ZAGREB, July 20 (Hina) - The International Debate Education Association's (IDEA) fifth annual debate camp will this year be held on Veli Losinj, an island in Croatia's northern Adriatic, between July 25 and August 4. The international
debate camp was organised as part of an IDEA programme launched in 1994 with the aim to educate high school pupils and students from some 30 countries in debate activities. According to Vesna Mihokovic Puhovski, head of the Croatian Debate Society, speaking to reporters at the Open Society Croatia Institute in Zagreb on Tuesday, the IDEA programme was organised to teach young generations to use "the force of argument, and not the argument of force." This year's debate camp will gather some 250 pupils and students from 30 countries. Every country will be represented by six or seven participants, and this year representatives from Western Europe, Israel, and the United States
ZAGREB, July 20 (Hina) - The International Debate Education
Association's (IDEA) fifth annual debate camp will this year be
held on Veli Losinj, an island in Croatia's northern Adriatic,
between July 25 and August 4.
The international debate camp was organised as part of an IDEA
programme launched in 1994 with the aim to educate high school
pupils and students from some 30 countries in debate activities.
According to Vesna Mihokovic Puhovski, head of the Croatian Debate
Society, speaking to reporters at the Open Society Croatia
Institute in Zagreb on Tuesday, the IDEA programme was organised to
teach young generations to use "the force of argument, and not the
argument of force."
This year's debate camp will gather some 250 pupils and students
from 30 countries. Every country will be represented by six or seven
participants, and this year representatives from Western Europe,
Israel, and the United States will participate for the first time.
In the past, participants came mainly from countries in
transition.
This year's topic will be "Civil Disobedience is Justified in
Democracy". Debates will be held in English.
Besides the standard seminars, three so called partner programmes
will be presented at this year's camp.
As part of the "Street Law" programme, high school pupils will be
acquainted with theories on human rights, problems encountered in
the realisation of same, and how to fight for one's own human
rights.
The second programme will discuss women's rights in democracy and
violence against women, while the third programme will be a
journalistic workshop.
Pointing to the multi-cultural significance of the debate camp,
Puhovski said the arrival of numerous pupils and students will
contribute to the promotion of Croatian tourism.
(hina) ha