4th Conference Announced - January 2013 in Doha!

THINKING AND SPEAKING A BETTER WORLD
Fourth International Conference on Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and the Pedagogy of Empowerment

11-13 January 2013, Doha, Qatar
Qatar National Convention Center 

Organized by QatarDebate Center

Affiliate organizations:
-World Debate Institute, University of Vermont, USA
-Za in Proti Institute for a Culture of Dialogue, Slovenia
-International Society for the Study of Argumentation, Netherlands
-International Center for the Advancement of Political Communication and Argumentation, USA

WEBSITE
http://www.qatardebate.org/en/Home/fourth-ICARD-PE/fourth-ICARD-PE.aspx

The conference will welcome scholars and educators from diverse fields for vigorous dialogue and exchange. This conference will unite scholars of argumentation and rhetoric, teachers, and organizers of local, national and international debating networks to discuss critical thinking and advocacy discourse through pedagogy. We intend for the conference to welcome all who are involved in public discussions and debates about different issues.

This conference is extremely timely. A global information society which seeks reasoned solutions to problems through broad citizen involvement needs to develop and refine techniques for criticizing and validating ideas through discourse and then impart these to new generations of citizens if we are to create a better future and avoid looming crises. This conference represents a unique opportunity to share ideas, network and cross-fertilize with global critical thinkers.

This conference is unique:
-Civilizations will meet and exchange ideas.
-Proceedings will be in English and Arabic, simultaneous translation of all events.
-Hosted in Qatar, one of the most beautiful, safest and international destinations in the world, the center of learning in the Arabic world.
-All accepted presentations will be published in a printed volume.

Keynote Speakers

Argumentation and Rhetoric:
Dr. Frans van Eemeren, University of Amsterdam
Dr. Othmane ba Othmane, Saudi Arabia

Debate:
Dr. Aisha Al Mennai, Qatar
Dr. Gordon Mitchell, University of Pittsburgh

Critical Thinking/Pedagogy:
Adiba Shareen, Malaysia Institute for Debate and Public Speaking, Malaysia
Arabic Keynote, to be announced soon.

Three previous conferences have been held, one in Koper, Slovenia, one in Ljubljana, Slovenia and the third in Maribor, Slovenia http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/better/. The fourth conference is planned for 11-13 January 2013 in Doha, Qatar. The fourth conference is a unique opportunity to include the rapid scholarly and academic advancement of the Arabic world into this work, pioneered by QatarDebate and the Qatar Foundation.

Hundreds of scholars, teachers and students from all over the world have attended and made presentations at the previous conferences. Attendees have come from Australia, Belgium, Belorussia, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Venezuela.

We welcome presentations, workshops, and poster sessions in English and Arabic from scholars, teachers and active citizens from around the world. Our goal is to open the way for in-depth discussions, debates, and the sharing of ideas that will enable more enlightened discourse in the 21st Century.

The program for the conference will have three themes. Submissions are encouraged to center their work on one of the three themes and to submit proposals to the appropriate conference division. Interdisciplinary work that might fit into more than one category is very welcome. All parts of the program will involve simultaneous translation using English and Arabic.

Argumentation and rhetoric. The use of logic and reason to criticize and analyze ideas through communication. Those interested in research on argumentation theory, criticisms of communication acts and scholarship on argumentation practice are encouraged to submit to this division. English - Chair: David Williams, Florida Atlantic University, USA dcwill@fau.edu, committee members Frans van Eemeren, University of Amsterdam, Satoru Aonuma, Tsuda College, Japan. Arabic – Chair: Abdel Latif Sellami, QatarDebate asellami@qf.org.qa

Debate. The use of formal argumentation forums to educate and empower citizens. Those interested in work on the practice and theory of debate competition, public debates, research on the impact of debate for participants, and theorizing about debate paradigms are encouraged to submit to this division. English – Chair: Bojana Skrt, ZIP Slovenia bojana.skrt@siol.net, committee members Allan Louden, Wake Forest University USA, Steve Woods, Western Washington University. Arabic – Chair: Abdul Gabbar Al Sharafi alsharaf10@gmail.com

Critical thinking/pedagogy. Teaching and the methodology of teaching in the active classroom. Those interested in using debate, discussion and argumentation in classrooms, discussion of experiences and teaching lessons relating to communication and critical thinking are encouraged to submit to this division. English – Chair: Alfred Snider, alfred.snider@uvm.edu, committee members Debbie Newman, DebateMate, UK, Loke Wing Fatt, SAID, Singapore. Arabic – Chair: Abed Naji Al Sameai aalsameai@qf.org.qa

PRESENTATION APPLICATION 

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY THE END OF JUNE 2012

Go to the website and download the application form. Decide which committee to submit your application to, fill out the form and send it by email. Make sure to follow instructions.

