: THBT, in the future, clones should not be awarded the same rights as humans

Argument, Debate & Critical Pedagogy Conference October 2010‏

2009-11-12T08:28:00.000Z

THIRD International conference on argumentation, rhetoric, debate and the pedagogy of empowerment - thinking and speaking a better world

The World Debate Institute at the University of Vermont USA and ZIP, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga/ Pro et contra Institute for culture of dialogue Slovenia invite all scholars and practitioners of argumentation, rhetoric, debate, and educators using deliberative education methodologies to the Third International Conference on Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and the Pedagogy of Empowerment -- THINKING AND SPEAKING A BETTER WORLD.

Two conferences have been held, one in Koper and the other in Ljubljana Slovenia. The next conference is planned for October 28-29-30 2010. The conference will be hosted by The University of Maribor, Faculty of Pedagogy, Department of Philosophy. Both previous conferences attracted over 85 scholars from around the world.

The conference will welcome scholars and educators from diverse fields for vigorous dialog and exchange. This conference will unite scholars of argumentation and rhetoric, teachers, and organizers of local, national and international debating networks to discuss critical thinking and advocacy discourse through pedagogy. We intend for the conference to welcome all who are involved in public discussions and debates about different issues.

This conference is extremely timely. A global information society which seeks reasoned solutions to problems through broad citizen involvement needs to develop and refine techniques for criticizing and validating ideas through discourse and then impart these to new generations of citizens if we are to create a better future and avoid looming crises. This conference represents a unique opportunity to share ideas, network and cross-fertilize with global critical thinkers.

The program for the conference will have three themes. Submissions are encouraged to center their work on one of the three themes and to submit proposals to the appropriate conference division. Interdisciplinary work that might fit into more than one category is welcome.
•Argumentation and rhetoric. The use of logic and reason to criticize and analyze ideas through communication. Those interested in research on argumentation theory, criticisms of communication acts and scholarship on argumentation practice are encouraged to submit to this division.
•Debate. The use of formal argumentation forums to educate and empower citizens. Those interested in work on the practice and theory of debate competition, public debates, research on the impact of debate for participants, and theorizing about debate paradigms are encouraged to submit to this division.
•Critical thinking/pedagogy. Teaching and the methodology of teaching in the active classroom. Those interested in using debate, discussion and argumentation in classrooms, discussion of experiences and teaching lessons relating to communication and critical thinking are encouraged to submit to this division.

A committee of conference organizers and scholars will examine submissions to each division. Deadlines and committees will be announced soon.

Those wishing to attend the conference without submitting a paper are very welcome but must register.

Organizing committee: Bojana Skrt, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga, Slovenia Alfred C. Snider, World Debate Institute, University of Vermont, USA 2010 in Maribor

See our blog for news and updates at http://betterworldconference.blogspot.com/
Our previous website was http://debate.uvm.edu/betterworld.htm
World Debate Institute http://worlddebateinstitute.blogspot.com/
ZIP http://www.zainproti.com/
University of Maribor http://www.uni-mb.si/

Some Recent Results: Bath IV

2009-11-11T08:30:00.001Z

Daniel Warents and Rosie Unwin of Middle Temple won the Bath IV 2009. Daniel also topped the speaker tab. The other finalists were Cambridge A (Jo Box and Charlotte Thomas), ULU (Fred Cowell and Stanzie Bell) and SOAS A (Jordan Anderson and Sheraz Qureshi) in the final. Koen van Schie, of Leiden, was the best ESL speaker.

The motions were:
R1: THW require free-to-air coverage of all major sporting events
R2: THW allow those who contract swine flu to sue the person who infected them
R3: THW require all citizens to attend day-long political discussion seminars prior to voting
R4: THB that states have no moral responsibility to intervene in other countries, even in cases of genocide, except to defend the interests of its own citizens
R5: THW force MPs to retrospectively repay illegitimate expense claims, as determined by the Kelly report
Final: 'THB that no person should have an income more than three times the median in their society'.

Source Britishdebate maillist

Three More Days : Botswana Worlds : Call for DCAs

2009-11-10T08:36:00.002Z

Just a friendly reminder - 3 more days to send in your applications!

If you are interested to apply but need more time to write your application, please let me know and we can work something out.

