Free Debate Enabling Day

Free Debate's annual Enabling Day aims to build skills and enthusiasm in our membership.

This year's highlight was guest speaker Lisa from VASS.  Lisa spoke about the work Free Debate does with VASS and gave us some valuable advice on how to approach the projects.

President Elizabeth Sheargold welcomed new members then Tim, Lucia and Kim gave a seminar on the 3C's (Confidence, Content and Clarity) and Victor led the group through some voice exercises.

Please contact us if you would like to know more about this year's Enabling Day.

Youth Leadership Course with Drummond Street Relationship Centre and Victorian Arabic Social Services

Free Debate volunteers participated in another excellent youth leadership program developed by Victorian Arabic Social Services (VASS), in conjunction with the Drummond Street Relationship Centre.

We worked with 10 young women and 10 young men on developing a confident speaking style. Each of the participants wrote and delivered a short speech on a topic that they felt passionate about. The range of topics was impressive - from concerns about animal rights, the environment, and knife crime, to a passionately argued case to allow 16 year olds with good school attendance records to begin driving.

Free Debate volunteers also assisted the participants to provide feedback to their peers, with a focus on bolstering the speaker's confidence.

In one of the two sessions we were lucky enough to have in the audience a lawyer from Youthlaw. This meant the young people were able to deliver their speeches to a (very impressed) representative from an advocacy body.

About VASS: One of Free Debate's strongest partners, VASS is a state-wide key service provider with specialist expertise and knowledge in working with Arabic-speaking-background communities.

Youth Parliament!

Free Debate trainers Lynne Featonby and Kim Little assisted teams representing the Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre and the Victorian Arabic Social Services to prepare for the sitting of Youth Parliament.

The Spectrum Team of 6 participants proposed a bill to increase and tailor the provision of English language services to children and young people who have recently arrived in Australia. The VASS team, also numbering 6 members, prepared a bill to tighten restrictions in advertising, particularly regarding alcohol and sexual imagery.

Both teams worked hard on their bills and overcame anxiety and nerves to display real improvements in their presentation skills in only a few weeks. The Spectrum team succeeded in securing the passage of their bill. Both teams enjoyed their participation in Youth Parliament and a member of the Spectrum team received an honourable mention for her speech.

Free Debate congratulates both teams on their hard work, progress and achievements. Free Debate thanks Hala Abdelnour at Spectrum MRC and Lisa Tribuzio at VASS for their enthusiasm and support of their teams.