OSCE Mission to Moldova organizes roundtable event to foster academic debate in schools

The OSCE Mission to Moldova held a roundtable event on 28 September 2016 to raise awareness of the benefits of academic debate among high school students and teachers. Some 30 students and teachers from across Moldova attended the discussion at the Gaidarji lyceum in Comrat, in the country’s autonomous region of Gagauzia.

During the event, participants and trainers of current academic debate programmes delivered presentations to students and teachers on the value of debating, with the aim of encouraging the establishment of debate clubs in their schools. In particular, several former and current debate participants shared their experiences of how the skills they acquired through debating helped them in their professional life.

“Academic debates taught me to listen attentively, argue my case persuasively, and think logically,” said Ilja Karaseni, a former participant in academic debates and now a Senior Specialist in Gagauzia’s Executive Committee. “That is why I believe that participating in debates is an excellent way to hone the public speaking and negotiation skills that are essential for taking an active role in public life.”

The event was held as part of a project that aims to actively engage young people, including those representing national minorities, in civic processes at the local and national levels by developing their debate skills. The project is implemented jointly by the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the Comrat-based NGO Piligrim-Demo and consists of debate training, debate tournaments and public debates.