Cheers
Logan

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Logan <loganimal@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 1:54 AM
Subject: Botswana Worlds : Call for DCAs

Dear Global Debate Community,

It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of the organising committee of Botswana Worlds 2011 to invite applications for Deputy Chief Adjudicators (DCA) to join our Adjudication Team. We are looking for 2 or 3 individuals who,

have strong adjudication and debate experience at the international level in the Worlds format (organisational experience is a plus but is not required)
are actively involved in their debate communities and will be until December 2010
have time to communicate regularly (by email and skype) with other members of the adjudication team
can be in Botswana at least one week before Worlds 2011 (19th December 2010)
work well under pressure, doesn't really need sleep, and has other essential qualities of an exceptional DCA

The Application Process
There will be two phases, an Application phase and a Public Review phase

Application Phase - this phase begins now and ends on the 13th of November. More information below.
Review Phase - will run for two weeks soon after the application deadline expires. A list of all applicants will be published and the Worlds debate community will have the opportunity to provide feedback. The objective of the feedback should be to provide further information about the candidate that is relevant to their application or character references. Feedback should be provided directly to the adjudication team and will be treated with utmost discretion and sensitivity. These comments will not be made public (even after worlds) or accessible to the applicants (even if they are successful). Also the number of comments a candidate gets will have no bearing on the chances of their appointment.

Interested applicants should send
a) A Cover Letter (please explain your motivation(s) for applying. Also, please briefly discuss what you think the challenges of being a DCA at Worlds are and why you are up to them).
b) A Detailed Resume (please include commitments until December 2010)

Your application will be processed solely by the adjudication team (James Dray and I) and Convenor (Justice Motlhabani). No one else will view any content related to the entire application process. Candidates will be chosen based on what we believe is the best for Botswana Worlds and the World Universities Debating Championships.

Please send all applications to adjudicationteam@botswanaworlds.com by 12GMT 13th November 2009.

Please feel free to email questions or comments to the same address, or directly to James or myself.

Looking forward to hearing from (some of) you soon!

Cheers

Logandran Balavijendran
Chief Adjudicator

James Dray
Deputy Chief Adjudicator

Botswana Worlds 2011

Preparing for Worlds: some topics

2009-11-10T07:38:00.002Z

As mentioned in the previous post I have a list of potential topics for Worlds. It's a list I first published a number of years ago. I have added a few new topics and deleted a few out of dates ones. This is not a complete list of possible topics. I have no idea what motions the adjudication team for Koc will come up with. It is just a starting point to get you going on research.

If you can add any to this list then that would be very welcome. Please post them in a comment and I'll add them to the list.

