News from IDEA 4 December 2009

Image via Wikipedia

From cvenable@idebate.org

In this issue...

* IDEA Youth Forum Photo Contest
* IDEA training in Beijing, register by Dec. 5
* Croatia International Debate Tournament
* Debate in the Neighborhood project update
* My Debate Festival involves Rotterdam youth
* Teaching Opportunity in South Korea

Submit your pictures to the Youth Forum Photo contest

As a month long contest throughout December, IDEA will be collecting pictures from past IDEA Youth Forums. The winning photos will be announced in the first YF e-newsletter in 2010. They will also be displayed on our websites, in the next Idebate Magazine and will also be used in the promotional materials of IDEA and the Youth Forum. The photos will also be presented in the venues of the upcoming 2010 Youth Forum in Zeeland, Netherlands!

Here are the award categories:

1. Oldest picture: the earliest Youth Forum photo
2. Greatest number of Youth Forum pictures: the largest collection of photos from as many different Youth Forums as possible
3. Most original picture: most original in thought, composition
4. Most diverse picture: portrays diversity as the core characteristic of the event
5. Funniest picture: silly and fun in nature

All photos must come from the IDEA Youth Forum (please check the events' history here). Use of Photoshop and other design altering software is not allowed. Also, please make sure you have the right to use and publicize the picture before submitting it.

So send us your photos by December 31st! Submit your photos in the format of jpeg, gif, or tiff, and email them to Veronika, the Youth Forum Director. The contest committee includes Crystal Jeffers (Communication Director of IDEA) and Veronika Vlckova (Forum Director).



IDEA training in Beijing a success; register for the next training by December 5th!

In November, IDEA conducted a moot court training in Beijing for the first time for students at the Chinese University of Political Science and Law. Based on students' feedback, the training was extremely successful. One moot team from the training went on to win the Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition later in the month. For the training, IDEA invited a debate trainer from Korea and a lawyer from the Human Rights Institute at the International Bar Association in London. The participants had a great time and the trainers are still receiving emails with further interest and many thanks.

IDEA will also be holding another moot court training at the IDEA-BFSU tournament in Beijing December 11-13, 2009. Hurry, registration closes December 5th. The tournament will also feature English and Mandarin divisions in a four-team worlds-style parliamentary debate format. In addition to providing training to judges and debaters before the tournament, qualified adjudicators can become accredited trainers through these sessions. The tournament also offers sightseeing of historic and modern sites of Beijing.
For more information, contact tournament host Xi Li (pearlilysweet@gmail.com), or Robert Trapp (trapp@willamette.edu). To register, click here. Come join us for the training or the competition!


Croatia to hold international debate tournament in December


On Friday December 18th, debaters from Croatia, Romania, Moldova, Slovenia, Bosnia, and Montenegro will gather to compete in an international debate tournament, which will be held in Zagreb, Croatia. The tournament has filled its registration with 24 teams, who will debate in the Karl Popper format and discuss the motion, "Multiculturalism is a threat for cultural identity."

The tournament is part of the "Have your say! Young Europeans shape their future!" project of the Academy of Central European Schools (ACES), which is also coordinated by the Intercultural Center from Vienna and UNESCO. As part of this project, the debate tournament has received many donations, and much attention from the media and individual institutions.

As the Croatia Debate Society was present at the 2009 IDEA Youth Forum, IDEA has been warmly invited to experience this exciting tournament. If all goes well, the Croatia Debate Society and ACES hope to make this into an annual event.


