On June 23, a National Debate Tournament on the topic of environmental protection took place, in which the best students of debate clubs from all over Georgia participated.
This national tournament was organized by the Institute of Debate and Education of Georgia with the support of Tegeta Green Planet and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Preparations for the National Debate Tournament lasted for 5 months and more than 400 students from 30 schools from all over Georgia participated.
School students selected from debate clubs in the regions participated in regional tournaments held in Samegrelo and Kakheti. The best participants selected from them competed in the national tournament. Before the start of the tournament, the best debaters selected from Georgia were addressed by the director of Tegeta Green Planet, Shalva Akhvlediani. Using debate methods, the young people discussed environmental problems and challenges throughout the day and shared their knowledge and experience with each other.
The best speakers of the national tournament will be announced on July 12 at a ceremonial event. The large-scale tournament was organized as part of the Debate for Better Education project, which aims to establish debate clubs in schools and develop young people's knowledge and skills for reasoned discourse.
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The National Debate Tournament is organized within the framework of the project "Debates for Better Education", which has been organized for many years with the support of the Gudavadze-Patarkatsishvili Foundation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia and Ilia State University. The aim of the project is to develop students' skills as free and independent citizens and to promote the formation of such skills as constructive reasoning, argumentation, searching for materials, public speaking, teamwork, time management, respect for the opponent, and others.