Aboriginal justice (e.g. aboriginal community courts)
Adoption (e.g. overseas adoptions, Celebs (Madonna, Elton John)
Afghanistan (e.g. failed democracy and drug production)
AIDS prevention (e.g. condoms, drug patents)
Anti social behaviour (e.g. ASBOs in UK)
Anti-terror leglislation (e.g. patriot act)
Assassination of heads of state
Ban hunting (e.g. fox hunting in UK)
Bank Bailouts (UK, Ireland, US, Germany)
Bank Bonuses
Burma (e.g. Aung San Suu Kyi)
Capitalism vs Socialism (e.g. failure of one over the other)
Carbon quotas (National or individual)
CCTV (use of)
Child care (e.g. for working mothers or maternity/paternal leave)
China and Africa
China and Taiwan
Citizen initiated referenda
Citizenship exams
Class action lawsuits (banning them)
Cloning (Animals, Humans etc)
Compulsory ID Cards
Computer Games (e.g. violence in)
Condoms in Pornography
Consensual Cannibalism
Cuba (e.g. sanctions against)
Darfur & Sudan
Death penalty (e.g. US, concept of “redemption”)
Divorce (access to, Fault vs no fault)
Egypt (e.g. rise of Islamist political parties)
Embro rights (e.g. right to life, right to implantation, parental rights)
Energy (e.g. generation of, political use (Russian Gas))
Established Journalism vs blogs/podcasts
EU Commission (e.g. election of)
EU Democracy (e.g. Only Ireland held referendum on Lisbon)
EU Expansion
EU Lisbon Treaty/Constitution
EU single working language
EU/US relations (e.g. trade, terror etc)
Euro (e.g. Italy/Ireland should abandon, UK should adopt)
Exploration of Space (e.g. Mars, ISS, China)
Extended alcohol drinking licences (e.g. 24 hour pubs)
Face transplants, ethics of
Far Right Parties (access to the Media, BNP)
Free Speech (e.g. Wikipeadia)
Freedom of labour movement (e.g. migrant labour in EU)
Freedom of speech (e.g. Muhammad Cartoons, Holocaust Denial)
Gay public figures, Outing of
Gay rights (marriage, priests, adoption etc)
Genetically Modified Organisms (e.g. food)
Green Energy (benefits, hype etc)
Healthcare (e.g. US, cost of, etc)
Honour killings
Human genetics (cloning, stem cells etc)
Human Rights linked to sporting events (e.g. Olympics in China)
Hybrid energy (e.g. hybrid cars)
Illegal Immigration (e.g. into US/Australia/Europe)
International Adoption (e.g. Romanian orphans)
International ban on whaling
International Challenge in business (i.e. industry moving from west to east) AKA "Outsourcing"
International dimlomacy (e.g. role of UN, US, EU etc)
International emergency response force (e.g. Tsunami, Earthquake, New Orleans)
International extradition of terrorists (CIA flights to Europe) aka International Rendition
International laws on intellectual property (copyright, patents etc).
Internet music/film Piracy (e.g. Pirate bay etc)
Internet Pornography (e.g. .xxx domain names, child porn)
Internet Privacy (retention of browsing history, e-mails etc)
Internet regulation (ICANN and role of US government)
Iraq, future of
Israel (right to defend itself, illegal settlements)
Judicial independence (e.g. appointment or removal of a judge)
Korea (North v South relations)
Limit Free speech (e.g. Holocaust denial/incitement of terror/Turkey & Armenia/Thailand Royal family)
Limits to self defence (e.g. right to shoot intruders in your home)
Mandatory minimum sentences (e.g. for drug crimes)
Maritime Law (e.g. flags of convince)
Marriage (e.g. states should only recognise civil partnership)
Medical "fashion" (e.g. hype around Bird Flu, SARS, Swine Flu)
Nobel Peace Prize (e.g. merit of)
Nuclear Power (e.g. environmental benefits/costs)
Nuclear proliferation/disarmament (e.g. Iran. Khan network)
Obesity in Children
Palestine, future of
Parental consent for medial treatment of under 16s (including seeking an Abortion, obesity, MMR)
Parental responsibility for crimes of children
Pensions (e.g make them compulsory)
Performance enhancing drugs in sport
Piracy on the high seas (e.g. Somalia)
Piracy on the internet (e.g. pirate-bay)
Pre-emptive military action (e.g. Israel v Iran)
Privacy of the Catholic confessional
Prostitution (e.g. legalisation of)
Public sector vs Private sector (benefits of working in one over the other)
Public vs Private education
Public-Private partnerships (e.g. in infrastructural development)
Reality TV (influence of)
Religious dress in school/work (e.g. Hijab in France, Crucifix in Italy)
Religious education (e.g. what should be taught in state funded schools)
Religious law Vs National Law (e.g. canon law)
Respect for national sovereignty (e.g. in war on terror)
Respecting Ethnic Diversity (muslims in France, travellers in Ireland, aboriginal populations)
Retirement Age (e.g. raising it to 75)
Rights of minority to homeland (Basque, Kurds etc)
Russia (e.g. economy, democracy)
Salary cap in sport (e.g. English Premiership)
Social Media (youtube, blogging etc)
Social Networking (e.g. facebook, twitter)
Social partnership (e.g. Unions, Government, Employers working together)
Social welfare (% or minimum wage, vouchers vs payments)
State funding for charity (Overseas aid budgets)
State funding for sports
Swine Flu (hype or real risk, government response, vaccination)
Tax incentives for artists
Taxation (what to tax, social contract etc)
Telephone records (e.g. state monitoring private calls)
Term limits for politicians (e.g. Bloomberg in New York)
Terrorism Compensation (e.g. Lockerbie, IRA)
Testing on Animals (drugs, cosmetics etc)
Tibet (Independence, Dali Lama)
Torture (e.g. use of in war on terror, waterboarding)
Trade Unions (e.g. benefits of, dangers of)
Trade Unions (e.g. future of)
Traffic problems (e.g. Congestion charges, toll roads, mandatory car pooling etc)
Treatment of addicts (e.g. access to further treatment e.g. transplants)
Truth & reconciliation commissions (South Africa, Ireland etc)
Turkish entry into the EU.
Turkish genocide in Armenia
UN (e.g. reform of)
Vaccination (international programmes, swine flu)
Voting Rights (e.g. age, convicts, emmigrants)
War Crimes Tribunals (Serbia, Karadzic)
Women in politics (e.g. quotas)
Women's rights (e.g. in the Church, workplace, education etc)
WTO Negotiations (e.g. Agricultural subsidies, Tariffs)
Zimbabwe (democracy, constitution, elections)

