Monday, November 15, 2010

DEDERC host Election Debate Workshop in Lagos, Nigeria on 25-26, November, 2010

Overview of the workshop:
Nigeria’s transition to democracy is wrought with difficulties characterized by a slow pace of governance reform, low level of civic engagement while ethnic and religious violence is on the ascendance. Political space is dominated by the power seekers who often resort to violence in order to secure political and financial gains. Freedom of expression is one of the most fundamental rights that individuals enjoy. It is fundamental to the existence of democracy and the respect of human dignity. It is also one of the most dangerous rights, because freedom of expression means the freedom to express one's discontent with the status quo and the desire to change it. As such, it is one of the most threatened rights, with governments - and even human rights groups - all over the world constantly trying to curtail it.

Even in the most stable democracies, public political discourse in the age of ours has not been so easy. It has been rough and tumble and sometimes it presents a potential life-and-death issue. Not so in the case of many newly-emerging democracies, many in transition from generations of one-party politics, military rule , or tribal or ethnic dominance that sideline or shout out many citizens from political participation. In some, only the outward manifestations have changed: incumbents still routinely deny or impede political opponents' access to the media or use the security apparatus to stifle dissenting views. While those who make the choice to support winners can expect to be rewarded, those who dare to support the (inevitably) losing side(s) are all too often punished by being denied access to public programs and benefits .
One avenue to engage all stakeholders in political discourse is the encouragement of would-be officeholders to enunciate and defend their platforms through participation in political debates, at both the local and national levels. The premise is that the electorate has both the right and responsibility to choose its public stewards on the basis of information on the policies and plans of contenders in an environment free of perceived (or real) intimidation.
Political debates, properly conducted, facilitate the examination of issues that are of interest to an electorate. Unlike political rallies, debates constitute a convenient platform for candidates to address issues so that viewers and listeners are able to compare positions. Similarly, properly managed debates provide less room for candidates to distort their opponents' positions as misrepresentations can be challenged on the spot.
Workshop mission
To increase the knowledge and participation of Nigerian voters by facilitating the development, organization and management of election debates between leaders of parties likely to gain representation at the upcoming Nigerian election (2011); and to create such as positive and valuable experience for voters and stakeholders to ensure that election debates becomes a permanent feature of Nigerian elections.
Workshop Design:

This workshop was designed by Election Debates; an international panel of debate experts who provide analysis and commentary on election debates. Founded in 2008 by Ray D’Cruz, author of the World Debating Rules. They have covered US (Presidential &Vice Presidential Debates, Canadian, NZ, UK and Australian Leaders’ Debates.
Organizers Responsibility:
This workshop is free to all invited participants, thanks to the support from Commonwealth Foundation. All event local logistics including feeding are covered.
Please your confirmation for this event is highly needed so as to forward to you the workshop programmes and prepare your event badge and packs. It is first come, first serve and the slots are not much and therefore highly competitive with few remaining to go. Other details would be forwarded to you once we know that you’ve sent back the workshop application form.
 
 

Friday, October 01, 2010

This house believes that early generation of Nigerian leaders were better....Let's debate!!










On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained its independence from the United Kingdom. The new monarchy incorporated a number of people with aspirations of their own sovereign nations. Newly independent, Nigeria's government was a coalition of conservative parties: the Nigerian People's Congress (NPC), a party dominated by Northerners and those of the Islamic faith, and the Igbo and Christian dominated National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) led by Nnamdi Azikiwe, who became Nigeria's maiden Governor-General in 1960. Forming the opposition was the comparatively liberal Action Group (AG), which was largely dominated by the Yoruba and led by Obafemi Awolowo.

One thing that made these team stick together was their believe in indivisible entity called Nigeria. I know they were not perfect, there could have been some areas that were lacking. Do you think these team made the
best decision to liberate Nigeria from Britain at that point? Do you think that Nigerian people were ready to be on their
own, may be it was strange to have a new system of governance which was quite different from what they are used to? Do you think mista
ke of the past is dragging us backward. What do you suggest? And looking at the incursion of military into the polity...what went wrong?? Why have we not had it so good? Are you saying that Leaders of 60's and 70's are better? In what context are you making your case? Let's debate!!!!



