Sunday, November 30, 2014

12th International Debate Academy Slovenia - Tournament & Workshop 2014

12TH INTERNATIONAL DEBATE ACADEMY SLOVENIA
WORKSHOP KRANJSKA GORA, TOURNAMENT LJUBLJANA

Faculty assembled a list of 130+ motions and then voted and discussed. Here are the results.

Final
TH regrets the characterisation of soldiers as heroes.

Semifinals
THW welcome a Kurdish state.

Quarterfinals
THBT feminists in the developing world should campaign for economic and political rights not gender rights.

Round One
THW, in countries that severely limit civilian access to firearms, arm police with only non-lethal weapons.

Round Two
THW abolish patents on life-saving medicines

Round Three
THBT democracies should place strict limits on financial campaign contributions.

Round Four
THB space exploration is a waste of taxpayers' money

Round Five
THBT NATO should be abolished.*

Round Six
THW revoke the citizenship of those who travel abroad to join the Islamic State.

PRACTICE MOTIONS (some of them)
ECOLOGICAL, SPEECH
THB climate change denial should be treated the same way as Holocaust denial Practice

DEVELOPMENT
THW require population limits for poor countries as a condition for financial aid Practice

LABOR
THW make unions obligatory for every worker Practice

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
THBT Vladimir Putin is a serious threat to global security. Practice

ECONOMIC, INTERNATIONAL
THBT the EU should pay the Ukrainian gas bills. Practice

LAW ENFORCEMENT
THW create state supported citizen vigilante units to police crime in areas of high organised crime Practice

Los Medanos Steeltown Invitational 2014

LOS MEDANOS, STEELTOWN INVITATIONAL, 2014 TOPICS

Round 1 - TH prefers direct democracy to representative republics.

Round 2 - The Euro should be abolished.

Round 3 - THB that Qatar should be disallowed from hosting the World Cup.

Round 4 - TH would regulate cryptocurrencies

Round 5 - THW completely subsidize education costs for all women who seek degrees in stem disciplines

Semi - TH regrets President Obama's executive action on immigration.

Final - THBT the United States should prioritize combating Central/South American drug cartels over combatting ISIS.

Steeltown Invitational 2014, Final Round
You Tube Link
http://youtu.be/oXxYajTPPO0

Monday, November 17, 2014

The Shalimar Cup (City School Shalimar)

The Shalimar Cup (City School Shalimar)

Motions:
Round 1 THBT the IMF and the World Bank should not make debt relief for highly indebted poor countries conditional on trade liberalization
Round 2 THBT Feminist movements directed specifically towards men have lost their cause
Round 3 THW initiate a current affairs test as a pre-requisite for voter registration
Round 4 THW institute a mandatory military service for all able-bodied men

Quarter-Finals TH regrets that the Western Media demonized Islamic Terrorists rathar than portraying them as criminals with legitimate grievances
Semi- Finals TH welcomes the entrance of large numbers of robots into the workforce
Grand Final THW abolish the Nobel Peace Prize

SICAS Debating Championship

SICAS Debating Championship

Motions:
Round 1 THBT prisoners with life sentences should be allowed to choose the death penalty
Round 2 THW institute a school voucher program for under-privelaged students in public schools
Round 3 THW require media corporations to provide equal airtime to political parties/candidates during an election campaign
Round 4 THBT law enforcement agencies should reflect the diversity of their communities

Quarter-Finals THW pay reparations to communities who have been a victim of historical injustices
Semi- Finals THB in a right to be forgotten on the internet
Grand Final THW grant those diagnosed with terminal illnesses the right to access treatments that have not completed clinical testing

Lahore Alma Cup

Lahore Alma Cup

Motions:
Round 1 THW ban all advertising during children's television programming
Round 2 THW require university students to work in their country of origin for a number of years after graduation
Round 3 THW allow soldiers to sue their governments for negligence
Round 4 THW apply a lower rate of income tax on women

Quarter-Finals THW ban political parties and require all candidates for national public office to seek elections as independents
Semi-Finals THBT corporations should be held responsible for abuses committed by their contracted service providers
Grand Final THS General Raheel Sharif as a mediator between the Government, PTI and PAT

Sondhi International Debating Championship


Sondhi International Debating Championship (LACAS)

Motions:
Round 1 TH Supports the Distortion of History for Positive Social Outcomes
Round 2 TH Regrets the Rise of the Anti-Hero in Popular Culture
Round 3 TH Supports Bashar al-Assad’s Regime in Syria Against ISIS
Round 4 THW Uphold Squatters' Rights Over Private Property

