Hiroshima & Tokyo Debate Seminars

Building on the success of the recent Spring Seminar2008, and with the generous support of the Australia-Japan Foundation, Free Debate sent coach Rob Koh to Hiroshima and Tokyo.

Rob assisted delivering a one-day introductory seminar to local and exchange school students in Hiroshima, debating the very serious topic That This House Would Abolish the Death Penalty.

Following attendance at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony on 6 August, Rob attended the Tokyo International Academic Conference on Argumentation and then the Takadate Cup, a freshman university tournament hosted by Keio University, where Rob was a last minute entrant in the competition!

Finally, Rob conducted a 3-day Intensive Debate Camp (IDC) for university level debaters (pictured above), teachers and the Japanes National Schools Team, covering topics including economics, politics and cross-cultural communication. The camp was a great success and also allowed Rob to do some shopping in the famous Shimokita district!

Please contact us if you were a participant of IDC9 and would like a soft copy of the materials.

Free Debate would like to thank the generous support of Masako Suzuki for organising this itinerary and looking after Rob during his stay!

JPDU Spring Seminar in Tokyo

The 2008 Spring Seminar, hosted by the Japanese Parliamentary Debating Union (JPDU) from 29 February until 2 March 2008, was an excellent and highly successful programme.

Four Australian coaches were funded by the Australia-Japan Foundation to attend the Spring Seminar. Nicole Lynch, Fiona Prowse, Jacob Clifton and Ivan Ah Sam, travelled to Tokyo and ran classes during the three days for over 150 Japanese university and high school debaters.

As well as providing an intensive opportunity for accelerated learning in debating, facilitiated through seminars and practice debates, the Spring Seminar provided a unique opportunity for cross-cultural exchange.

One coach said about the program:


"Japanese debaters are the most dedicated and hardest working debaters I have come across in my training career. They are extremely diligent and attentive during classes and it is a pleasure to work with them during the
Seminar."

We look forward to working with JPDU and the Australia-Japan Foundation in the future.

Application for 2008 JPDU Spring Seminar Trainer

JPDU, in cooperation with Free Debate Inc., is seeking Australian debating coaches to attend the 2008 Spring Seminar in Tokyo, from 29 February – 2 March 2008.

Japan Parliamentary Debate Union (JPDU) is a student-run organization that coordinates events for the advancement of Japanese debaters. It represents debating clubs from 40 universities. For the past five years JPDU has been inviting Australian debaters to Japan to train Japanese debaters at the JPDU Spring Seminar. The Australia-Japan Debaters Spring Seminar is supported by the Australian Commonwealth Government through the Australian-Japan Foundation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Free Debate will be selecting coaches in consultation with JPDU.

If you are an Australian debater and would like to be considered for a place on the 2008 training team, please provide a brief debating CV and a separate statement addressing the criteria set out below. This statement should be no longer than two pages. Please also provide a one page lesson plan as referred to in criterion [3].

All responses should be sent to freedebate1@gmail.com with the subject line “JPDU Spring Seminar Application”. Responses must be submitted no later than 28 January 2008. Please note that selection is open to but not limited to members of Free Debate Inc.

If you have any questions about the Spring Seminar, please email JPDU representative Toshiaki Ikehara at o_ob380@yahoo.com.

Selection criteria
[1] Significant training experience, preferably including experience training ESL speakers.

[2] A strong record in debating and/or adjudicating at an international level.

[3] The ability and capacity to develop a high quality, replicable training program (including a training plan and supporting materials). In addition to providing evidence of your relevant experience, please provide a one page plan summarising how you would run the JPDU training.

[4] Proven interpersonal and team-work skills.

[5] A commitment to encouraging and supporting a wide variety of people to debate, including the ability and capacity to develop ways to extend the reach of ESL debating training.