Preparing for Worlds

2009-11-10T07:31:00.000Z

At this time of year I get a number of e-mails asking a few common questions related to Worlds. Therefore I thought I would post some general ones.

Q. I would like to go to Worlds in Turkey. How can I register?
A. Unfortunately at this point you can't. Registration happened back in June and was over subscribed in 90 seconds. You can visit http://www.kocworlds2010.com/ for more info. The best thing to do is aim for Worlds in Botswana and in the meantime look at attending some of the big IVs or regional championships. WUPID in December is also well worth looking at.

Q. We have tried to register for Worlds and can't. Can you help?
A. No I can't. I don't have any role in the organisation of Worlds in Turkey. My Emeritus role on council is a non-voting honorary one so I don't have any real power to help. To be honest even if I did have the power I wouldn't attempt to override or influence the hard working org committee.

Q. Where can I find more information about Worlds?
A. Other than this site (http://www.debating.ie/) visit http://www.kocworlds2010.com/

Q. Are there any Training guides for Worlds?
A. Yes. Lots. Best place to look is http://worlddebating.blogspot.com/search/label/Training

Q. Are there any videos of Worlds format?
A. Yes. Again lots. The best place to look is http://debatevideoblog.blogspot.com/

Q. What topics are likely to come up?
A. That's not quite like asking what the lottery numbers are but it's not far behind. A quick look at past Worlds motions show that it covers a wide range of subjects. In recent years I have published a list of potential topics. I'll republish it but bear in mind that the list has 130 topics and there are many many other potential subjects. The best way to prepare is to be as well read as possible.

Q. What are good sources of information on topics?
A. At this stage it's about reading and understanding as wide a range of subjects as possible. Be up to speed with the latest topics and issues. Assuming you are going as a team or squad then share the work. I suggest you buy versions of Time, Newsweek and the Economist. The Economist World in 2010 special edition is due our soon and is always useful.

On the internet start reading the BBC website. As well as breaking news they often have good topic outlines and backgrounds. Some other websites exist with more general principle based topics. Check http://www.debatabase.org/ and http://www.debatewise.com/ as both have talking points on many topics.

If you are looking to create a case file then remember that the key is that you have to know the information is there. You won't have time to read every thing between now and the start of the tournament. Create an index of the topics you have in the file. And it has to be paper based. Worlds rules prohibit the use of electronic equipment.

Q. What happens if a topic comes up I haven't researched?
A. This isn't just likely it is certain. It is important to understand that no matter how much research you do you will have to debate several topics which you have not prepared for. You can't have covered everything. In a case like this don't panic but go back to the "first principles" post in the training section. http://worlddebating.blogspot.com/2005/12/preparing-for-worlds-3-first.html . One key thing is not to panic. Be comfortable speaking and this leads me to the next question.

Q. How do I train for Worlds?
A. The best way to train for debating is to debate. It's one thing to know what to do and how to do it but it is another when you are standing up there translatig thoughts to speech. I recently spoke in a debate for the first time in several years (usually I judge). I was so rusty it was scary. I knew what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it but I just struggled more than I expected. The best way to prepare for Worlds is to debate as often as possible. If you can go to some IVs. If you can't get to many IVs then organise Worlds style debates within your society. The more you speak in debates the more natural and fluent it will become for you.

HWS / IDEA Round Robin Qualifiers

2009-11-05T00:21:00.009Z

The HWS/IDEA Round Robin will be held on April 2 & 3, 2009 in Geneva, New York. A total of 16 teams will be invited to compete, and there are 16 “automatic bids” (listed below). Those not earning an automatic bid are encouraged to apply for an “at-large bid”. (Applications are due January 31, 2010.)

