DOHA: Qatar is gearing up to host the World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC) in February 2010 the first time this prestigious international event will be held in the region.
Around 500 top school debaters and participants representing 50 countries are expected to attend the tournament from February 8 to 19 here, QatarDebate announced yesterday.
"As our business, politics, and social influences become more global, the WSDC is a forum where citizens of the world come together to exchange thoughts and ideas that currently affect our lives," said QatarDebate Executive Director Dr Hayat Maarafi. "The World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) is a truly global competition for high school debaters," she said.
Qatar Foundation Vice-President, Education, Dr Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani, said debating was fully consistent with the organisation's vision of an engaged society.
"In the current era we can only succeed by harnessing the talents of all our citizens. Debating provides wonderful intellectual training for its participants, but the debate chamber is also a microcosm of the kind of society we are creating - where issues of general concern are considered in the round and outcomes are determined on the basis of reasoned argument."
Initial rounds will be held in schools across Qatar, and the grand finale will take place in Doha on February 18. More than 200 public debates will be held during the 10 days of the contest.
Five of Qatar's star debaters will represent the country during this exciting event. Selection trials were held in early June.
Each country will bring its top five debaters, all between the ages of 14 and 18 years, but only three of them will debate each topic. During the opening rounds, each team debates eight times. Four of the debates are on topics that are announced a month in advance, but teams are told only a week ahead whether they are to propose or oppose the motion. The remaining four topics are impromptu, and only one hour's preparation time is permitted.
The 16 teams given the most votes by the expert judges continue into the knock-out stages.
The WSDC fosters excellence in debating throughout the world in order to promote freedom of speech and international understanding. Research is carried out in advance to gain a thorough understanding of both scheduled topics and possible impromptu subjects.
The local partner of WSDC is QatarDebate, established as part of Qatar Foundation to train young Qataris in debating skills and to organise a national debating team. Qatar took part in the world championship for the first time in 2008 in Washington DC and last year in Athens.
© The Peninsula 2009
