Jugend debattiert international

" Youth Debate international - national competitions in Central and Eastern Europe" is a German student competition in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia ( Moscow and St. Petersburg), Czech Republic, Ukraine and Hungary.

The project is supported by the Goethe Institute, the Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future ", the Hertie Foundation and the Central Agency for Schools Abroad. In addition, there are local supporters, in Poland it is the Foundation for German - Polish Cooperation in Czech Republic Czech-German Fund for the Future and in Lithuania Lithuanian Information and Technology Center for students. Youth Debate internationally the first and only international speech contest for students is in German language. It is designed to help young people in Central and Eastern Europe can have their views and positions reliable, factually and represent convincing and wants to promote the German language as a medium of debate. Object of the competition is debating on German topics from the areas of school life, fundamental rights, history (especially processing of historical experiences of injustice ) and Europe. The project is aimed at students from the 10th grade who have at least level B2 according to the Common European Framework of German language skills.

Competition

In the school year 2010/2011 about 2300 students take part in 140 schools in the competition. At these schools, the project will be integrated into the classroom. For this, trained teachers teach the students in debating and carry with them through debates. Students debate with each other first on the school and school composite level, the best then progress to the provincial level and finally to the International Final. It will convene the first and second placed teams from the state competitions from all project countries. Since the IV International Final in Berlin 2010, the winner of the national competition youth support debate in Germany the participants as mentors.

Design and evaluation of debates

Each four students, two per two Contra, debating a total of 24 minutes to German socio-politically relevant questions (eg, " Should Turkey be admitted to the EU "). The format of the debate is exactly this set: at the beginning of each Debattant has two minutes uninterrupted speaking time in which he may present his position, followed by the 12-minute free debate - the actual " armed " phase - and in the end then has each participant a minute to keep the light of the debate, a final word. An external moderator does not exist. At the school level, especially themes from everyday school life are debated, at the higher levels of competition, then from the political, civil and human rights, history (especially processing of historical experiences of injustice ) and Europe.

The debate will be judged by a three to five-member jury. The rating by the judges takes place on points. Expertise, ability to express oneself, talking ability, persuasiveness: the performance of each participant according to four criteria are evaluated. The German knowledge of the debaters are not included in the assessment.

History

Youth Debate internationally in 2005 for the first time carried out in Poland and the Czech Republic. Since 2006, schools in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine take part. In 2009, the project was launched after a two -year pilot phase at schools in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and in the school year 2010/11 was extended to Hungary.

Overview: The National Final