US$300 travel grants will be awarded to those with extraordinary presentations who face financial barriers. See website for details.

REGISTRATION TO ATTEND 

REGISTRATION DUE BY THE END OF OCTOBER 2012

Those not making presentations are cordially invited to attend, ask questions at sessions and get involved.

Based on local costs, the registration for the fourth conference is comparable to the third conference. Payment can be by wire transfer or in cash on arrival. See website for details.

Full Registration: $500 (you get a lot for it)
-Four nights in a four star hotel (we are negotiating to upgrade to a five star facility).
-All meals: breakfast and dinner in the hotel, lunch at the conference site, snacks and coffee breaks.
-Transportation to and from the conference hotel and the Qatar National Convention Center.
-Admission to all conference events, panels and workshops.
-Conference formal dinner.
-Visa arrangements ($181 value for USA citizens).
-Field Trips: Islamic Museum of Art, Desert Safari and other choices.
-Conference kit and materials along with personal gifts.

Conference Registration only: $150 ($100 students)
-Admission to all conference events, panels and workshops.
-Transportation to and from the conference hotel and the Qatar National Convention Center, not available to and from other hotels.
-Lunch, snacks and coffee breaks during day sessions.
-Conference formal dinner.
-Visa arrangements ($181 value for USA citizens).
-Proof of student status required for student rate.
-Conference kit and materials along with personal gifts.

Please circulate this information to colleagues and others who might be interested.

Feel free to contact me with additional questions alfred.snider@uvm.edu.

See you in Doha!

Hold the Dates - October 20-22 2012 - 4th Conference

The Fourth Thinking and Speaking a Better World - International Conference on Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and Critical Pedagogy is very close to a comprehensive set of announcements in September.


Keep these dates open. 20-22 October 2012. 


In September we will be releasing the location, details, keynote speakers, sponsors, committees and other events attached to the conference. We think you will be pleased by the new and more international focus of the 2012 event.

Bojana Skrt, ZIP, Slovenia

Alfred Snider, World Debate Institute, University of Vermont
David Williams, Florida Atlantic University


http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/better/Welcome.html

Call for Manuscripts from Conference for Publication

Dear Colleague,

Thank you for being a vibrant part of our past conferences, THINKING AND SPEAKING A BETTER WORLD. We hope to have an exciting announcement about the next conference soon.

As the school year winds down I have a bit more time, and during May I intend to spend a lot of time reviewing and editing manuscripts submitted for publication in the volume made possible by the generous support of QatarDebate and the Qatar Foundation. I am excited to be working with David Cratis Williams and Bojana Skrt on this effort. 

I want to give a special thanks to those who have already sent me the manuscripts of their presentations.

Please send any and all manuscripts you would like to offer for publication in this volume to me at alfred.snider@uvm.edu . If I could have your document by the middle of May that would make things much easier.

Please use either APA style or MLA style. Please send it to me as a Word document (.doc or .docx) or if you use a different word processor save the document as a rich text format document (.rtf) and send it on to me. I do not want to specify either how long or how short it can be, because if I have issues I will negotiate with you individually.

Anything unpublished from the first three conferences are very welcome.

Thanks again to Bojana Skrt, David Williams and our hosts for a job well done, and of course to QatarDebate.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Best wishes,

Alfred Snider

Lawrence Professor of Forensics

University of Vermont

Videos from the 3rd Conference Now Available

We simply could not video everything at the conference, so we got a rather random sample of the work presented. The program was an excellent one with over 50 presentations. The program guide booklet itself is available at http://debate.uvm.edu/dcpdf/third_better_world_2010_booklet.pdf.

The videos can be viewed now. They are housed at http://debatevideoblog.blogspot.com, and you can view them by using this search http://debatevideoblog.blogspot.com/search?q=3rd+Better.

If you wish you can download the ipod-ready video files at http://www.uvm.edu/~debate/watch/?C=M;O=D

3rd International Conference on Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and the Pedagogy of Empowerment, October 2010, Maribor, Slovenia.

Further details can be found at the conference websites:
Basic information at debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​better/​Welcome.html
News blog at betterworldconference.blogspot.com/

The conference was organized by the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor in Slovenia uni-mb.si/ , ZIP, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga/Pro et contra, institute for culture of dialogue zainproti.com/ , and the World Debate Institute of the University of Vermont debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​wdi/​Welcome.html .