Be part of Global Debate

What are the Global Debates?
Global Debates are a worldwide contest of debating and public service events. International Debate Education Association (IDEA) invites all secondary school students (age 14-19) to participate, on the theme of international migration.
The topic for debates is:
Nations of the world should increase protection of the economic and social rights of migrants.
To take part in the Contest, schools need to register on the Global Debates Website.
They will then conduct a range of activities during the twoGlobal Debates Campaigns: October – December 2010 and February– April 2011.
In addition to organizing public debates, schools can submit essays, photos, videos and organize public service events. Each activity organized by a school will be awarded points. The schools which collect the highest number of points will win amazing prizes – including a trip (with a teacher who can judge) to the IDEA International Debate Forum in Istanbul, Turkey, in July- August 2011.
For further details on school registration, activities and how to organize them, visit our website or contact theGlobal Debates Team.

Why enter?

The project offers a unique opportunity to develop life skills and participate in an international activity which matters and make change happen. People who get engaged and involved in issues are more successful in getting to college and pursuing the careers of their choice. Participating in this project will put you and your school on the map worldwide.

Not only will this initiative help you understand the issues underlying international migration, but you will be able to impact on the life of your community. Are you fed up listening to people in charge talk about what is best for you and people around you? Design your own plan, debate it with others, make it happen and let everyone know about it!

You can learn more about the problems you and people around you face and help find solutions to these problems. By debating them, organizing events to address them and informing others about these issues, you will learn how to present yourself, argue for what you believe in and how to work in a group to advocate change. These are skills that you will need in your future career, no matter what you end up doing.

The €40,000 prize fund

Win one of following the prizes

  • The top 100 teams in the Global Debates Fall 2010 Campaign get a book of their choice from the Idebate press.

  • The top 100 teams in the Global Debates Spring 2011 Campaign get a book of their choice from the Idebate press.

  • The top two Global Debate Challenge Fall 2010 Campaign entries will win a 50% fee waiver for the 2011 IDEA Youth Forum (July 19-August 1, 2011) in Istanbul.*

  • The top two teams (one international and one US) from the Global Debates Fall 2010 Campaign get a 50% fee waiver to the 2011 IDEA Youth Forum.*

  • The top two teams (one international and one US) from the Global Debates Spring 2011 Campaign get a 50% fee waiver to the 2011 IDEA Youth Forum.*

  • The top two US teams and top two international teams in the final Global Debates ranking will receive a 100% participation fee waiver and travel to the Youth Forum 2011 (economy class - participants arrange and pay for their own visas and cover any other expenses)*

*note: the prize will be awarded to a team composed of one coach/teacher and three debaters; one school cannot win more than one of these prizes; of the international teams, only one school per country can win one of these prizes.
Deadlines
1. Register your team and prepare yourself with the toolkit.
DEADLINE: December 15. N.B. For the Global Challenge you need to be registered by November 15!
2. Host one or more public debates on this topic:
Nations of the world should increase protection of the economic and social rights of migrants.”
DEADLINE: Between October 1 and December 15.
DEADLINE: December 15.
4. Upload the pictures and a Youtube video of your debate, as well as other points activities here.
DEADLINE: December 15
5. Do extra activities to earn more points.
PlayDecide game
Video PSAs
Participation of Elected Leaders
Service Projects
Press Coverage
Research Blog Posts
Score high on Global Challenge
Tips for debating migration
from a Concept paper by Neill Harvey-Smith, former Chair, World Debating Council.
Right now, all over the world, millions of people are on the move. Scientists, academics and business people are making international transfers. The oppressed and war-weary are fleeing their homes. Rural people are flocking to cities. Inner-city dwellers are escaping to the suburbs. Some are making a temporary move, to work and save for their family; some are trafficked against their will; others are building a new life on the other side of the world.
The public debate about immigration tends to lump everyone in a pot marked “immigrants”. Each person has their own reasons for moving, and their own story to tell. In order to understand the dynamic forces at work, we need to group people together. At the beginning you might be baffled by terminology. There are a lot of terms out there to describe people’s varied migrant journeys, like step migration, chain migration, return migration or seasonal migration. Get comfortable with this language of migration then relate it back to everyday life.

Framing

Given all the different types of migration, and the time limitations of a debate, the golden rule is: clarity, not caricature. Ensure you delineate between people’s motivations and situations. Think carefully, because the tone of your language reveals as much as the content of your arguments.
Principles
Who gets to be where and why? It is easy to make lazy assumptions about the rights and wrongs of migration. Remember that, in debates, we are less interested in what the law says than what it should say. Be clear which social and economic rights you think are being denied to the particular group you are considering – and from where you believe those rights are derived.
Consequences
How will be the future be different? There is so much richness and possibility in debates on migration. One side sees the importance of protecting indigenous culture. The other calls that racism and argues multiculturalism is inevitable. One team calls for greater generosity in welcoming refugees. Another warns that the bonds of civil society will break if people no longer feel kinship with the fellow citizens. For some, an infusion of low-paid workers is the saviour of Europe’s sclerotic economy. To others, competition from outsiders is the source of defeatism and racism.

