'Pesantren' English debate kicks off

'Pesantren' English debate kicks off

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Over 150 students from Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) and
universities across the country began on Thursday a two-day
debate and speech competition at the Jaya Raya Resort outside of
Bogor.

In the competition, the first ever in the country for
pesantren students, the participants are competing to show their
abilities in expressing their thoughts in English on such
subjects as human rights and democracy.

"The aim is to phase out the image that Islam is synonymous
with violence, terrorism and intolerance. Islamic principles
place a high value on respecting human rights and democracy,"
said the organizing committee deputy chairman, Didi Hilman, from
the Indonesian Islamic Boarding Schools Cooperation Body
(BKPPSI).

The event is funded by the U.S.-based NGO, the Asia
Foundation. The juries will be made up of members of the English
Debating Society at the University of Indonesia.

The English speech competition is for individuals, while the
debates are for groups of three students. The speech competition
has 54 participants, who were selected from a shortlist of 200
students nationwide. There are 36 groups taking part in the
debating competition.

The students come from the provinces of West Java, Central
Java, East Java, Jakarta, Lampung, North Sumatra and West Nusa
Tenggara, according to Didi.

The BKPPSI was established in 1972, and is linked to some
2,000 Islamic boarding schools and universities nationwide.