The organizers are grateful for the support of our sponsor QatarDebate qatardebate.org/ .

Thanks to organizers Boris Vezjak, Alfred Snider and Bojana Skrt. Special thanks to Peter Mesarec, Monica Sobocan and Aljoša Polšak.

Lecture - Debate Academy Training Model - Bojana Skrt & Alfred Snider - 3rd Better World Conference

Lecture - Debate Academy Training Model - Bojana Skrt & Alfred Snider - 3rd Better World Conference from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.
Training model: Debate academy, Alfred C Snider, University of Vermont, USA and Bojana Skrt, ZIP, Slovenia
The authors have held many debate training sessions throughout the world, such as in Europe, Southwest Asia, Northeast Asia and North America. During these nine years of experience a model of debate training has been developed that has come to be called the »Debate Academy« model. In this presentation we will outline the design and implementation of this model. First, we will discuss the basic design principles behind this model. Second, we will discuss implementational elements in the model. Third, we will discuss the results in terms of student achievement and evaluation. This model has already been copied, both in name and substance, by other debate training programs around the world, and we hope that this paper will help those individuals and organizations to appreciate the substance as well as the name.
Further details can be found at the conference websites:
Basic information at debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​better/​Welcome.html
News blog at betterworldconference.blogspot.com/
The conference was organized by the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor in Slovenia uni-mb.si/ , ZIP, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga/Pro et contra, institute for culture of dialogue zainproti.com/ , and the World Debate Institute of the University of Vermont debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​wdi/​Welcome.html .
The organizers are grateful for the support of our sponsor QatarDebate qatardebate.org/ .
Thanks to organizers Boris Vezjak, Alfred Snider and Bojana Skrt. Special thanks to Peter Mesarec, Monica Sobocan and Aljoša Polšak. 

Keynote - The Noisy Classroom: Debate for Education - Debbie Newman - 3rd Better World Conference 2010

Lecture - The Noisy Classroom: Debate for Education - Debbie Newman - 3rd Better World Conference 2010 from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.
Debbie Newman has experience of teaching debate around the world at all levels. She is now focused on using debating and other active techniques to improve classroom methods. She is a previous English national debating champion, president of the Cambridge Union Society and world champion schools debate coach. She has been on the faculty of the World Debate Institute, IDAS and the UK Debate Academy and is a former Head of the Centre for Speech and Debate at the English-Speaking Union in London. Although Debbie is an experienced university trainer, her focus is on schools debating: both working with children, from 8-18, and also working with teachers to help build their skills and confidence in training and judging debate. Debbie believes that training is always tailored to meet the needs of the learners and should aim to be both challenging and enjoyable. Whether beginners learning skills for the first time, or the more advanced looking to hone their talents, all students and teachers should develop their abilities in a supportive and positive environment.
Further details can be found at the conference websites:
Basic information at debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​better/​Welcome.html
News blog at betterworldconference.blogspot.com/
The conference was organized by the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor in Slovenia uni-mb.si/ , ZIP, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga/Pro et contra, institute for culture of dialogue zainproti.com/ , and the World Debate Institute of the University of Vermont debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​wdi/​Welcome.html .
The organizers are grateful for the support of our sponsor QatarDebate qatardebate.org/ .
Thanks to organizers Boris Vezjak, Alfred Snider and Bojana Skrt. Special thanks to Peter Mesarec, Monica Sobocan and Aljoša Polšak. 

Keynote - More Debates in More Classrooms - Sam Greenland - 3rd Better World Conference 2010

