NATIONAL DEBATE TOURNAMENT “KOSOVA OPEN 2011”

Vushtrri, 15 – 17 April 2011-Movement FOL along with BIRN, and in cooperation with organizations: Syri Vizion from Peja, Initiative for Progress (INPO) in Ferizaj, Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) in Prishtina, Youth Center in Malisheva, Youth Centre in Suhareka and CBM Mitrovica held the National Tournament debate “Karl Popper” format ” Kosovo Open 2011 ” from 15 to 17 April 2011, on the topic” Kosovo must implement a visa regime “. The format ‘Karl Popper’ of the debate aims to touch and handle the essential elements of a controversial issue. He stresses above all the development of critical thinking, tolerance and assessment of different views. This format was developed in high schools.

Movement FOL and BIRN with the support of the Soros Foundation / KFOS since January 2010 have been working with partner organizations INPO, SIV and YIHR to create debate clubs in town and to train club members in Karl Popper debate format. However, since January this year the program was extended to three new centres in Mitrovica, Malisheva and Suhareka.

Currently in Kosovo we have 6 debating clubs in 6 municipalities, and the number of the debaters is constantly growing. Meanwhile, the debate club Ferizaj city already formed teams of RAE community.

A major contribution to the organization of the Tournament “Kosovo Open 2011” was given by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Education, and Kosovo Center for Public Safety, Education and Development.

During the day Saturday (15 April) during the three rounds of debate were faced 20 teams from six municipalities of Kosovo: Prishtina, Peja ,Ferizaj, Mitrovica, Malisheva and Suhareka. Meanwhile, semi-finals and final were held on Sunday. In the semi-finals debated four teams that have collected the most points based on the number of the victories and points that have collected the speakers of the teams individually. Semi-finals of this debate were: My Initiative from Prishtina, Sokratet from Ferizaj, The Young Europeans from Peja and Epigonet from Malisheva. Meanwhile, in the final debated Sokratet and My Initiative.

Judges in this tournament were former debaters who have previously taken part in the debate “Karl Popper” format. The team of judges who judged the finals of this tournament, announced the winner of this tournament Sokratet from Ferizaj. The Four resolutions debated in this tournament were topics about international migration, where two of these resolutions were limited preparation time while on the two other resolutions the debaters had the opportunity to prepare in advance.

The first resolution was: “”Kosovo must apply the visa regime””,
The second resolution was: “All member states must ratify the UN Convention on the rights of migrant workers and their families”
The third resolution was “open society requires open borders”
The fourth resolution was “Countries of the world should enhance the protection of social and economic rights of immigrants”

The tournament was held over three days at the Kosovo Center for Public Safety, Education and Development (former Police School in Vushtrri “.

This is the second national tournament being organized in Kosovo, and two other tournaments were organized, one in Ferizaj and one in Peja.

The winning team and three best speakers of this tournament will represent Kosovo in the international contest of the debate ‘IDEA Youth Forum 2011, which this year takes place in Istanbul, Turkey in July / August 2011.