This Blog has now moved to idebate.org/worlddebating - all future posts will be made there!

9 January 2009

IDEA Youth Forum-- Extended Application Deadline

Want to teach debate in Europe this summer?

IDEA just extended the application deadline to January 15th for those interested in being trainers at the annual IDEA Youth Forum. The Youth Forum is a two-week summer workshop that brings together over 200 high school students from 30 countries around the world to attend debate training sessions and engage in discussions on current issues. This year's Youth Forum will take place in the Bosnia and Herzegovina between July 23rd and August 5th 2009.

Visit [http://www.idebate.org/ideaforum/] http://www.idebate.org/ideaforum/ for more information on the Youth Forum and trainer applications.

6 January 2009

Cork Tab now available

Cork have released the tab.

I can't get it onto blogger in a neat format so I have uploaded it to google-docs. You can find it here.

It has the
  • Team Tab
  • Speaker Tab
  • ESL Team Tab
  • ESL Speaker Tab
  • EFL Team Tab
  • EFL Speaker Tab

Let me know if you have any problems viewing the file.

Message from Koç

To The World Debating Community,

I would like to thank UCC and Art Ward as their convenor for providing us with such warm hospitality.You have set an example this year that we, at Koç, hope to follow. I personally look forward to working closely with this year's Organization Committee in order to ensure that we learn best practice and even improve, however difficult that might be.

Before officially inviting you to Turkey, I also want to thank Stephen Nolan for his excellent organization of our host night this year. He was simply amazing!

And so, it give me great pleasure to announce that Koç University and Turkey in general is at your service. We will do everything in our power to ensure that we live up to your expectations.

See you in Turkey,
Best Regards,
Fatih Mehmet İnal
Co-Convenor of Koç Worlds 2010

5 January 2009

Monash Debating Review Sub Editors

Sub-Editor of the Monash Debating Review: Call for Applications

DEADLINE: February 28, 2009

The Monash Association of Debaters (MAD) is currently soliciting applicants for Sub-Editors of Monash Debating Review (MDR).

About the MDR
First published in 2002, the MDR is an annual publication that aims to both inform readers and provide a forum for discussion of issues as they relate to debating and adjudicating. The MDR draws on the opinions and experiences of some of the best debaters, adjudicators and coaches from around the world.

The MDR is the world’s only international debating journal. It is a scholarly, interdisciplinary journal that has featured articles from Australia, Russia, New Zealand and the United States, as well as interviews with prominent public intellectuals and policy-makers. For instance, previous editions have contained articles on British Parliamentary strategy, argumentation strategy, debating policy, global debating styles, the role of affirmative action in debating and backgrounders to contemporary debating topics.

Position Description
The Sub-Editors source and edit articles for the Monash Debating Review.

There are four Sub-Editor positions. This year, the MDR is expanding its worldwide appeal and is looking to appoint at least one Sub-Editor each from Europe, North America and the Australasia region. The Editor-in-Chief will be based in Melbourne, Australia (the home of Monash University).

A Sub-Editor will:
· Encourage the submission of manuscripts from the worldwide debating community
· Proofread and edit submitted articles
· Report regularly to the Editor-in-Chief
Selection Criteria
Applications will be judged based on the best combination of
· Previous editorial and/or publication experience
· Debating and/or adjudicating experience
· Vision for the MDR and an understanding of its importance
· A cover letter detailing reasons for wanting to serve

Compensation
The Sub-Editor role is a volunteer position.

