We're sorry, this piece is not available in English. Please read the German version of this article to learn more about what deb socs from Stuttgart and Vienna have to say on Botswana Worlds 2011 and what Berliner Zeitung reports on the Berlin Debating Union, the future host of Worlds 2013. ...

The world keeps on turning, however, does not forget about the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds) in Botswana. A US-American is mopping up after Worlds, a Botswanese is happy about the organization, another American is delighted about the results of IDAS teams and a German deb society covers the tournament. Steven M. Llano found certain things at Botswana Worlds pernicious, among which were a certain Black Eyed Peas song, the lack of fans, sleep deprivation as well as the word “pernicious” itself. On his Blog “Progymnasmata“, Achte Minute’s op-ed author Steven complained also about the lack of internet access ...

The World Universities Debate Championships (WUDC or Worlds)have been held for the 31st time in a row. The first Worlds were staged in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1981. Back then, 43 teams from seven countriescompeted for the title, the registration fee was ten British Pound. The first WUDC winners back in 1981 were Steve Coughlan and Andrew Taylor from University of Toronto, Canada. Many English schools did not take part – they found Glasgow was too far away as is reported. Nota bene: The distance between London and Glasgow is 405 miles, or 650 kilometers. By the way, it was not ...

On his blog, Manos Moschopoulos compiled unofficial tabs for ESL and EFL respectively for the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds). He did so based on data provided by Leela Koenig, judge at Botswana Worlds, and the competition's language committee. So far, official ESL and EFL tabs have not yet been published by the adjudication team of CA Logandran Balavijendran. According to Manos’ compilation, a correction of the Top Five EFL Speakers has to be noted: “Simon Belak (Ljubljana C) and Andreas Lazar (Stuttgart A) are joint top EFL speakers (initially, they were announced as 2nd and 1st respectively),” Manos ...

Shout-outs from across the planet for the world debating champions: Media in Australia, Israel and Russia are applauding the teams from Monash and Haifa who won the grand final and ESL-final respectively in Botswana where the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds) where staged over New Year’s Eve. But there is also rumour that miscalculations in the tab led to teams not breaking mistakenly. At abc.net, people are proud that Fiona Prowse and Victor Finkel from team Monash A took home the title of world debating champions. On top of that, other Aussie teams had eminent results too: “Australian students ...

The full tab of the World Universities Debating Championships 2011 has been made available online already! The CA team put it on the homepage of Botswana Worlds. Naturally, Achte Minute does have a focus on the results of  VDCH teams and speakers. Hence, to lighten the burden for you, our loyal readers, we compiled their results. ...

This article is a wrap-up of what German and international media write about the World Universities Debating Championships in Gaborone, Botswana. Please read the German version to learn about Israeli pride in their debaters, De Nederlands Debatbond and Justice Mothlabani's address to the debaters at Worlds. apf / glx ...

Debaters worldwide already are cheering about their teams at World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds): The Debattierclub Stuttgart (DCS) jubilates about a smooth start into 2011, the Israeli Debating League compliment their Israeli debaters on their results and the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT interviewed Chinese debaters. ...

The term "Worlds" is used in its plural form because numerous winners have been awarded at Gaborone, Botswana last night. Foremost, the three best teams have to be mentioned who prevailed over the course of nine prelims. It is three best teams as there are three categories: "Open Break", "English as a Second Language" (ESL) and "English as a Foreign Language" (EFL). And the winners are ... Monash A from Australia, Haifa A from Israel and Tokyo B from Japan. There were about 300 teams from all over the globe competing for the title, 32 of which made it to ...

There’s a whole bunch of new world champions: Team Monash A from Australia won the grand final of the open break of the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds). That is Victor Finkel und Fiona Prowse. In the category English as a Second Language (ESL), Michael Shapira and Meir Yarom of team Haifa A from Israel defeated all other finalists. Then there is a third world champion team: Kazushige Yoshimaru and Yuki Tominaga of Tokyo B from Japan. All three winning teams triumphed from the position of opening government. The winners of the main break are experienced debaters: Victor was ...

Team Stuttgart A made it to ESL semis at World Universities Debating Championships in Botsuana. Congratulations to Michael Saliba and Andreas Lazar. Please read more on this in the German version of this article! apf / glx ...

