Login
Need help? | Register Now
 
What is Debate?
Why Debate?
Debate Formats
Debate Clubs
Start a Debate Club
Tournaments
 
November 2009

S

M

T

W

T

F

S

1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293012345
add events to the calendar
Debate in the Neighborhood
From September-December 2009, several activities focusing on debate have been planned in the Netherlands. All part of the "Debate in the Neighborhood Program" that is organized by IDEA-Netherlands, these activities will take place in the cities of Zeelan
More about this event
The People Speak Global Debates
Join high school students around the world this October in the UN Foundation and IDEA Global Debates!
More about this event
IDEA -- BFSU Four-Team (Worlds Style) Tournament
Join us for an amazing experience in culture and debate as we hold this fourth annual international university tournament from December 11-13, 2009 at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing.
More about this event
IDEA Exchange 2009
In cooperation with Debatewise
More about this event
More about this event
 
  
 
About Debate: Why Debate?
"Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress” 
- Mohatmas Ghandi

The process of debate offers profound and lasting benefits for individuals, for societies, and indeed, for the global community as a whole. With its emphasis on critical thinking, effective communication, independent research, and teamwork, debate teaches skills that serve individuals well in school, in the workplace, in political life, and in fulfilling their responsibilities as citizens of democratic societies. Once students have learned how to debate, they are better able to critically examine the pronouncements of their political representatives and to make informed judgments about crucial issues.

Debate and Society

The individual skills learned through debate have a broader impact on society as well. Debate can help fledgling democracies heal from the wounds inflicted by oppressive dictatorships and ethnic violence by providing a forum where these volatile issues can be openly discussed. Newly enfranchised citizens engaged in such debates learn first-hand how democracy works. And because it teaches the principles of tolerance, nonviolence, and respect for different points of view, debate can close the gap between minority and majority cultures, and between other groups divided by long-standing animosities.

Debate and the World

IDEA sees debate as a way to foster international understanding, cooperation, and a free and lively exchange of ideas. In bringing together students from around the world and from vastly different backgrounds, IDEA events offer much more than a mere contest of formal argumentation. By their very nature, IDEA debates break down national, economic, cultural, and ethnic boundaries, showing that opposing views can be explored in a way that connects rather than divides people. As a process that both embodies and encourages peaceful discussion over aggressive confrontation, debate offers the world a tool that could not be more timely or more necessary.

 
 

 
Dimitriy Rebrov. Rebrov. Dmitry Rebrov. Dmitry Rebrov

Home    Privacy Statement   Contact Us    Terms and Conditions

IDEA Inc. and the Dutch registered IDEA are separate organizations that operate independently yet cooperate informally with each other. This website, a joint presentation, is intended to promote both organizations' interests while maintaining their respective independence.


Content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative License.
Queries: webmaster@idebate.org.