Misrata Open Debating Championship
Debating Championship
2nd Misrata Open Debating Championship (MODC2)
April 2019
Misrata Open Debating Championship (MODC) is a prestigious debating competition held in Misrata, Libya. It serves as a platform for youth from across the country to showcase their skills, knowledge, and persuasive abilities.
The championship brings together talented individuals who represent different universities, schools, and organizations, and engage in intellectually stimulating debates on a wide range of topics, including politics, social issues, and global affairs.
Participants engage in teams of two participants through the British Parliamentary Debates format, in rigorous research, critical thinking, and articulate argumentation to present their viewpoints and convince the adjudicators and audience.
The Misrata Open Debating Championship not only promotes the art of debating but also fosters a spirit of healthy competition, intellectual growth, and mutual respect among the participants in an aim for peacebuilding. It is an event that celebrates the power of dialogue, encouraging the exchange of ideas and the development of effective communication among the future leaders of Libya.
Misrata Open Debating Championship (MODC) is a prestigious debating competition held in Misrata, Libya. It serves as a platform for youth from across the country to showcase their skills, knowledge, and persuasive abilities.
The championship brings together talented individuals who represent different universities, schools, and organizations, and engage in intellectually stimulating debates on a wide range of topics, including politics, social issues, and global affairs.
Participants engage in teams of two participants through the British Parliamentary Debates format, in rigorous research, critical thinking, and articulate argumentation to present their viewpoints and convince the adjudicators and audience.
The Misrata Open Debating Championship not only promotes the art of debating but also fosters a spirit of healthy competition, intellectual growth, and mutual respect among the participants in an aim for peacebuilding. It is an event that celebrates the power of dialogue, encouraging the exchange of ideas and the development of effective communication among the future leaders of Libya.
Misrata Open Debating Championship in its second version (MODC2) was organized in April 2019 with the primary objective of promoting the culture of debate in Libya and establishing and strengthen local debate clubs in targeted cities, providing opportunities for new debaters to develop their skills. The championship follows a series of debate training courses conducted throughout Libya, bringing together the most talented debaters from various Libyan cities. The participants engage in thought-provoking discussions and debates on topics related to human security and national reconciliation, addressing the challenges faced by young people in Libya. This event holds great significance as it is the largest of its kind at that time in Libya, providing a platform for youth empowerment and enabling them to raise their voices and have a meaningful impact. MODC2 serves as a catalyst for networking, fostering dialogue, and ensuring that the voices of Libyan youth are heard.
All details here is about MODC2
The championship included 163 participants from 18 Libyan universities, as follows:
- 21 Organisations.
- 48 teams.
- 96 debaters.
- 27 national adjudicators.
- 1 international adjudicator.
- 39 volunteers.
The championship included the following activities:
- Evaluation and Adjudication Sessions: These sessions targeted the selected adjudicators to assess their strengths and weaknesses, enhance their knowledge, and improve their debating skills. The aim was to bridge the gap related to different judging criteria.
- Welcoming Ceremony: The welcoming ceremony served as the official announcement of the championship’s commencement. It was attended by debaters and adjudicators.
- Qualifying Rounds: Five qualifying rounds were organized for all participating teams. These rounds consisted of 60 debates held in person.
- Elimination Rounds: 32 teams qualified for the elimination stage of the debates, where the teams competed using the British Parliamentary format. In each debate, the top two teams advance to the next round.
- Final Rounds: Four teams, namely the Islamic University of Asmarya, Sijal B, Sijal A, and Misrata reached the finals.
- Closing Ceremony: The closing ceremony was held at the College of Arts and Media Theater – Misrata University. It was attended by a number of university students and interested individuals from the youth community.
MODC2 Promotional Design
Summary:
MODC2 comes within the slogan of “Your Voice is the Change”, It is organized by the Dialogue and Debate Association and funded by the Human Security Collective, ASODH, and LISCO. The project aims to spread the culture of debate in Libya and to establish & strengthen local clubs in targeted cities with new debaters. This event comes after doing several debate trainings all around Libya, to gather best debaters from various Libyan cities to think, discuss and debate about different issues that are connected to human security and national reconciliation issues that faces young people in Libya. The importance of this activity is that it is the biggest of its kind at that time.
MODC2 Official Photo
Official Group Photo of Misrata Open Debating Championship 2019
Targeted Audience:
- An online website has been published, modc.dda.ly, this website contains all information regarding this event.
- A call for application along with Technical Rules was published targeting debate clubs and young debater between 15-40 years old who lives in Libya.
- More than 125 young people applied for this event.
- A total of 21 organizations and 96 Debaters were chosen to participate in the event.
- An Online Call for applications has been made to choose debate judges and reporters for the event.
- More than 40 people applied for this opportunity, but only 28 people were chosen.
- A decision has been made to assign the main committee, which is responsible for the implementation process, alongside an online call for applications, which has been made to open the opportunity for volunteers.