Lecture - More Debates in More Classrooms - Sam Greenland - 3rd Better World Conference 2010 from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.
Sam Greenland is currently President of the World Universities Debating Council. Sam has debated for Oxford and has also been a successful schools coach, directing the Hong Kong team at numerous World Schools Debating Championships. Recently he has been representing the University of Sydney Union in competitions, and reaching the WUDC semifinals among other advanced elimination rounds. He has been very active in creating the standards for non-native speakers to participate in international tournaments such as the WUDC. Sam has also been working on how debate can be used as a tool for teaching English and how debating improves the overall academic performance of students.
Curriculum documents and broader educational statements place increasing emphasis on critical thinking and rich assessment tasks. Classroom debates have been used in a number of secondary and tertiary contexts to assess student performance against curriculum learning outcomes. However, a number of authors have questioned the worth of debating as a classroom activity, in part due to the low level of research on how it can be accurately assessed and on the extent to which debating does or does not favour certain pre-determined groups of students.
This keynote presents a new assessment tool for classroom debates aimed at teachers who are not themselves debating experts, and analyses the performance of that assessment tool when used in a number of classroom contexts in Hong Kong secondary schools. It further explores whether the data presented from those interventions supports claims made in the literature that debating is an activity biased in favour of students who are male, high academic achievers and with high levels of English literacy.
The presentation finds that the new assessment instrument allows debating performance to be measured successfully by instructors in a classroom context. It also implies that debating does not possess the biases that some authors attribute to it, and therefore should gain wider acceptance as a useful classroom activity for developing and assessing critical thinking. It concludes with an exploration of the possible impacts of these results on classroom pedagogy and programme design for both curricular and extra-curricular activities.
Further details can be found at the conference websites:
Basic information at debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​better/​Welcome.html
News blog at betterworldconference.blogspot.com/
The conference was organized by the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor in Slovenia uni-mb.si/ , ZIP, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga/Pro et contra, institute for culture of dialogue zainproti.com/ , and the World Debate Institute of the University of Vermont debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​wdi/​Welcome.html .
The organizers are grateful for the support of our sponsor QatarDebate qatardebate.org/ .
Thanks to organizers Boris Vezjak, Alfred Snider and Bojana Skrt. Special thanks to Peter Mesarec, Monica Sobocan and Aljoša Polšak. 

Lecture - Discourse Towards Minorities - Masako Suzuki Takahashi - 3rd Better World Conference

Lecture - Discourse Towards Minorities - Masako Suzuki Takahashi - 3rd Better World Conference from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.

An approach to analysis on discourse toward minority, Masako Suzuki Takahashi, Research Center for Foreign Language Education, Keio University, Japan

This research aimed to analyze problems in language expressions towards minority groups of the society frequently appearing in communication among pulurilingual/pluricultural parties.

In our increasingly pluricultural world, it is essential to respect each other regardless of cultural, religious, ethnical, gender, (dis)abilities and economic background. New task for language education is to provide students opportunities to grow their ability to understand pains of others with different identity. In order to raise students who can advocate their views without hurting others, we first need to understand what expressions should be avoided.

There has been many insightful research works in the past namely Said’s “Orientalism” and Foucault’s “Maladie Mentale Et Psychologie”. However, background of minority is more diverse in the current society and so as shapes of oppression. An individual who belongs to minority in terms of one aspect of his/her identity can belong to majority in terms of another. Studies on bilateral relationship of groups are therefore not enough relevant in the current society. What we need now is more decent definition of insensitivity in general. Quantitative analysis on appeared insensitivity in the community must be very helpful in understanding the problem as well.

This research first analyzes Code of Conducts/Ethics of diverse international assemblies to discuss on general direction of pluricultural communities. Second, we discuss on possible definition of insensitive speech toward minority comparing with fallacy analysis by Pragma-Dialectical approach. Last, we discuss on further possibility to classify the insensitive speech using example statements collected at international and domestic debating events.

Further details can be found at the conference websites:
Basic information at debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​better/​Welcome.html
News blog at betterworldconference.blogspot.com/

The conference was organized by the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor in Slovenia uni-mb.si/ , ZIP, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga/Pro et contra, institute for culture of dialogue zainproti.com/ , and the World Debate Institute of the University of Vermont debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​wdi/​Welcome.html .

The organizers are grateful for the support of our sponsor QatarDebate qatardebate.org/ .

Thanks to organizers Boris Vezjak, Alfred Snider and Bojana Skrt. Special thanks to Peter Mesarec, Monica Sobocan and Aljoša Polšak. 

Panel - Cultural Variation, Debate and Argument - 3rd Better World Conference 2010

Panel - Cultural Variation, Debate and Argument - 3rd Better World Conference 2010 from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.
 Panelists: Abdul Gabbar Al-Sharafi, Yemen, Abdel Latif Sellami, Morocco, Maja Nenadovic, Hungary-Netherlands, Debbie Newman, UK, David Cratis Williams, USA and Masako Suzuki Takahasji, Japan. The event was moderated by Alfred Snider of the University of Vermont.