Quarter-Finals THW Force a Liberal Development Agenda on FATA
Semi-Finals THBT the Palestinians Should Pursue a One State Solution
Grand Final TH Supports political change through street power in democratic societies

5th Hong Kong Debate Open 1-3 November 2014

5th Hong Kong Debate Open 2014 ( 1st to 3rd Nov)

(Round 1) This house believes that all states should STOP memorialization of their war deaths

(Round 2) This house would abolish retirement age

(Round 3) This house believes that employment insurance should cover cryopreservation in their health insurance policies

(Round 4) This house believes that western liberal democracies do not have the right to stop their citizens from joining the Islamic State

(Round 5) This house regrets the trend of couples using civilian spyware applications such as Dr. Fone, Spyera, and FlexiSpy that allow users to track phones, text messages and all media and applications on the phone

(Round 6) This house would require companies to have a minimum percentage of employees without college/undergraduate degrees in their core functions

(Octo-Finals) This house believes that schools should actively promote atheism in their curriculum

(Quarters-Finals) This house believes that the 3rd world should not use the exportation of labor as a strategy for development

(Semi-Finals) This house would not allow news outlets to endorse political candidates

(Grand Final) This house believes that it is time for the West to accept/allow Iran's development of nuclear technology

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Oxford IV 14-15 November 2014

I will try and add quarters and semis later.

Round 1
Motion: This house believes that in order for a law to be enacted, it should have to be passed by the legislature and then by a body chosen at random from eligible voters.

Round 2
Motion: This house believes that press agencies should not purchase or publish the work of freelance war reporters.

Round 3
Motion: This house believes the EU should suspend Hungary's membership rights.

Round 4
Motion: This house, as the gay community, regrets the existence of Grindr

Round 5
Motion: This house would deny public funding to parties with explicitly ethnic-based membership or platforms

FINAL
Motion: THBT a world in which people were content and did not desire social mobility is preferable to one where people desired social mobility (had much better wording) (Brent Schmidt)

Monday, November 3, 2014

Huber Debates, Vermont, 1-2 November 2014

Huber Debates, Vermont, 1-2 November 2014

R1: THW return all cultural treasures to their places of origin

R2: THBT it is in China's best interest to let Hong Kong freely elect its leaders

R3: THW, as environmentalists, support the integration of green goals with consumer culture (came with video of an ad)

R4: THBT states should not use education institutions to instill patriotism

R5: THBT states should suspend democratic elections during economic crisis

Qtr: THW nationalize pharmaceuticals 

Semi: THBT the global community should abandon its focus on nuclear non-proliferation 

Novice Final: THBT feminists should reject topless protests (Congrats, Duke, who were OO)

Open Final: TH regrets the emphasis on marriage equality in the gay rights movement (Congrats, Brandeis, who were OO)

Thessaloniki Open, 31 October - 2 November 2014

Thessaloniki Open, 31 October - 2 November 2014

R1: THB that states should no longer fund or own public broadcasters, such as the BBC, NERIT or PBS

R2: TH welcomes the rise of art that celebrates a lack of economic wealth

R3: THBT Google, Youtube and social media platforms should remove content which is deemed as insulting to religion

R4: TH supports Greek youth violently protesting against Trojka mandated austerity measures

R5: THW lift all limits on international migration

Semis: THBT international courts should punish states with the capacity to prevent crimes against humanity, but do not do so

Final: THW significantly lower labour regulations for youth in EU areas with high youth unemployment

Belgrade Open, 24 - 26 October 2014



Belgrade Open, 24 - 26 October 2014

THW allow individuals to grant amnesty to criminals for crimes they committed against them

THW break up banks that are deemed too big to fail

THBT the LGBTQ lobby should make up evidence that prominent anti-LGBTQ rights campaigners are, themselves LGBTQ

THBT developing nations should hold the Catholic Church financially liable for the medical expenses of Catholic HIV/AIDS victims in areas where the church campaigns against condom use

THW ban dating services built around matching rich men/women with younger men/women

Semi Final: THBT Serbia should immediately cut off political and economic ties with the Russian Federation

Final: THW immediately evacuate all relics off cultural or historical import currently located in unstable countries to stable Western nations

SDA Novices Sunday, 26th October 2014

SDA Novices Sunday, 26th October 2014

1 THW ban all political donations by corporations

2 THBT Miley Cyrus' sexualised performances (such as Wrecking Ball) are a victory for feminism

Info slide: Short clip from wrecking ball

3 THW unconditionally lift non-arms related sanctions on North Korea

Info slide: Probably not important but photographed somewhere

4 TH Supports Vigilanteism in high crime areas

Info slide: A vigilante is a member of a self-appointed group of citizens, who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate. Vigilanteism is by definition illegal.

