Upcoming debate competitions

• Eurasian Schools Debating Championship, 27th January - 1st February,Istanbul - Turkey

Upcoming debate topics

Winter 2010 debate topics

• The introduction of tuition fees at Czech Universities is not the way to go. (Debate League, Czech Republic)

Past debate competitions

• International Worlds Schools Debate Tournament, 3rd-8th November 2010, Ljutomer, Slovenia
• ESDC, 6th-13th November 2010, Stuttgart, Germany
• World Online Debating Championship, Debatewise.org, August - October 2010
• Heart of Europe, 15th-20th August 2010, Czech Republic
• IDEA Youth Forum 2010, 22nd July - 4th August 2010, Netherlands
• Worlds school debate academy and tournament 5th-12th July 2010, Slovenia
• Komarovo International Debate Tournament, 22nd-25th April 2010, Sankt Petersburg - Komarovo
• World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship 2010, 7th-13th April 2010, Lithuania
• Malacky International High Schools Tournament 2010, 8th-12th April 2010, Slovakia
• The Schools Mace, Spring 2010, UK
• Dnipro Open 2010, 19th - 21st February 2010, Ukraine
• World Schools Debate Championships, 8th - 20th February 2010, Qatar

Past competitive debate topics

Autumn 2010 debate topics

• THBT all workers should be legally entitled to profit sharing. (WSDT, Ljutomer, Slovenia)
• THBT that citizens should be entitled to a basic income without the requirement to work. (WSDT, Ljutomer, Slovenia)
• THBT Kosovo should be the first new EU member state from Western Balkans. (WSDT, Ljutomer, Slovenia)
• THBT the Blue Card Directive is harmful. (WSDT, Ljutomer, Slovenia)
• THBT the EU should grant amnesty to all illegal aliens currently living within its borders. (WSDT, Ljutomer, Slovenia)

• This House would give foreigners domiciled in a country the right to vote in that country’s general elections. (ESDC, Germany)
  • See Debate: Voting rights for legal immigrants.
• This House would scrap the euro. (ESDC, Germany)
  • SeeDebate: Scrapping the Euro.
• This House would repatriate cultural artifacts. (ESDC, Germany)
  • See Debate: Returning cultural treasures to country of origin.
• This House would abolish aid to Third World countries. (ESDC, Germany)
  • See Debate: The UN should increase humanitarian aid to poor nations and Debate: Development aid.
• This House would support measures to allow oil drilling in ecologically sensitive areas. (ESDC, Germany)
  • See Debate: Oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Debate: Oil drilling in the Arctic and Debate: Ban on Antarctic exploitation.

• The weight of citizen's vote should relate to the amount of taxes he pays. (Debate League, Czech Republic)

Summer 2010 debate topics

• This House believes that all drugs should be legalized. (Heart of Europe, Czech Republic)
  • See Debate: War on Drugs and Debate: Legalization of drugs.
• This House believes that Turkey should be admitted into the European Union. (Heart of Europe, Czech Republic)
  • See Debate: Turkey EU membership.
• This House believes that all foreign forces should be withdrawn from Afghanistan. (Heart of Europe, Czech Republic)
  • See Debate: 2009 troop "surge" in Afghanistan and Debate: Timetable withdrawal from Afghanistan.
• This House believes that downloading music and films from the Internet should be prohibited. (Heart of Europe, Czech Republic)
  • See Debate: Abolishing intellectual property rights, Debate: File-sharing and Debate: Prohibition of downloading music and films.
• This House believes that Israel should be obliged (if necessary by force) to withdraw from all Lands acquired since 1966. (Heart of Europe - finals, Czech Republic)
  • See Debate: Return of Israel to pre-1967 borders and Debate: Should Israel return the Golan Heights to Syria?.