The Third International Conference on Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and the Pedagogy of Empowerment, Thinking and Speaking a Better World, concluded in Maribor, Slovenia on Sunday 24 October 2010. The conference featured scholars, experts and enthusiasts from nineteen countries.
During the sessions there were over 50 papers presented on a variety of topics. There were two keynote speeches, one by Debbie Newman (former president of the Cambridge Union, England and Wales debate champion, former head of the English Speaking Union's Centre for Speech and Debate, and world champion schools coach for England) from the UK on "The Noisy Classroom" and one from Sam Greenland (Sydney University, WUDC semifinalist, current World Debating Council President) on "Measuring Debate's Impact on Classroom Performance."

Eighty attendees spent three days sharing ideas, scholarship and fellowship while networking on future projects. A major panel discussion on "Cultural Variation - Debate and Argument" had participants from Yemen, Morocco, Hungary, Venezuela, Japan, UK and USA. There was a lavish banquet on Saturday night and productive discussions during the twenty panel sessions that were held.

Papers from this conference as well as the 2006 and 2008 events will be published in a volume entitled Thinking and Speaking a Better World edited by Alfred Snider of the University of Vermont and David Cratis Williams of Florida Atlantic University due out at the end of 2011.

Videos of many of the presentations, both keynotes, and the panel discussion on culture will be available in coming weeks at the conference websites.

There will be an announcement soon about the fourth and next conference.

Further details can be found at the conference websites:
Basic information at debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​better/​Welcome.html
News blog at betterworldconference.blogspot.com/​

The conference was organized by the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor in Slovenia uni-mb.si/​ , ZIP, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga/Pro et contra, institute for culture of dialogue zainproti.com/​ , and the World Debate Institute of the University of Vermont debate.uvm.edu/​debateblog/​wdi/​Welcome.html .

The organizers are grateful for the support of our sponsor QatarDebate qatardebate.org/​ .
Thanks to organizers Boris Vezjak, Alfred Snider and Bojana Skrt. Special thanks to Peter Mesarec, Monica Sobocan and Aljoša Polšak.

Third Conference Concludes in Maribor

The Third International Conference on Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and the Pedagogy of Empowerment, Thinking and Speaking a Better World, concluded in Maribor, Slovenia on Sunday 24 October 2010. The conference featured scholars, experts and enthusiasts from nineteen countries.

During the sessions there were over 50 papers presented  on a variety of topics. There were two keynote speeches, one by Debbie Newman (former president of the Cambridge Union, England and Wales debate champion, former head of the English Speaking Union's Centre for Speech and Debate, and world champion schools coach for England) from the UK on "The Noisy Classroom" and one from Sam Greenland (Sydney University, WUDC semifinalist, current World Debating Council President) on "Measuring Debate's Impact on Classroom Performance."

Eighty attendees spent three days sharing ideas, scholarship and fellowship while networking on future projects. A major panel discussion on "Cultural Variation - Debate and Argument" had participants from Yemen, Morocco, Hungary, Venezuela, Japan, UK and USA. There was a lavish banquet on Saturday night and productive discussions during the twenty panel sessions that were held.

Papers from this conference as well as the 2006 and 2008 events will be published in a volume entitled Thinking and Speaking a Better World edited by Alfred Snider of the University of Vermont and David Cratis Williams of Florida Atlantic University due out at the end of 2011.

Videos of many of the presentations, both keynotes, and the panel discussion on culture will be available in coming weeks at the conference websites. 

There will be an announcement soon about the fourth and next conference.

Further details can be found at the conference websites:

Basic information at http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/better/Welcome.html

News blog at http://betterworldconference.blogspot.com/

The conference was organized by the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor in Slovenia http://www.uni-mb.si/ ,  ZIP, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga/Pro et contra, institute for culture of dialogue http://www.zainproti.com/ ,  and the World Debate Institute of the University of Vermont http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wdi/Welcome.html .

The organizers are grateful for the support of our sponsor QatarDebate http://www.qatardebate.org/ .

Thanks to organizers Boris Vezjak, Alfred Snider and Bojana Skrt. Special thanks to Peter Mesarec, Monica Sobocan and Aljoša Polšak.

Thanks to Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor for Hosting!

