How a debater can make a difference

I love putting my skills as a debate coach to good use outside of the classroom as well as inside it as each time gives me an extra piece of evidence of the importance of public speaking and critical thinking to our everyday lives, not to mention our most ambitious projects. Last week I went from the London Chamber of Commerce to Tower Hamlets Town Hall to a fundraiser for my leadership programme in Rwanda, proving (first and foremost to myself) the difference a debater can make.

My whirlwind tour began with the JCI debating and speaking competition at the Chamber of Commerce, marking the culmination of my training series, Debating for Professionals. Junior Chamber International (JCI), a global network of active citizens whose past members include John F Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and Kofi Annan, has always taken public speaking and debating very seriously in recognition of their importance to the personal and professional development of their members. Debating Professionals was a monthly series for JCI London that taught members how to apply the principles of debating to their professional lives, from interviewing for a new job to delivering a big presentation. My role in last week's competition was to set the motion and chair the debate. In the spirit of JCI, the motion I went with was: 'In today's economy, it pays better to be an entrepeneur than an employee'. Victory was awarded to the three best speakers on the night (as opposed to the winning side), with the champions now going on to represent London at national convention in Canary Wharf next month. If they win there too, they'll be off to European Congress next year in Turkey to represent the UK.

Next up, Tower Hamlets Town Hall, where I delivered the first instalment of a six week training programme for the borough's Young Mayor candidates. The council came to me following my work with the Youth Council earlier this year and explained that the Young Mayor elections had been fraught with difficulty in the past and needed a new approach. Election campaigns have a reputation for been bitter and spiteful, while previous winners had failed to deal with the responsibility of the office and dropped off the radar. Teaching young people the importance of caring about public policy and how to be effective advocates for their communities is the greatest service a skilled debater can offer their community, which is why I have taken such an interest in the project. Last week's session was just about getting everyone to feel comfortable speaking in public. This week we move onto policy planning. Initial observations? I'm delighted to see two thirds of the group are girls, a first for the Young Mayors' campaign, which has created an atmosphere of collaboration and support distinct from the predominantly male intake of previous years, so I am told,



Finally (pardon the grainy image) I ended last week in Leicester Square at the Quaker Westminster Meeting House for Friday Night Soapbox, a new experimental debate format hosted by my club, Debating London. You can read the full review of the debate here, which was held in aid of the fundraising campaign for Debate Camp Rwanda. A voluntary initiative by a team of 8 debate trainers working in partnership with Kigali based charity, iDebate Rwanda, it is by far the most ambitious and rewarding project we have ever delivered. Following on from the success of Debate Camp Rwanda 2013 attended by over 150 young people, this year we will be teaching 300 students how to talk about the big questions facing their country as it rebuilds itself out of the ashes of the 1994 genocide and to how to teach others in their community to do the same. The camp will take place in early December lasting 2 weeks, but the real work is the year round programme of debates, competitions, and training sessions that iDebate run for their network of 40 schools all year round. Their aim: to ensure the next generation of leaders have the skills and resolve to challenge the one-sided propaganda that made the horrors of 20 years ago possible, so that 'Never Again' means exactly that.

The difference a debater can make in just one week.