Athena: This is the goddess of Wisdom and Strategy – and first and foremost the patron of Athens, the city in which the Athens Open 2011 is going to be held from 15 to 17 April. Until now it seems as if the Greek gods are regarding the team of Eirini Damianaki, Convenor of the Athens Open and current president of the Deree Debating Club, with favour: Besides a 4-star accommodation offered in the heart of Athens there will be a number of remarkably good adjudicators: Maja Cimerman (EUDC ESL Champion, WUDC ESL finalist), Manos Moschopoulos (WUDC ESL Best Speaker, EUDC ESL finalist), Milan Vignjevic (WUDC/EUDC ESL Quarter-finalist), Steven Nolan (DCA EUDC 2011, EUDC finalist) and Yoni Cohen-Idov (DCA EUDC 2011, WUDC ESL Champion, EUDC finalist) are going to judge and pass their experience on to the debaters. Five prelims with seven-minute speeches will be offered with breaking to semis and finals on Saturday. Registration fee is 50 Euros per participant and covers accommodation, food and transport in Athens. Besides the socials the Greeks will offer what we all have silently craved and hoped for: a sightseeing tour in a city rich of 5000 years of history and culture, nominated with its famous acropolis to world cultural heritage.

msi / apf