AUTOMATIC BIDS go to the 2009 winners of:
Asian BP Championships
Asian Unity
Australs
CUSID BP Nationals
Europeans
Hart House IV
International Mace
Oxford IV
Pan-African BP Championship
Sydney Mini
US UDC
Yale IV
and, all 4 teams in the grand final round at Koc Worlds!

Posted by Eric Barnes (convenor of the HWS / IDEA RR) with thanks to our advisory committee for their ongoing help: Logan Balavijendran, Rory Gillis, Neill Harvey-Smith, Ian Lising, Helina Loor, Justice Motlhabani, and Naomi Oreb.

For more information, write to: barnes (at) hws (dot) edu

Some Recent Results: Yale IV

2009-11-04T06:49:00.000Z

On 23-24 October, Yale University hosted the Yale IV. There were 120 teams, representing 39 institutions in attendance.

Advancing to quarterfinals after 5 rounds were:
1. Alaska IK (15 points)
2. Hart House FL (13 points)
3. Carleton A
4. McGill SS (12 points)
5. MIT GM
6. Queens C
7. Stanford DK
8. Stanford A (11 points)
9. Brandeis A
10. UCC/NUS
11. Hart House TT
12. Swarthmore DW
13. Swarthmore CP
14. Brandeis D
15. Amherst LZ (10 points)
16. McGill MM

The semifinals included:
Alaska IK
Hart House FL
Carleton A
McGill SS

MIT GM
Queens C
Stanford DK
McGill MM

The champion debate team was Hart House (Richard Lizius & Ian Freeman).

The 3 finalists were:
Alaska (Michael Imeson & James Kilcup)
Carleton A (Adam Coombs & Andrew Lawrence)
McGill SS (Saro Setrakian & Sean Stefanik)

The top 5 speakers after 5 preliminary rounds were:
1st Place: Richard Lizius of Hart House FL
2nd Place: Ian Freeman of Hart House FL

3rd Place: Michael Imeson of Alaska IK

4th Place: Adam Goldstein of MIT GM

5th Place: James Kilcup of Alaska IK

The motions at Yale were:
Rd 1: THBT the US and its NATO Allies should significantly reduce their presence in Afghanistan.
Rd 2: THBT Medicaid should cover all legal abortions.
Rd 3: THB in the right to self-determination.
Rd 4: THBT that the Nobel Peace Prize should only be awarded posthumously.
Rd 5: THBT legal aliens should have an unqualified right to vote.
1/4s: THBT all punitive damages in private lawsuits should be paid to the government.
Semis: THBT the US should impose sanctions on Israel if they do not withdraw all settlements from the West Bank.
Finals: THS races to the bottom.

Thanks to Shawn Briscoe for this info.

Some Recent Results: Hart House IV

2009-11-04T06:35:00.000Z

There have been some big tournaments recently that I didn't post the results from:

On October 16-19, the University of Toronto hosted the Hart House IV. There were 84 teams, representing 26 institutions in attendance.

Advancing to quarterfinals were:
*Alaska A
Claremont A
Swathmore A
*UBC A

Dal C
*Queen’s D
McGill A
*UBC B

*McGill B
*Osgoode A
Queen’s B
Cornell C

Queen’s E
*McGill C
*Yale A
Dal A

The semifinals included:
Yale A
*McGill C
*Alaska A
UBC A

Queen’s D
Osgoode A
*UBC B
*McGill B

The champion debate team was UBC B on Closing Opp.
Alaska A (Opening Gov)
McGill C (Opening Opp)
McGill B (Closing Gov)

The top 5 speakers after 5 preliminary rounds were:
1st Place: Rudi Lof of Osgoode A
2nd Place (tie): Saro Setrakian of MGill B & Michael Imeson of Alaska A

4th Place: James Kilcup of Alaska A

5th Place: Sean Stefanik of McGill B

The motions at Hart House were:

Rd 1: THS Turkish membership in the EU.
Rd 2: THS the use of bounty hunters.
Rd 3: TH opposes the ahistorical inclusion of minorities in television and film.
Rd 4: THB China should forcibly reintegrate Taiwan.
Rd 5: Provided we have the technology, THW allow human cloning.
1/4s: THS a 100% death tax.
Semis: THB when states are unable to defend themselves by conventional means, targeting civilian populations are a legitimate act of war.
Finals: THW not contact undiscovered human populations.

Thanks to Shawn Briscoe for sending these to me.