IDEA's Debate in the Neighborhood project increases dialogue in communities


This fall, IDEA-Netherlands has organized several debate-centered events in the cities of Zeeland, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. All part of the Debate in the Neighborhood (DIN) project, these activities seek to promote debate and discussion among youth and their communities.
Doutsen Langhout, the head of Dutch projects in the Netherlands, recently organized a series of meetings with the local youth and police force of Crooswijk, a mixed neighborhood in Rotterdam where relations between the two groups are tense. On November 9th, IDEA organized a second meeting, where six policemen and more than twenty youth were present, as well as some city guards and civil servants. The evening began with both sides expressing their problems and offering solutions. The youth felt discriminated and provoked by police. The police thought the youth caused annoyance in the neighborhood and felt provoked and insulted by the youth. In the end, both parties expressed hope of improving their relationship, and agreed that the dialogue was a very valuable experience. Each side better understood the other perspective, and realized possibilities of avoiding future conflicts.
On Monday, December 7th, debaters in Zeeland will take part in a discussion about parenting issues. Scoop, IDEA's partner in the DIN project as well as the 2010 Youth Forum, helped organize this event to give new debaters their first chance to test their skills in a formal debate setting. The debate will be opened by Professor René Diekstra from the Roosevelt Academy, and Ron Lubbersen will then moderate the discussion between the public and debaters.
Learn more about DIN, and visit the websites of IDEA-NL or IDEA-Zeeland for more information.


Pictured: DIN in action! The Youth Council in Tholen, Zeeland sharpens their debate skills at a training session on October 31st.






'My Debate Festival' in Rotterdam gives voice to local youth

On Saturday November 28th, ten young debaters from Rotterdam, Netherlands will participate in the My Debate Festival in Rotterdam. Trained by Doutsen Langhout of IDEA-Netherlands, they will debate with other youth, police, adults and representatives from schools and local government. The debate themes will focus on topics like security and role of police, free time of youth, bureaucracy and sexuality in today's youth. This event will attract further hype and attention with performances of local youth and famous artists Winne and the Groove Kings. The festival was organized within the activities of the project, Your World - Rotterdam Youth Capital 2009.



Teaching Opportunity for US and Canadian Citizens


IDEA is recruiting for a new debate trainer position in South Korea with the Korea Poly School (KPS). KPS is seeking Canadian or US citizens to teach debate to elementary and/or middle school students for at least one academic year at one of four campuses (Pyeongchon, Ilsan, Mokdong, or Bundang). You can learn more about KPS here.
Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree and be willing to work in Korea for one academic year. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working in an international educational environment and will have some experience doing so. Candidates must be ready to leave for Korea in late February of 2010.
While IDEA is assisting KPS in recruiting trainers, as well as providing technical support to them, the instructors will be KPS employees. IDEA will, however, provide pre-departure orientation as well as teaching and curriculum materials.

The Debate Instructor shall perform the following duties:

1. Plan and conduct debate and argumentation classes in levels assigned by Employer;
2. Conduct a small number of classes in subjects outside of debate with provided teaching materials;
3. Assist with and participate in activities related to the instructional programs of Employer, including, but not limited to, departmental meetings, general faculty meetings, and special presentations and events;
4. Assist Employer in organizing debate clubs at KPS schools;
5. Assist Employer in facilitating KPS debate events
6. Assist Employer with out-of-classroom activities related to the regular curriculum of Employer, including, but not limited to, field trips and school-wide assemblies, as well as other extracurricular activities;
7. Assist with the development of teaching materials, supplementary materials, tests, evaluations, and other programs related to English language teaching;
8. Assist or conduct teacher training in debate for new DIs under the direction of Employer;
9. Assist, monitor, and supervise DIs in their teaching methodology and implementation, and classroom conduct under the direction of Employer;
10. Perform other duties as designated by Employer;

Compensation and Benefits:

1. Free furnished single housing (rent is paid for, but utilities and maintenance fees will be the trainers' responsibilities)
2. Free roundtrip airfare.
3. Contract completion bonus (severance pay) after one year.
4. 50% of national health insurance paid for by the school
5. 50% of national pension premiums paid for by the school (They will also be eligible to petition for their pension refund from the Korean pension board before departing the country)
6. Monthly Salary - 3.1 million Korean Won (roughly $3,000)
Applications should include a current CV, a cover letter, and the contact information of 2 references. Please send applications to Lin Lu, llu@idebate.org. The application deadline for this position is December 31st, 2009. Selection is dependent on applicant's ability to qualify for Korean-issued work visa.


Official e-newsletter of the International Debate Education Association, December 4, 2009