• Countries should ban the import of goods produced by child labor. (IDEA Youth Forum, Karl Popper Debate Championship, Netherlands)
  • See Debate: Countries should ban the import of goods produced by child labor.
• In some cases juveniles should be tried as adults. (IDEA Youth Forum, Karl Popper Debate Championship, Netherlands)
  • See Debate: In some cases juveniles should be tried as adults, Debate: Sentencing juveniles to life without parole, Debate: Life without parole for juveniles, and Debate: Death penalty for juveniles.
• Governments should preserve rural life. (IDEA Youth Forum, Mixed Team Tournament, Netherlands)

• Modern TV focuses too much on reality entertainment programme. (Worlds school debate academy and tournament, Slovenia)
  • See Debate: Reality entertainment programme.
• Drinking age should be changed to 21. (Worlds school debate academy and tournament, Slovenia)
  • See Debate: Lowering US drinking age from 21 to 18 and Debate: Lowering of drinking age.
• This House would forgive debts of developing countries in exchange for specific environmental protection. (Worlds school debate academy and tournament, Slovenia)
  • See Debate: Cancellation of developing world debt.
• The United Nations Millennium Development Goals are wishful thinking. (Worlds school debate academy and tournament, Slovenia)
• This House believes multinational corporations should follow the same standards abroad their mother company is bond by in its home nation. (Worlds school debate academy and tournament, Slovenia)
• EU should grant amnesty to illegal aliens currently within its borders. (Worlds school debate academy and tournament, Slovenia)
  • See Debate: Path to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the US.
• This House would grant development aid only to non governmental organisations. (Worlds school debate academy and tournament, Slovenia)
• Narrowing the income gap between rich and poor is more important than overall economic growth. (Worlds school debate academy and tournament, Slovenia)
  • See Debate: Should the rich pay more taxes to reduce inequality?.
• This House believes we should never prioritize profit over free speech. (Worlds school debate academy and tournament, Slovenia)
  • See Debate: Profit-driven society, Debate: Prioritizing profit over ethics and Debate: Restrictions on freedom of speech.

Spring 2010 debate topics

• This House believes that public services are best run by private companies. (Komarovo International Debate Tournament)
  • See Debate: Public services are best run by private companies.
• This House would end state funding for elite athletes and their coaches. (Komarovo International Debate Tournament)
• Countries should ban the import of goods produced by child labor. (Komarovo International Debate Tournament - Finals)
  • See Debate: Countries should ban the import of goods produced by child labor.

• The Czech republic should deal with its past. (Czech Republic Debate League - National Finals)
• We should support development and use of genetically modified organisms. (Czech Republic Debate League - National Finals)
  • See Debate: Genetically modified foods.
• Obama's plan to solve financial crisis is a road to perdition. (Czech Republic Debate League - National Finals)
• Any state should have a right to possess a nuclear weapon. (Czech Republic Debate League - National Finals)
  • See Debate: Abolition of nuclear weapons and Debate: Right to possess nuclear weapons.

• The international community should support the development of nuclear power industry. (Czech Republic Debate League)
  • See Debate: Nuclear energy.
• This House believes that England needs its own parliament. (The Schools Mace, England, second round motion)
• This House believes that the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit was a failure. (The Schools Mace, England, second round motion)
• This House believes that the government should increase spending in higher education during times of economic crisis. (The Schools Mace, England, second round motion)

Winter 2009/2010 debate topics

• The State Development Depends on its Cultural Traditions. (Dnipro Open 2010, Ukraine)
• Matriarchy Guarantees the Sustainable Development of the State. (Dnipro Open 2010, Ukraine)

• That governments should never bail out big companies (WSDC Qatar, Finals)
  • See Debate: Bailout of US automakers and Debate: The state should never support failing businesses.
• That terrorist suspects should have the right to a trial in civilian courts (WSDC Qatar)
  • See Debate: Trying terrorist suspects in civilian courts.
• That doctors should report evidence of marital abuse to the police (WSDC Qatar)
  • See Debate: Should doctors report evidence of marital abuse to the police?.
• That we should support military intervention in Somalia (WSDC Qatar)
  • See Debate: Foreign intervention in African affairs and Debate: Intervention to prevent failed states.
• That every country should have the right to possess nuclear weapons (WSDC Qatar)
  • See Debate: Abolition of nuclear weapons and Debate: Right to possess nuclear weapons.

