'Pesantren' English debate kicks off<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bogor<\/p>\n
Over 150 students from Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) and
\nuniversities across the country began on Thursday a two-day
\ndebate and speech competition at the Jaya Raya Resort outside of
\nBogor.<\/p>\n
In the competition, the first ever in the country for
\npesantren students, the participants are competing to show their
\nabilities in expressing their thoughts in English on such
\nsubjects as human rights and democracy.<\/p>\n
\"The aim is to phase out the image that Islam is synonymous
\nwith violence, terrorism and intolerance. Islamic principles
\nplace a high value on respecting human rights and democracy,\"
\nsaid the organizing committee deputy chairman, Didi Hilman, from
\nthe Indonesian Islamic Boarding Schools Cooperation Body
\n(BKPPSI).<\/p>\n
The event is funded by the U.S.-based NGO, the Asia
\nFoundation. The juries will be made up of members of the English
\nDebating Society at the University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The English speech competition is for individuals, while the
\ndebates are for groups of three students. The speech competition
\nhas 54 participants, who were selected from a shortlist of 200
\nstudents nationwide. There are 36 groups taking part in the
\ndebating competition.<\/p>\n
The students come from the provinces of West Java, Central
\nJava, East Java, Jakarta, Lampung, North Sumatra and West Nusa
\nTenggara, according to Didi.<\/p>\n
The BKPPSI was established in 1972, and is linked to some
\n2,000 Islamic boarding schools and universities nationwide.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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