Alfred Snider, Director, World Debate Institute; Professor, University of Vermont, USA
Every time a new nation enters the family of debating nations I feel it is an important step that we as a world community and as a species are making towards a better world. We must learn to disagree in a constructive and productive way in order to find the best answers to the many problems that we all face. I can think of few things that promote this more effectively than to teach debating skills to a new generation in any nation. I am very excited by the progress that Iraq is making in this direction.
While you as Iraqi citizens already have many of the skills needed for debate, including basic reasoning and communication skills, you will need to learn the basic process and components of a formal debate. You must build the skills you as a debater need to present high-quality debates that will attract and hold audiences.