• The international community should launch preventive attacks against the states developing nuclear weapons. (Czech Republic Debate League)
  • See Debate: Preventive war, Debate: Right to possess nuclear weapons and Debate: Abolition of nuclear weapons.
• We should support the development and use of genetically modified organisms. (Czech Republic Debate League)
  • See Debate: Genetically modified foods.

• This House believes that school examinations are getting easier (The Schools Mace, England, first round motion)
• This House would make voting compulsory (The Schools Mace, England, first round motion)
  • See Debate: Compulsory voting.
• This House would randomly test school pupils for illegal drugs (The Schools Mace, England, first round motion)
  • See Debate: Drug testing in schools.
• This House believes that the next government should raise taxes rather than cut spending (The Schools Mace, England, first round motion)
• This House would make organ donation compulsory (The Schools Mace, England, first round motion)
  • See Debate: Organ Donors, Opt-Out By.
• This House (would) assassinate dictators (The Schools Mace, England, first round motion)
  • See Debate: Assassination of a Dictator.

• THBT there is no rush to applaud Mr. Obama (ESDC, Stuttgart)
• THBT profit-making dominates health care (ESDC, Stuttgart)
• THBT we need schools not soldiers in Afghanistan (ESDC, Stuttgart)
• TH would tear down walls (ESDC, Stuttgart)
• THBT financial sector is too independent (ESDC, Stuttgart)

Fall 2009 debate topics

• The state should never support failing businesses (Czech Republic Debate League)
  • See Debate: The state should never support failing businesses.
• The Czech Republic should deal with its past (Czech Republic Debate League)

• Genetically modified foods are in the public interest (MINSK Open 2009)
  • See Debate: Genetically modified foods.

• This House believes that the state should create a DNA database of all citizens (Slovakia - English Debate League)
  • See Debate: National DNA database.

• THBT modern world deserves crisis (Olomouc Open Cup, Czech Republic)
• THBT world should embrace nuclear energy (Olomouc Open Cup, Czech Republic)
  • See Debate: Nuclear energy.
• THBT The Beatles are bigger than Jesus (Olomouc Open Cup, Czech Republic)

• This House believes that heavy trucks should start paying for environmental damages. (International World Schools Debate Tournament, Ljutomer, Slovenia)
• This House has no confidence in capitalism. (International World Schools Debate Tournament, Ljutomer, Slovenia)
  • See Debate: Capitalism vs socialism.
• This House favours military intervention in Somalia. (International World Schools Debate Tournament, Ljutomer, Slovenia)
  • See Debate: Foreign intervention in African affairs and Debate: Intervention to prevent failed states.
• This House would forcefeed anorexics. (International World Schools Debate Tournament, Ljutomer, Slovenia)
  • See Debate: Anorexics, force-feeding of.

• We should support the development and use of genetically modified organisms (Czech Republic Debate League)
  • See Debate: Genetically modified foods.
• An increase in public expenditures would not put an end to the financial crisis. (Czech Republic Debate League)

Summer 2009 debate topics

• THBT the World Bank is an obstacle to development. (Heart of Europe)
  • See Debate: THBT the World Bank is an obstacle to development.
• TH would punish Mugabe. (Heart of Europe)
• THBT genetically modified foods are in the public interest. (Heart of Europe)
  • See Debate: Genetically modified foods.
• THBT BRIC states (Brazil, Russia, India, China) are a menace to Europe. (Heart of Europe)
• THBT subsidizing the car industry will not solve the world economic crisis. (Heart of Europe)
  • See Debate: Bailout of US automakers.