NATIONAL DEBATE TOURNAMENT “KOSOVO OPEN 2012”

6 – 9 April 2012 – Movement FOL in collaboration with six local organizations: Syri Vizion in Peja, Initiative for Progress (INPO) in Ferizaj ,Youth Center in Malisheva, Youth Centre in Suhareka, CBM Mitrovica and Local Youth Action Council in Prizren held the National Tournament debate “Karl Popper” format “Kosovo Open 2012 ” from 6 – 9 April 2012.

FOL Movement with the support of Foundation SOROS/KFOS since January 2010 has been working with partner organizations establishing debate clubs in Ferizaj, Prishtina and Peja. Meanwhile, from January 2011 this program was extended to three other municipalities, Mitrovica, Malisheva and Suhareka. During this year the program will be extended in other municipalities as well such as Prizren, Gjakova and Podujeva. Currently in Kosovo there are seven debating clubs in seven municipalities and the number of debaters from high schools is constantly growing. However, the debate club in Ferizaj already formed a team of RAE community debaters.

A major contribution to the organization of the Tournament “Kosovo Open 2011” has given the Kosovo Security Force, because this tournament was held in the Training and Doctrine Centre of KSF in Ferizaj for three days.
On Saturday and Sunday (7-8 April) during six rounds of debates have been faced 20 teams from seven municipalities in Kosovo. Meanwhile, semifinals and final were held on Monday. On semifinals were qualified four teams that had collected the most points based on the number of the won matches and the points that were collected from individual speakers within the team. Semifinals of this debate were: Team-Trifty Trifty, iHithat, Nemo and Sokratet. Meanwhile, in the final were Trifty-Trifty and iHithat. Debates were on the general topic of Safety and Freedoms and the final topic was “The use of violence of protesters could be justified.”

Judges in this tournament were former debaters who have previously taken part in the debate “Karl Popper” format. jury who judged the finals of this tournament, unanimously announced the winner of this tournament iHithat from Pristina. The winning team of this tournament will represent Kosovo in the international debate competitions IDEA Youth Forum 2012, which this year will be held in Mexico in July / August 2012.
The format of the debate ‘Karl Popper’ aims to handle the essential elements of a controversial issue. it stresses above all the development of critical thinking, tolerance and assessment of different views. This format was developed in schools and is supported by the Foundation for Open Society.