Application ProcedureThe deadline for submitting applications is February 28, 2009. Applications should be emailed to Damien Bruckard, President, Monash Association of Debaters at monash.debaters.president@gmail.com

2009 Worlds Summary

The 2009 World Universities Debating Championship was jointly hosted by the UCC Law and Philosophical Societies. The Oxford University A team of James Dray and Will Jones won the championships. In doing so, they became the first partnership to simultaneously hold the World and European Universities debating titles, while Oxford became only the second institution to win back-to-back world championships (after Monash in 1999-2000). Dray and Jones have previously won the Masters title at the championships in 2008 and been Grand Finalists in 2007. The other finalists were Harvard A (Lewis Bollard and Cormac Early), Monash B (Ravi Dutta and Victor Finkel), and Oxford C (Jonathan Leader Maynard and Alex Worsnip). Babeş-Bolyai University won the English-as-a-Second-Language competition, and Vilnius University won the English-as-a-Foreign-Language competition. Naomi Oreb of Sydney topped the overall speaker tab, Leela Koenig of Leiden University topped the ESL tab, and Aiste Dumbryte from Vilnius topped the EFL tab. Patrick Bateman of Sydney claimed the Public Speaking title. In the Masters competition, Ross McGuire and Gregg O'Neill from Ireland claimed the team title while Irishman Barry Glynn took the individual title. Willard Foxton of Middle Temple won the stand-up comedy competition for the second time, becoming the first person to do so.

The University of Botswana were named as hosts for the 2011 championships after two unsuccessful bids to win the right to host in the previous two years.



2009 World Debating Champions:
Oxford A (James Dray & Will Jones)

Finalists:
Monash B (Ravi Dutta & Victor Finkel)
Oxford C (Jonathan Leader-Maynard & Alex Worsnip)
Harvard A (Cormac Early & Lewis Bollard)

English as a second language competition winners:
BBU A

English as a foreign language winners:
Vilnius A (Aiste Dumbryte & Eugenija Golubova)

Top Speaker
Naomi Oreb (Sydney B)

Top ESL Speaker:
Leela Koenig (Leiden A)

Top EFL Speaker:
Aistė Dumbrytė (Villinus A)

World Masters
Team: Ireland (Ross McGuire & Gregg O'Neill)
Individual: Barry Glynn (Ireland)

World Public Speaking Champion:
Patrick Bateman (Sydney)

World Comic Public Speaking Competition:
Willard Foxton

Top Team on the Tab:
Sydney B (Naomi Oreb & Steve Hind)

Worlds 2011 hosts: Botswana

Motions:
Final : That this house would allow abortion at all stages of pregnancy
Semi Final: This house believes governments should subsidise private home ownership.
Qtr Final: This house believes that the international criminal court should prosecute crimes against the democratic process.
Octo Final: This house would arm local militia to fight the taliban in Afghanistan.
ESL Final: This house would implement quotas for domestic players in national football leagues.
EFL Final: This house would prohibit all private health care.
Round 9: This house would ban the publication of political opinion polls.
Round 8: This house would apply a lower rate of income tax to women.
Round 7: This house believes that the west should recognise the independence of Abkhazia.
Round 6: This house would criminalise adultery.
Round 5: This house believes that China and India should bear the same obligations as the West in fighting climate change
Round 4: This house would force the religious desegregation of Northern Irish schools.
Round 3: This house would allow soldiers to sue their government for negligence.
Round 2: This house would fire the senior managements of all corporations which receive government bailouts.
Round 1: This house would ban all forms of gambling.
Womens Debate: This house would ban all forms of religious gender discrimination.
Adj Test: This house would allow insurance companies to view genetic test results in assessing potential customers.

4 January 2009

Photos from Worlds

I have over 2000 photos at Worlds. That isn’t actually that many when you consider that my camera was set to rapid fire up to 15 photos in a couple of seconds. That allows me to avoid the worst effects of blinking, waving and gesturing that debaters tend to do right as you try to take a photo.

I have uploaded around 200 photos to picassa. You can find them in the photo section to the left hand side.

All done

Well I am home from the Worlds final. I am absolutely shattered after the week but happy I went. I got to judge the EFL final which means I have now judged every type of final at worlds and euros. Anal I know but its nice to have the complete set so thank you Derek.

Art Ward and whole org comm did a fantastic job and the week was a great success.

Anyway tomorrow I will in through the posts and try to fix and format and spelling problems.