- All systems that have been used for the targeted audience have been coded and designed just for the purpose of this event (for example, no Google form has been used, and the organization has developed a self-built database).
Preparation:
The preparation works for Misrata Open Debating Championship started early at that year, as DDA assigned the Organisation Committee which was responsible for implementing this project, the committee launched its work by building the structure and the dates of the event, as the name of “Misrata Open Debating Championship MODC2” have been chosen for this event, also materials regarding UNSC Res.2250, 1325 and basis of Human security have been prepared. In addition, DDA conducted Skype meetings with its trainers to provide them with knowledge of the subjects mentioned above which the core of MODC2 was all about them.
Moreover, the committee designed an online platform www.modc.ddc.ly which contained all information about MODC2, including materials, in addition, the platform contained a call for the application of participants, judges, and volunteers. The traffic that this platform witnessed was significant. More than 120 participants, 40 judges, and 50 organizers have applied.
The selection process was based on specific criteria that the project team had put, which were most notably, geographic distribution, experience in the relevant field, gender balance, and background. Before a week of the event’s date, all printings, invitations, and agenda logistics were ready to go.
Welcoming:
On April 03rd, 2019, the DDA venue was set to receive debate delegations from all over Libya who arrived at 10:30 am, where DDA’s debate trainers were waiting for them to give them instructions and to organize some training debates between teams. On the other hand, the debate judges had also started to arrive at the TAJ hotel, as this hotel was selected to host the Misrata Open Debating Championship 2019, and a technical meeting that gathered all national judges, including the Algerian expert judge, along with the presidency of the adjudicators’ committee to review, update, and discuss with them the structure of MODC2 was held at 5:00 pm.
Adjudicators technical meeting
On the evening of the same day, the debate delegations started to arrive at the hotel at 7:00 pm wearing official suits to attend the opening ceremonies, which had been made for several reasons, the most important are explaining MODC2 rules and structure, breaking the ice between participants and networking through the dinner which was also a part of the opening ceremonies. Participants left the venue at 11:00 p.m., heading to their accommodation venue after a group photo was taken.
Photos of Welcoming event at MODC2
Debating is on:
Early the next day, Thursday, April 04th, 2019, debates were launched between participant teams in 6 different rooms simultaneously, on motions that were related to human security, youth, and peace were given just 20 minutes from the actual start of the debate, this allowed debaters to do brainstorming and build arguments. The announcement of motions and the distribution process of the teams and judges to rooms were being made online by a software which was made by the project team, which also provides all the necessary information that both debaters and judges need.
Photos of MODC2 – Day1
Thursday had been a long day for all participants as it finished at 11:00 p.m., with three debate rounds. In the same way, Friday was the longest day as the first round started at 8:30 a.m., and the last round finished at 12:40 a.m. During these two days, all teams had five rounds in which points were collected, and only 32 teams out of the 48 qualified for the next stage, and its debates were done on Friday.
Photos of MODC2 – Day 2
Photos from the press conference announcing the qualifiers for the round of 32 – MODC2, Day 2
Finals:
On the morning of the final day, Saturday, April 6th, 2019, Misrata Open Debating Championship qualifying rounds leading to the finals were held, culminating in four debate teams securing their spots: the Islamic University of Asmarya, Sijal B, Sijal A, and Misrata, who claimed the top four positions in the championship rankings, respectively. Following the qualifying rounds, the highly anticipated final debate took place in the main venue, attended by all participants and esteemed officials. This event set the stage for the grand closing ceremonies, which not only marked the announcement of the victorious debate teams but also recognized the outstanding performances of the top ten speakers in the competition.
Day 3 – MODC2
On the morning of the final day, Saturday, April 6th, 2019, the qualifying rounds leading to the finals were held, culminating in four debate teams securing their spots: the Islamic University of Asmarya, Sijal B, Sijal A, and Misrata, who claimed the top four positions in the championship rankings, respectively. Following the qualifying rounds, the highly anticipated final debate took place in the main venue, attended by all participants and esteemed officials. This event set the stage for the grand closing ceremonies, which not only marked the announcement of the victorious debate teams but also recognized the outstanding performances of the top ten speakers in the competition.
First 4 places, MODC2
Closing Ceremony:
The closing ceremonies of the Misrata Open Debating Championship 2019 were attended by distinguished individuals, including high-ranking officials and respected figures who had gathered to witness the culmination of the Misrata Open Debating Championship. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation as the winning debate teams were revealed, showcasing the exceptional skills and persuasive abilities demonstrated throughout the competition. Additionally, the ceremony honored the top ten speakers, individuals who displayed remarkable eloquence, critical thinking, and effective communication during their debates.
The final debates and closing ceremonies of the championship served as a testament to the participants’ dedication and hard work. This significant event provided a platform for showcasing their abilities, fostering intellectual growth, and promoting the art of debate within the community.
On the evening of the last day, a minstrel was held, which continued until 11:00 p.m.
Closing Ceremony – MODC2