Final THBT the UK should unilateraly remove all restrictions on immigration from its former colonies

SOAS IV, London, 18-19 October 2014

SOAS IV, London, 18-19 October 2014

Round 1: THW require parents to vaccinate their children, except where doing so is not in the child's medical interest

Round 2: THW ban the paying of ransom insurance in the case of kidnapping

Round 3: THW impose very high taxes on the rich, even when doing so will not increase total tax revenues

Round 4: THBT feminist campaigns directed specifically at men are harmful to the feminist cause

Round 5: THBT the IMF and the World Bank should not make debt relief for highly indebted poor countries conditional on trade liberalisation

Quarter-Final: THBT the state has a duty to provide the long term unemployed with lasting employment which pays at least the minimum wage

Semi-Final: THR Lara Croft

Final: THS a federal UK

ESL Final: THW offer full amnesty to any European citizen currently fighting on behalf of ISIL as long as they immediately return to Europe

Strathclyde Cup, Glasgow, 18 October 2014

Strathclyde Cup, Glasgow, 18 October 2014

Round 1: This House Believes that retired parents should be allowed to seek alimony payments from their adult children.

Round 2: This House Believes that western media outlets should collectively decline to cover any ISIS actions primarily intended to attract western attention (e.g. Hostage takings/executions)

Round 3: This House Believes that copyright of photographic art featuring individuals or communities of people should belong to those people, not the artist.

Round 4: This House Believes that the trans movement should actively seek to separate themselves, their issues and their collective identity from the LGBTQ movement in their campaigns and in the public consciousness.

Final: This House Believes that military conscription should be regarded as a war crime.

Roosevelt Open, Middelburg, 17-18 October 2014


Roosevelt Open, Middelburg, 17-18 October 2014

R1: This House would prioritise dealing with the consequences of climate change rather than preventing it

R2: this House would set the burden of proof in criminal trials to "balance of probabilities" rather than "beyond reasonable doubt".

R3: this House regrets that companies such as Facebook and Apple have offered to pay for elective egg freezing for their employees.

R4: this House believes that companies like H&M and Primark should hire half as many factory workers in the developing world but pay them twice as much.

R5: this House believes that people who go bankrupt should have their finances managed by the state for five years.

Semi Final: this House would impose the death penalty for pretty crime, if we knew that it would be 100% effective in deterring pretty crime and would never be used.

Novice Final: this house would only allow those who pass a political awareness exam to vote.

Final: this house believes that the EU should abandon its aim to establish an "ever closer union".

UCL President’s Cup London, 10th October 2014

UCL President’s Cup London, 10th October 2014

Round 1: THW impose a tax on unhealthy foods

Round 2: TH believes that animal rights activists should launch a campaign of sabotage and property destruction to further the cause of animal rights.

Round 3: THW legalise the buying and selling of sexual services

Round 4: TH, as a parent with the financial means to do so, would not send their child to private school

Novice Final: THW make voting compulsory

Semi-Final: THW only imprison individuals who have committed violent crimes and pose a continuing threat to society

Final: TH regrets the characterisation of soldiers as heroes

Edinburgh Cup 4-5 October 2014

Edinburgh Cup (4-5 october 2014)
Round 1: This House Believes that governments should negotiate with terrorists when their citizens are taken hostage by terrorist groups
Round 2: This House would allow international commercial surrogacy
Round 3: This House supports “No Platform” policies in student unions
Round 4: This House would pay reparations to former mining communities in the UK
R5 This house believes that government regulation agencies should be allowed to break up banks, like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and HSBC, that are deemed ’too big to fail’.
Semi THBT governments should prioritise economically productive public spending over investing in arts, humanities, etc. when deciding on their budget.
Final: TH, as the UK Labour party, would participate in a cross party initiative to reform the Human Rights Act.
Infoslide: The Conservatives outlined proposed changes to the Human Rights Act. Under the proposal announced on Friday, a victorious Conservative party would draw up a Bill of Rights that would set out the application of human rights law in Britain.
The proposed changes would mean the European court's rulings would no longer be binding over the Supreme Court and that Britain's parliament would have the right to veto its judgments. It is unclear at this stage whether there would be any substantive changes to the rights set out in the legislation.