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

23 March 2012

IDEA seeks Russian Debatabase Writers

Debatabase, IDEA's database of hundreds of debate topics, will soon be available in Russian!

The Debatabase in the Russian language is going to be a high-quality topic research resource, highlighting the major pros and cons of many Russian and CIS issues. This resource will help Russian-speaking users find arguments for and against hundreds of debating topics, written by expert debaters, judges and coaches from Russia and nations where Russian is a second language.

IDEA is looking for people (coaches, debaters and students with experience and interest in specific issues) to put together written debates in Russian (5-6 arguments on both sides) on topics that are often debated in countries of the former USSR. This is an ongoing project, so we are looking for people who can start right away in March 2012. If you are a prospective author or contributor - what are you waiting for?! Please go to http://vk.com/topic-50287_26111492!

21 March 2012

Report and Results of the 3rd East Asia Inter-Varsity Invitationals 2012 in Macau‏

Report, Results and Motions of the 3rd East Asian Inter-Varsity Invitational English Debate Competition 2012 (16th to 18th March) in Macau

The
3rd East Asian Inter-Varsity Invitational English Debate Competition 2012 came to a successful conclusion over the weekend in Macau.  Conceived and first held in December 2009 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the return of Macau as a Special Administrative Region (S.A.R.) to China, it aims to bring together the best university debate teams and best judges from Asian countries/territories to celebrate debate excellence.  It is also aimed at exposing the best varsity debaters in Macau to the top Asian debaters to raise the overall debating standards of the Macau debating community.

Organised by the newly formed
Macau English Debate Association (MEDA), and sponsored by the Higher Education Service Centre of the Macau Government, a total of 12 teams debated in 5 Worlds' Preliminary Rounds.  Asia was represented 7 countries/territories: National University of Singapore (NUS) from Singapore, University of Technology MARA  (UT MARA) from Malaysia, Chulalongkorn University (CU) from Thailand, Chung Ang University (CAU) from South Korea, Tsing Hua University (THU) from Mainland China, Hong Kong University (HKU) from Hong Kong (S.A.R.) and Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) from The Philippines.  Macau was represented by University of Macau ( UMAC; 3 Teams), Macau Polytechnic Institute (MPI;1 Team). University of Saint Joseph (USJ; 1 Team) and Macau University of Science & Technology ( MUST;1 Team).

The 7 invited judges were: CA: Loke Wing Fatt (Singapore), DCAs: Logan Balavijendran (Malaysia) , "Tate" Suthen Thomas (Malaysia), "TJ" Thepparith Senamngern (Thailand), Invited Judges: Mark Darren (Malaysia), Low Kim Heng (Singapore), and Valeri Inting (The Philippines).

In the Grand Final, ADMU (OG), NUS (OO), UT MARA (CG) and HKU (CO) debated the motion "This House prefers a Constitutional Monarchy to a Republic".  NUS, comprising Kenneth Kang and Xiao Hong Yu, were unanimously voted the Champions by the 7 judges and took home 5000 Macau Pacatas (MOP) in cash as prize money.  The Best Speaker of the Grand Final was Benjamin So of HKU.

The Top Five Speakers were:

1.  Daryl Louis Isla of ADMU
2.  Xiao Hong Yu of NUS
3.  Maizura Mokhsein of UT MARA
4.  Aerie Rahman of UT MARA
5.  Benjamin So Yu Fai of HKU
5.  Kenneth Kang of NUS
I would like to thank Mr Theo Cheng, the President of the Macau English Debate Association (MEDA), Mr Raymond Lio, the Vice-President of the Macau English Debate Association (MEDA), Florence Choy, Kitty, and all the volunteers who worked very hard, and happily, to make it such an enjoyable tournament for all.

The debate motions for the Tournament were:
Round 1:  THW trade with oppressive regimes.
Round 2:  THBT religiously affiliated institutions such as universities and hospitals should provide insurance plans that cover all costs for medicinal contraceptives for their students and staff.
Round 3:  THBT states should sell their territories to foreign entities to fill national coffers.
Round 4:  THW bar Saudi Arabia from the London Olympics 2012 unless it allows its female athletes to compete in it.

Round 5:  THBT Western liberal democracies should only decide on whether to legalise gay marriages through the process of a referendum.

Grand Final: 
This House prefers a Constitutional Monarchy to a Republic.

Thank you for reading.

cheers,

Loke Wing Fatt
President
Society for Associated Inter-Tertiary Debaters (SAID)
Singapore