Inaugural Melanesian schools debating competition
High school debating teams from PNG, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are flying into Port Moresby next week for the first ever Melanesian Schools Debating Competition (MSDC). It follows national debating competitions held in each of those countries, whose winners and outstanding speakers have been selected to compete in this new regional competition.
A series of debates will be held at the Moresby Arts Theatre in Waigani between November 22-29 and is being facilitated by Vanuatu-based think tank the Pacific Institute of Public Policy (PiPP) and traditional hosts of the PNG competition, the Institute of Business Studies (IBS). Students will come together to debate critical current affairs and policy issues with topics ranging from land rights, governance, refugees and donor aid.
The Pacific Institute of Public Policy supports the Melanesian School Debates Competition and is also the main sponsor behind the Vanuatu team. PiPP’s Executive Director Derek Brien says “the regional competition extends the opportunity for students to confront and consider through research and public speaking, the key policy issues in our region.”
“Building the confidence of our young people to think critically and challenge the status quo is an important contribution towards bolstering the creative and intellectual capacity of our future decision makers and leaders in the region” he says.
PiPP also acknowledges the generous financial support from other sponsors helping both the national and region debating competitions, including the National Bank of Vanuatu, Air Vanuatu, Air Nuigini and ANZ Bank, Asco Motors, Ridgeway Blake lawyers and the Vanuatu National Provident Fund.
Karen Mahina from the National Bank of Vanuatu said the NBV was proud to sponsor Vanuatu’s team as part of their ongoing initiative of “working together for a better tomorrow, today”.
Six students from four different schools will make up “Team Vanuatu” and they say they are looking forward to the competition. Kyla Niras from Malapoa College says “debating gives us a chance to think seriously about important issues, to be able to argue from different viewpoints and to think on our feet. It is exciting but also a bit nerve-wracking! We are all looking forward to meeting our fellow students from the region and doing something that is both fun and serious at the same time.”
Students from the Solomon Islands have been supported by its parliamentary civic education project and the “youth parliament”.
The final debate will be filmed and available to view on pacificpolicy.org soon after the event. It is hoped that as this competition grows, it will be able to include student teams from all the Melanesian countries and territories.
