The tournament was organized by the Institute of Debate and Education of Georgia on May 29 and was attended by about 100 students of debate clubs from schools in West Georgia. The event was sponsored by APM Terminals Poti and Tegeta Green Planet.

The tournament was attended by those students who have been involved in debate clubs throughout the year through the Debate for a Better Education project.

"Learning debate techniques and fully mastering them during the school year in our debate clubs not only helps develop all those skills that are vital for every young person but also leaves an indelible mark throughout life in any profession or activity. In addition to my doctoral work on this topic, we are still systematically conducting quantitative and qualitative research on how our teaching positively affects young people, and each time we are convinced of the effectiveness of this training program,” said Tinatin Tsertsvadze, Chairperson of the Institute of Debate and Education of Georgia.

The main focus of the 2024 tournament was the environment and the fight against climate change. During the event, young people reminded the public of their environmental commitments, discussed problems related to this topic using debate techniques, and shared their knowledge and experience with each other.

Simultaneously with the current tournament, in order to familiarize with the environmental policy in the private sector, a study tour of the seaport of Poti was conducted. The students met with representatives of the company and familiarized themselves with waste management technologies and work processes. 

 

"We believe that this project will further interest young people and they will be able to better understand environmental issues. 

The main goal for Tegeta Green Planet is precisely to protect the environment and raise awareness towards waste management, and the debate methodology is one of the best ways for young people to gain in-depth knowledge on environmental topics,” said Shalva Akhvlediani, Director of Tegeta Green Planet.

Successful students from the regional tournament will advance to the next stage and debate at the national tournament scheduled in Tbilisi.

The national tournament, which is supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Tegeta Green Planet, attracts about 400 participants from all over the country.

The “Debates for Better Education” project has been implemented 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 of a free and independent citizen 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,” the disseminated information reports.