ANZ VANUATU DONATES TOWARDS THE SCHOOLS DEBATE SERIES

30 October 2014

The ANZ Bank of Vanuatu has donated 50,000VT towards traveling costs for the Vanuatu team who will beqcompeting in the inaugural Melanesian School Debate Competition to be held next month in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

The competition is the very first of its kind. Debating teams comprising secondary students from a mixed selection of schools in Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and PNG will compete for the sub-regional debating title and major prizes.

The Pacific Institute of Public Policy together with PNG’s Institute of Business Studies are jointly hosting the Melanesian Schools of Debates competition. The increasing popularity of school debating in Vanuatu, PNG and the Solomon Islands is a testament to the value of competitive learning practices and educational extra curricular activities amongst school age students in the Pacific.

The Vanuatu team will be participating through the support from the Pacific Institute of Public Policy and sponsors like ANZ. Students will debate broad current affairs topics of regional relevance and concern ranging from; customary land ownership, climate change to the global development agenda.

Team Vanuatu comprises outstanding speakers who were identified from the Vanuatu National Schools Debate Competition that was staged last month in Port Vila. The Vanuatu competition was also hosted by the Pacific Institute of Public Policy in collaboration with the Vanuatu Ministry of Education & Training and supported by National Bank of Vanuatu, Asco Motors, Vanuatu National Provident Fund and Ridgeway Blake Lawyers.

The Pacific Institute of Public Policy exists to stimulate and support informed debate across our region. According to PiPP director of research and programmes, Ms Dulciana Somare-Brash, ‘this school debating competition is an excellent opportunity to engage our young people in critical thinking on the issues that matter to our region. We are very appreciative of the sponsorship by ANZ and others to help provide a platform for further develop debating and the exchange of ideas amongst young people in our region.”

In handing over the sponsorship cheque, Mr Turoa Vatoko, ANZ Vanuatu’s Manager Advocate & Business, said ‘ANZ is very happy to support an initiative like this and we wish all participating teams a very successful competition.’

The organizing committee of the Melanesian School of Debate Competition welcomes all donation and sponsorship offers to keep this initiative going – please contact Ms Linda Kenni at PiPP on Tel. 29842 or by email to: lkenni@pacificpolicy.org.