The 4th International Schools Arabic Debating Championship kicked off yesterday at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
Organised by the QatarDebate Centre, the championship is being held under the patronage of HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF).
Fifty countries, including 15 Arabic-speaking and 35 non-Arabic speaking nations, are participating in the championship. They include Argentina, Spain, Australia, Albania, Germany, Indonesia, Ukraine, USA, Italy, Pakistan, Panama, Brazil, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Thailand, Turkey, Czech Republic, Tanzania, Tunisia, Algeria, South Africa, Russia, Syria, Sudan, Sweden, Singapore, Serbia, Montenegro, Somalia, Iraq, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Canada, Kosovo, Kuwait, Colombia, Lebanon, Libya, The Maldives, Malaysia, Morocco, United Kingdom, Mauritius, Austria, Nepal and India. As many as eight countries will be participating in the championship for the first time. They are Russia, Kosovo, Spain, Thailand, Serbia, Albania, Poland and Kyrgyzstan.
The championship aims to strengthen educational and cultural relations among the participating countries and open up opportunities to strengthen relationship and provides a platform for sharing experiences among Arabic-speaking and non-Arabic speaking youth.
It also aims to raise the open discussion standards, secure freedom of expression in the Arab world and the world as a whole and respect the difference of opinion.
For the first time in the history of the championship, a trial round will be held to involve all participating teams.
Executive Director of the QatarDebates Dr Hayat Maarafi, called on all students to improve the language of dialogue and appreciation of differences away from disagreement. “This is the purpose of the art of the debate, which educates the generations of young people with respect the right to different views.”
She also announced the selection of new ambassadors to the QatarDebates in Sudan and Kuwait as well as Qatar to join other ambassadors of the Centre in Oman, Jordan and the United States as part of the Centre’s mission to promote a wider culture of debate among school and university students.
The championship will conclude on Wednesday with a final match between two teams.
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