Youth participate in third and final debate tournament organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova

The third and last in a series of student debate tournaments organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova was held on 14 November 2015 in Ceadîr-Lunga, during which 40 students and six teachers from Bender, Cahul, Ceadîr-Lunga, Comrat, Taraclia, Tiraspol and Vulcănești honed their debating skills while deliberating on whether political dictatorships can ever be justified.

The three debate tournaments organized in 2015 provided the students with the opportunity to put into practice what they learned during a training event on the Karl Popper debate format organized by the OSCE Mission this June. The aim of the follow-up tournaments was to establish academic debate as a means of promoting civic education and developing critical thinking among young people, while also building confidence among youth from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River.

“These debate tournaments have not only taught me how to effectively engage in discussions and make convincing arguments. They have taught me the importance of making my voice heard in a meaningful way and of participating in my community,” said Nadejda Konstantinova, a student from Comrat. She said, she hopes that other young people will have the opportunity to participate in debates and will therefore be encouraged to become active citizens.

The event was organized as part of a three-year project implemented jointly by the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the NGO Piligrim-Demo to support the engagement of young people and civil society activists, including those from national minorities, in public discussions and public service.