One quarter of the teams of the ESL break are from Germany! That would make one German team in each room, one could think. But in final rounds, the tab is folded. That means that for instance room one assembles teams ranking on 1, 7, 8 and 16. Thanks to this folding, room three of the ESL qurter finals will see two German teams: Stuttgart A (Andreas Lazar and Michael Saliba) and Berlin B (Patrick Ehmann and Bastian Laubner). Other German teams in the quarters are Berlin B (Florian Umscheid and Dessislava Kirova) and Gutenberg A (Marcus Ewald and Marietta ...

That sure is a good start into the new year for VDCH country: Four German teams broke to ESL quarter finals of the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds) in Gaborone. Here are the lucky ones: Stuttgart A, Michael Saliba, Andreas Lazar, 15 points Berlin B, Dessislava Kirova, Florian Umscheid, 14 points Gutenberg A (Mainz), Marcus Ewald, Marietta Gädeke, 14 points Berlin A, Bastian Laubner, Patrick Ehmann, 13 points Jens Henning Fischer and Isabelle Loewe broke as judges. The complete break was compiled by Stephen M. Llano on his Blog. The draws for the main break are available on Colm Flynn's  World Debating Website. Congratulations to ...

Breaking news from Botswana: Results of our VDCH teams after round 6 leaked from Gabs and we have it all here for our loyal readers. Colm Flynn provided photographs of the tab on his World Debating Website. So how are our German and Austrian teams doing in Gaborone? ...

Six preliminary rounds are over, night has fallen over Botswana. Tomorrow will bring three more pre-rounds at Worlds 2011. These are going to be closed rounds – no feedback and no info on the ranking will leak from the judges. Socials tonight feature a “culture night”. No more complaints about waiting and queuing are to be heard in Gaborone, but speculations on the ranking of teams and institutions. The teams of Debattierclub Stuttgart feel fine with their performance, Andreas C. Lazar reported this morning: “Gaborone, 32 degrees Celsius. Both Michael [Saliba] and I (Stuttgart A) as well as Jana [Gilke] and ...

And the evening and the morning were the fourth day of Botswana Worlds 2011. Participants in Gaborone had just registered when the motion of round four was announced: “This house believes that independent central banks should set limits on government spending.“ Is the org comm in better control of the schedule today? Last night’s talent show must have been great – our correspondent Henrik Maedler seems to have liked it a lot: “Last night was ‘Recreation/Talent Night‘. Never thought I'd get to see Jamaican song, Jewish rap, and Botswanan dance in one evening ... good fun!” And always an issue ...

And the evening and the morning were the third day of Botswana Worlds 2011. People have just recovered from the ice breaking party when there are complaints about paranoia, the African heat and a belated adjudicators’ briefing – still more surprises for the international debating community from Worlds in Gaborone. However, the atmosphere is great thanks to good weather and friendly people all around, everybody appreciates. Henrik Maedler (Jacobs University Bremen Debating Society), being on his annual leave now in Botswana, felt followed around by his employer as a picture on “Your German Correspondent” proves. The Achte Minute editorial team sincerely ...

No water, no bread! A team from Serbia who wanted to immigrate fromSouth Africa to Botswana was - despite valid visas - defeated late last night by African bureaucracy, as Manos Moschopolous from Greece reported to Achte Minute. No drinks and food available at first for the Serbs around Milan Vignjevic, ESL quarterfinalist at the previous Worlds and co-convenor of the Belgrade Open 2011. Meanwhile, the OrgComm of Botswana Worlds talked to the Serbs, made food and drinks available and will help with all obstacles on early Tuesday morning, Manos released. Isabelle Loewe, Jens Henning Fischer and Henrik Maedler faced similar ...

We've got mail! Florian Umscheid and Moritz Kirchner from Wortgefechte Potsdam already have arrived at Worlds 2011 in  Gaborone, Botswana. The two German debaters briefly revealed their first impressions of Africa to Achte Minute. ...

Let’s get ready to rumble – the 31st World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds) are about to start. From 27 December to 4 January Worlds 2011 are to be held in Gaborone, Botswana. Numerous debaters from VDCH countries change to the international debate circuit to compete with more than 300 teams from all over the world for the title of world debate champion. Nine days, that makes nine preliminary rounds plus various final rounds in three categories: Main break, ESL and EFL. The main break is de jure the category for all speakers, de facto for native speakers of English, ...

Achte Minute is your reliable source on the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds) in Botswana's capital Gaborone. As usual since this year’s Euros in Amsterdam, Achte Minute is going to fulfill this task in English as well as in German. Your local correspondent in Gaborone is Jens Henning Fischer – he reports the latest and most interesting for participants and those at home: breaks, stories, interviews. If you want your stories and reports published on Achte Minute, please convey them to Jens or send an e-mail directly to achteminute[at]vdch.de. In addition to Achte Minute you might want to consult other ...