Monday, February 08, 2010

PAUDC 09





PAUDC 09





PAUDC 09





About Debate: Start a Debate Club

http://www.idebate.org/debate/start_debate_club.php

Debate clubs work best when there is a strong sense of group identity, when members feel that they are part of something. The individual debater should not feel that he or she is a soloist, meeting casually with other soloists for the sake of a competition, only to go off independently afterward. Rather, the debater should feel that the debate club is like a symphony orchestra, which exists as an ongoing corporate entity. When this feeling exists, the reward is a broad sense of well being. Everyone in the group shares the joys of victory; the disappointment of loss, when shared, is assuaged. A sense of group identity is not a mystical goal that can be achieved only through a lucky combination of people. Rather, it is something that can be created by concrete steps. These steps involve the management of space, the management of time, and the organization of the club structure.

Club Space
It is important for a debate club to have a home, a room that is largely devoted to the club and its activities. The club room should be a place where serious work can be done-where issues can be discussed and speeches written. It should provide resources for debaters: dictionaries, reference books, periodicals - whatever the club's funds allow. It should also function as the repository of the club's history. It is a place to keep tournament records, both formal and anecdotal; it is a place to store copies of cases and notes; it is a place to display trophies and pictures. Ideally, the resources should be directly available to the debaters, without the intercession of a coach or teacher.

The club room should also be a place that permits the casual interaction of students on the team. A sense of camaraderie can be built on the experience of collaborative work, but it also needs an infusion of fun. Friendships cannot be manufactured by decree. They can, however, be encouraged; providing students with a friendly place to meet is one simple step. When they go to the debate room, debaters should feel that they are entering a space that belongs to them, where they will find friends who share their enthusiasm for debating.

Club Meetings and Working Sessions
Needless to say, the club space is of little value if there are no activities to fill it. Debate clubs should meet regularly. One model is to have a mandatory weekly meeting for all club members. Even if members are not involved in an upcoming competition (or even if there is no competition in the immediate future), they join together with their partners on the team to find out what issues or events are affecting the team as a whole. But it should also go without saying that a significant amount of time must be devoted to regular working sessions. In the sporting world, there are varying practice to performance ratios. In some sports, teams practice very little but play constantly; in others, a week of practice will precede a single game. The routine of a good debate team is more like the latter model. Good cases cannot be thrown together at the last minute; they require thinking and discussion. Ideas must be mulled over and distilled; speeches must be drafted and revised. Of course, every school must operate within the constraints of its own schedule, but in some successful programs, debate clubs have daily working sessions involving at least some of the team members. Working sessions are devoted, in part, to preparation: that is, to constructing arguments and strategies for a particular competition. But they are also given, in part, to practice. Members of the team spend time debating each other, either with a pending resolution or with resolutions composed or selected for the occasion. We must emphasize that practice and preparation time are where most of the education involved in the activity of debate takes place. There is much to be learned in competition as well, but it is in the day-in and day-out business of practice and preparation that critical thinking and public speaking skills are developed and honed.

Club Leadership and Organization
In its infancy, a new debate club will depend heavily on the leadership and expertise of adults acting as teachers and coaches. But after programs become established and grow, a fair amount of leadership can devolve upon the students themselves. Some successful teams seem to be self-perpetuating, although this is only truly possible when they are multi-generational. That is, such teams include younger as well as older students. In well-established programs, the older students joined when they, too, were young. In the last year of their careers as debaters, these students have had three or four years of experience and have developed some wisdom and expertise with that experience. As 17- or 18-year-olds, they meet 14-year-old neophytes who are starting where they started and must learn what they learned. They are positioned to be effective and sympathetic teachers. In practical terms, this means they can act as judges when younger debaters are practicing; they can watch them compete in actual competitions and share notes with them afterward. During preparation sessions, they can work with younger debaters as they craft their cases. What is more, the reverse is also profitable: as they start their careers as debaters, novices can benefit from listening to more seasoned debaters argue. With this kind of organization, team members naturally feel more involved with the organization as a whole. Specifically, older members come to take pride in the accomplishments of their younger peers and feel a sense of responsibility for them, and younger members follow the careers of their mentors with enhanced interest.

