Facebook vs. real life – Christopher Sanchez about the World Schools Debating Championships 2011
Ahhhh, summer holidays! Finally: Sleeping in, extended breakfast, enjoy the summer day, relax from school. A good book might compete with the all-too-fast online world. Uhm, well, the German delegation who went to the World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC or World Schools) 2011 in Dundee obviuosly meant to do the oppositie of all this: Long trip to Scottland, getting up early in the morning, out into Scottish weather, in to the next debate, out of the debate, doing late night online research for the next day. Tired, hungry, disappointed by losses, totally euphoric from wins, running between venues, competing with the whole world in 90-minutes debates. Why would anybody spend their holidays that way?
Die Deutsche Delegation nach dem "formal dinner" am Finalabend der WSDC 2011 in Dundee. (Foto: Privat)
The motions
- Round 1: This house would offer dictators immunity in return for leaving power. (prepared)
- Round 2: This house would allow free distribution of music on the internet. (impromptu)
- Round 3: This house believes that Universal Primary Education is a misallocation of resources for the developing world. (prepared)
- Round 4: This house would make voting in National Elections compulsory. (impromptu)
- Round 5: This house would legalise the sale of human organs. (prepared)
- Round 6: This house would stop sending humans into Space. (impromptu)
- Round 7: This house believes that women can only achieve equality under a secular system of government. (prepared)
- Round 8: This house would penalize sporting teams for the behaviour of their fans. (impromptu)
- Achtelfinale: This house would abandon nuclear energy.
- Viertelfinale: This house supports free immigration.
- Halbfinale: This house believes that any state should have the right to secede if the majority of the population wishes.
- Finale: This house believes that autocracy is doomed in the age of Facebook.
Quick summary of the WSDC Dundee 2011
- All results may be found on the homepage of Schools Debating.
- More details about the German delegation may be found on the homepage der Debating Society Germany.
- The Scottish newspaper Te Scotsman featured an extensive article on the World Schools in their online issue.
- All participants of the WSDC 2011 may be found on a picture featured in the British newspaper The Courier.
A very short history of WSDC
The World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC or World Schools) have their origins in Australia where the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC) were held in 1988. This was what sparked the idea of having an international competition for schools debaters. So in 1988 a first international competition took place under the name Bicentennial International School Students Debating Championships. Participants came from Australia, Canada, England, Hong Kong, New Zealand and the United States.
The format was adapted from the format of the Australian championship debates: In teams of three, speakers hold nine minute speeches plus reply speeches of three minutes. Over the years the format changed with venues and hosts. Meanwhile there is a World Schools Style which guarantees consistency. Speeches are now eight minutes long, the reply speech is of four minutes. The tournament grew significantly over the years: In 1988 it was six nations, in 1999 debaters from 31 countries competed at WSDC. Recent venues comprise Seoul, Washington DC, Athens and Qatar. The past World Schools were staged in Dundee from August 16 to 26 where teams from 48 nations fought for the title as world champion. Winner of the final was Singapore with Australia as runner-up.
Christopher Sanchez /apf