The day of reckoning is near - on New Year's Day, the WUDC Council is going to sit in Gaborone, Botswana, and decide over who will be hosting the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC, or Worlds) in 2013. So far, two candidates from Europe bid for Worlds 2013: Berlin and Zagreb. The OrgComm from Berlin Debating Union (BDU) started their PR tour in mid-November. Therefore, they made a video that shows the strong will of Berlin for peaceful freedom and her inhabitants' penchant for big words such as in JFK's "Ich bin ein Berliner." According to the video, when it comes ...

Show your judging skills - judges at this year's World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC, or Worlds) in Botswana have to do an adjudication test today! A sample of the adjudication test may be watched on Botswana Worlds website. The real test has to be done virtually as well. The motion of the adjudication test reads "This house supports the trade with organs for profit." The test is compuslory for everyone judging at Worlds in Gaborone. Those who will not do the test until today will be regarded as "unreliable judges", as is reported in an e-mail from the chief adjudicators' ...

Shortly before the World Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds) 2011 start in Gaborone - some very early birds have already travelled to southern Africa - the convenors ask to get it over with the last technicalities. Therefore, read the survival guide available on the Botswana Worlds 2011 website. What is it you need to know? Well, bring sun screen, ethernet wire, insect repellent, electrical adaptors and other things you might not be able to live without during your ten-day stay in Botswana's capital. Another requirement is to do the adjudication test which will be held online on www.botswanaworlds.com from 18 December. ...

To celebrate the date of 50 days until the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC a.k.a. Worlds) start the organizing committee held a dinner in early November that was addressed by the Attorney General of Botswana and Advocate George Bizos, the lawyer who defended Nelson Mandela during his Apartheid-era trial. While Worlds financial officer Taylor Tebogo Mogotsi admitted that they still face some major needs, convenor Justice Motlhabani is sure that after all the obstacles they have already overcome they will also manage that. Up to date, 333 teams have registered for WUDC in Gaborone, Botswana – that’s over 100 more than the ...

The Berlin Debating Union (BDU) has made a decision: They want to bring the Worlds to Germany! On Saturday, Patrick Ehmann, John Eltringham and Cloud Ramasendaran are going to present their bid for convening the World Universities Debating Championships at the Oxford IV. The support of VDCH, the Association of Debating Societies at Universities, facilitated the decision of Berlin Debating Union: “Only because we know we have the German debating circuit to support us we dare to do this,” BDU president Patrick admits. He is even more delighted to have other German debaters at the Oxford IV to back BDU’s presentation ...

This year’s World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC) take place in Botswana’s capital Gaborone. The conveners announced the second stage of registration to start on Monday, 12 July. This requires the confirmation of spots for all participants. A deposit of 150 US-Dollar per participant, be it speakers or adjudicators, has to posted to the WUDC bank account which has been updated just recently. Chief Adjudicator Logandran Balavijendran emphasizes that all rules on registration will be carried out strictly and consequently, i.e. if deposits are not paid by 21 July 2010 you will lose your granted ...

While by now, we may have gotten used to Vuvuzelas during the football world cup, Africa is already gearing up for another large event: The World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC) in Botswana! The Chief Adjudicators around Logandran Balavijendran want to guarantee that the judges pool meets the highest standards and therefore pledge special financial assistance for sixty judges from Africa and the rest of the world. Adjuticators who receive the assistance are exempt from participation fees. They will also be reimbursed up to USD 1,000 in travel costs. Conditions for assistance are previous WUDC participation (as speaker or adjudicator) as well as ...

Nicht nur der Fußball bewegt Afrika, auch das Debattieren – es gibt Neuigkeiten zu den Anmeldungen für die World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC) aus Botsuana: In nur 94 Sekunden haben sich 300 Teams angemeldet. (Die Anmeldung war am Montag, 21. Juni, eröffnet worden.) Moment, denkt Ihr, das Teamcap beläuft sich doch auf 352 Teams! Richtig, die übrigen 52 Plätze sollen sicherstellen, dass erstens jede Nation, die schon bei den vorherigen Worlds teilgenommen hat, wieder dabei sein kann, und dass zweitens auch Teams aus Ländern mit eher langsamem Internet-Zugang einen Startplatz ergattern können. Einige VDCH-Clubs haben sich bereits ihre Startplätze bei den ...