The team broadly shares the leadership roles described above. In addition, many teams have more carefully defined roles for individuals. In other words, they have students who are elected president, secretary, treasurer, director of recruitment and orientation, and so forth. The students who fill these roles are not necessarily the most successful debaters in competition. They are students who have shown significant commitment to the well being of the team. In their various roles, they can be responsible for many of the administrative duties involved in running a team. For example, preparing tournament registrations, keeping club records, collecting dues or travel payments, etc.

Recruitment and Retention
The first task demanded in the recruitment of members for a debate club is education. Many students (and teachers) simply do not know what debate is. It is essential to inform them. Many people who don't really know about debate think that it is for students who are aggressive or naturally argumentative. They may associate it with slickness of style, rather than solidity of substance. They need to see that debate offers benefits to a broad range of personalities and draws its inspiration from political philosophers, not from smooth-talking politicians. One way to educate the public is to stage a debate demonstration. Students also need to know how the team operates and what opportunities are available for neophytes. Many students will be attracted by the thrill of competition, and they must be assured that competition is not limited to seasoned veterans. But students should also be educated about the broad intellectual benefits gained from involvement. At its best, a debate program provides an intellectual experience comparable to that offered by the finest academic courses. In keeping with the principle of inclusion, team leaders must work at retaining debaters rather than cutting the team roster. This means providing club members with meaningful activities. If teams rarely compete or rarely practice, students will quickly lose interest. Teams that rarely practice will rarely win. Students will be quick to desert a losing enterprise. It also means, in some cases, designing special leadership roles for some students. The student who is a perennial loser may become disheartened and think of quitting the club, but will be more likely to stay if given special responsibility for training a cadre of new debaters. Sponsoring non-debate events for club members will also help keep students committed to the team. Ping-Pong matches, basketball games, and entertainment outings can help to build the ties of a permanent community. Above all, students must understand that the only requirements for club membership are commitment and a willingness to work. Success in competition cannot, and will not, come to every member of the team. Debaters need to know that even if they fail, their places on the team are secure and their participation is valued.

The Role of Coaches and Teachers
Any adult who has an abiding concern for the creative education of young people can serve as a debate coach. Coaches do not need to be specialists with extensive training in oratory or logic (although training is certainly a plus). A debate coach is not expected to pass along a body of knowledge to his or her students the way that a chemistry teacher might. The rules and procedures of debate that must be taught are comparatively few. The coach's job, actually, is to foster the development of thinking skills. The coach is there to draw things out of the students rather than to pour things in. The coach must listen, question, and react. The coach may guide discussions and give them direction; she may help students focus on the appropriate issues, but she should not be regarded as the repository of ultimate truth. Indeed, students need to feel free to disagree with the coach and to engage with the coach in the same way they would with anyone else involved in the discussion. The coach must also provide moral leadership for the team. Team members must understand that debaters will behave honestly and ethically in competition. Moreover, the coach must set the moral tone for the regular activity of the team. Students will disagree in discussions. If they didn't, the discussions would not be terribly productive. But the coach must ensure that disagreements do not become personal and that comments do not become insulting or demeaning. Students need to be able to take risks and test ideas in discussions; they must feel that they can do so without being mocked or disregarded. The coach must create a climate of respect, not simply by offering a model in his or her personal behavior but by articulating and enforcing standards. In the classroom, the relationship between students and teachers is sometimes formal and impersonal. Coaching, however, requires a degree of personal involvement. Coaches must encourage and monitor the development of each debater individually. In effect, this means that coaches must act as judges for intramural debates and comment on the performance of participants. They must review and criticize written work. And inevitably, coaches become involved with students on a casual basis not only on the home turf of the debate room but also during debate tournaments. Many coaches have come to know their students well as they wait in hallways for a round to begin or for results to be posted. Coaches have more mundane responsibilities as well. The coach has the ultimate responsibility for managing the internal affairs of the team: its schedule, its membership roster, and its finances. Finances may involve raising money as well as managing a budget. The coach also must handle its operations on the road: the coach decides who will participate in a given tournament, makes travel arrangements, and handles all the administrative paperwork. Coaches must also recruit and provide the requisite number of judges when the tournament arrives. The coach also serves as a judge. It is standard practice that coaches never judge their own debaters, however.

