RI students participate in international debate

RI students participate in international debate

JAKARTA (JP): A delegation of five senior high school children
left for Johannesburg on Friday to take part in the World Schools
Debating Championship which opens on Sunday.

The Indonesian team will be contesting against participants
from 33 other countries, debating various contentious issues such
as the fate of third world debts and the calls for developed
countries to open their doors to refugees.

All the debates are conducted in English.

This is the first time that Indonesia is taking part in the
tournament.

The Indonesian team, selected through a nationwide contest in
Jakarta in October, comprises Rusdy Malueka (SMUN 3 Pontianak),
Aulia Astagina (SMUN 6 Yogyakarta), Ina Damayanti (SMU Taruna
Nusantara, Magelang) Marlisa Supeno (SMUN 17 Makassar) and M.
Donny Eyastha (SMUN 2 Bengkulu).

They are accompanied during the trip by a coach, a manager and
a jury, all are current or past members of the English Debating
Society of the University of Indonesia (UI) which pioneered the
competition and tradition of debating in English in the country.

The Indonesian participation is supported by the Ministry of
National Education.

The Indonesian team went through a one-month intensive
training provided by UI's English Debating Society. To test their
mettle, they took part in a national debate at the Bandung
Institute of Technology last week, in which they performed quite
well debating against people more senior to themselves.

The championship will be opened by senior South African
statesman Nelson Mandela.