The Role of Parents
Debate offers parents a unique opportunity for involvement in a school activity. Usually, parents are asked to perform the role of spectators at athletic events and artistic performances. In debate, they have the chance to become active participants by serving as judges. Judges do not need to have special expertise: they are meant to be the reasonable people of the political paradigm; they need simply to be good listeners and to say who offered them the best argument. Coaches inevitably recruit judges from a wide pool: family members, friends, former debaters, teachers, administrators, etc. It is, by the way, a good idea to involve teachers and administrators as a way to educate the school community. But in many programs, parents form the backbone of the judging pool. Parents who don't wish to serve as judges can be involved in other ways. They can provide transportation, meals, and even housing to team members when tournaments are underway. They can also serve as spectators and sources of moral support for their children and their friends. Often, parents value debate not simply because of the benefits it provides their children, but because of the opportunity it offers them to become personally involved, in a supportive way, with their children's education. And, sometimes, too, parents form their own communities around debate that parallel the communities formed by debaters. They, too, form lasting friendships as a result of the activity.

The Debate Club in the Community of the School and Beyond
Obviously, the benefits of debate are enjoyed most by the people who actually do it. And yet, there is much to be said for listening to debates as well: spectators often learn a new way of thinking about a problem or an issue. It makes sense, then, to fashion a strong public profile for the debate team. Spectators can be invited both from within the school community and from outside of it. (For the uninitiated, the team can provide materials that outline the rules and procedures of debate.) As a matter of habit, the debate club should publicize its competitions. It should announce debate resolutions to the community in advance of the debate. And certainly, the debate club should publicize its results. A team that does well deserves the recognition of the school community. Sometimes this means making use of the school newspaper or announcement system. Some clubs also publish their own newsletters.

Nigerian Nationals Debating Championship- Abuja 2010

INVITATION

Nigeria Debate Movement in partnership with the Presidential School Debate and partners are proud to organize the Inaugural edition of Nigeria Nationals Debating Championship (The Champion of Champions 2010 for Universities and Secondary Schools) to be held in Abuja, in April 17-23, 2010.

This year maiden edition promises to bring together the top debate teams and student public speakers from across the country and other West African neighbors like Ghana, Liberia, Sierraleone, Gambia and offer them all a unique chance to interact with each other and engage in fun and high intensity student tournament. This will also be a wonderful opportunity for all the teams to experience the new styles of international debating and explore the city of Abuja. We therefore invite university students as well as Secondary school students to apply for this one week debate talent hunt: There will be a parallel tournament so as to allow both students from the universities and high schools to benefit from this tournament so as to spread the culture of debating.

The event would also bring top trainers and adjudicators from South Africa, US and UK.

Programmes: Training, Debate, cultural exposition, public speaking, interpretive speech, interactive show with leaders in business, civil society and government. The Senate President of Nigeria; Hon. David Mark is expected to speak as the special guest of honor together with other important personalities across different facets of human endeavor. This debating championship will provide a forum in which Nigeria and West African students can be exposed to new ideas, discuss a range of topical issues and be challenged to think critically. This tournament will also be used to establish Nigeria Debating Board which will facilitate the dissemination of training materials, coordinate Nigeria Debating events and organize trainings, all to ensure sustainability and spread of debate across Nigeria.

Registration: $135 per person which will cover all the boarding & lodging arrangements, meals for 6 days, all competition venues and transportation, social events, opening and breaking night parties, cultural expo night/talent hunt and a visit to the National Assembly. It also includes a speaker and coach training workshop for 2 days and adjudication tests. Each school can only enter up to 5 participants with a coach. Students from Senior and Junior secondary schools who completed school in the last six months and are not yet registered at a tertiary institution are eligible to participate as representative of their former school

Prizes: The winner for both University and Secondary schools categories will win the maiden Nigerian Champion of Champions Cup and cash reward of $1, 000 each and a Cup.

The best Speaker- Public Speaker Cup and cash reward of $500 and the best judge will be sponsored to the any of the two international tournaments.

Debate Format: British Parliamentary and Karl Popper

Registration Deadline: March 26th, 2010

Registration procedures: Send an intent email to debatenigeria@gmail.com requesting for the application forms. Pay your registration fees with the account information

Send your application by email back to debatenigeria@gmail.com with your teller no.

This championship promises to be thrilling, exciting and adventurous

…. Don’t miss out

250 Debaters, 1 Champion

Contact Lanre on +234-8035216586, Jerry- +234-8036720776