Image via WikipediaThe Faculty of Arts at the University of Maribor addresses three basic areas of study: the humanities, social studies, and teacher education or pedagogical studies. Students enroll in programmes which prepare them for pedagogical and nonpedagogical professions in disciplines developed by eleven departments offering both undergraduate and postgraduate study programmes.  The faculty is firmly integrated into the system of European universities, and it cooperates with several well known universities and institutions of higher education in Europe. This assures compatibility of its study programmes, student and staff exchange and cooperation of professors and students in international study and research projects. Successful cooperation depends above all on a partnership relation founded on an equal basis which means that we receive benefits from our partners, but at the same time we need to offer them something in return. Yet we can only give if we are sufficiently interesting and especially if we have knowledge to offer. We need to bear in mind that only the creation of new knowledge brings results that will allow us to assert ourselves at home and abroad. The presence of the faculty on the international university stage enables collaboration and cooperation and demonstrates a commitment to the development of modern study programmes, which will be successful only if we know how to cooperate and together develop efficient study and research activities. International cooperation by the Faculty of Arts offers important educational, research and intellectual relationships within the common European university region - it connects the traditions of European university education with new demands framed by the Bologna process and shows how European tradition and the young Maribor University can successfully supplement each other. The Faculty of Arts is a recognized centre of development of the humanities and social sciences at the University of Maribor, a promoter of positive regionalism in the country, and open for cooperation with the best European faculties and universities. It develops and organizes study programmes and research activities in cooperation with home and European universities and academic institutions. It offers its students an excellent education and professors good conditions for research and pedagogical work. A primary goal of the Faculty of Arts is to expand the research activities of its professors and to encourage their participation in international projects. International cooperation is a significant part of the University of Maribor's agenda on entering the European interuniversity market.

ZIP Slovenia is Proud to Help Organize the Third Conference

ZA IN PROTI, ZAVOD ZA KULTURO DIALOGA PRO ET CONTRA, INSTITUTE FOR CULTURE OF DIALOGUE Adress: Svetosavska 24, 1000 Ljubljana,  Slovenia Mobile: : + 386 (0) 41 42 3377 E-mail:debata@siol.net Web page: www.zainproti.com,

ZIP, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga/Pro et contra, institute for culture of dialogue  was established in 1998 as a non-governmental and non for profit organization. It co-ordinates, informs, educates, researches and promotes debate activities in order to improve the quality of the culture in dialogue in Slovenia. ZIP considers itself a creator of a peaceful coexistence and communication, it contributes to development of democracy and raises civil awareness of people. ZIP activities among young and other  and dissemination of the above mentioned ideas create a better new world.
ZIP main activities are:

-        coordination of  a network of 60  debate clubs at middle school, high school and university level, annually 1000 young people and 120 teachers involved;

-        organising regional, national and international debate tournaments for middle school, high school and university debaters;

-        organising and running different  debate and advocacy trainings for youth, youth workers,  teachers, elderly, different NGOs ...

-        organising international debate academies;

-        creating different curricula, teachers and students manuals, on-line training materials  for formal and un formal education;

-        organising  and promoting round table discussions, public, Radio,  TV  debates, e-debates  on different topics all over Slovenia. 

ZIP has a long history of successfully implemented projects which involve big number of participants and a lot of activities. In the last five years ZIP together with its network of 60 debate clubs at middle school, highschool and university level annually organized more than 150 events for almost 5000 participants, including workshops, forums, conferences for youth and teachers, debate tournaments, public debates, round table discussions, TV and radio debates … in Slovenia and in other countries.  From 2010 – 2009 we had a weekly 50 –minutes debate programme named Tekma  at national TV, created by youth programme of national TV and our organisation. There were almost 100 emissions prepared on variety of different topics. We published numerous teachers and students manuals e.g Let’s debate about equal opportunities 2008, Let’s debate about European Parliament, 2007 ... which bring some theory about debate and other active methodologies about different content, lessons plans, tips how to develop a multidisciplinary approach towards problems of contemporary world.

The quality of Slovenian debate programme reflects also in the achievements we have at the big international events:

-        at the high school level   3 times Worlds English Foreign Language Champions;  2010 Worlds English Second Language Champions; two times Worlds Best EFL speaker;

-        at the university level European ESL Champion 2010,   Worlds University Best EFL speaker, Worlds University 2^nd and 3^rd best ESL speaker.

The World Debate Institute is Proud to Help Organize the Third Conference

The World Debate Institute [WDI] has been training people in the arts and skills of debating since 1982. It has trained many thousands of people in more than thirty-four countries and from more than fifty countries. It is a program sponsored by the University of Vermont.

The purpose of WDI is to support a global network of debate activities, especially trainers who know what they are doing, have an established reputation and record, and are willing to go where there is not yet an active debating community and help establish or nurture one.

The other purpose is to provide technical expertise and assistance to any new or developing debate program in the world. Use our 28 years of experience! Contact us at alfred.snider@uvm.edu .

Our trainers are skilled and dedicated. They are authorized to carry out the training of students, teachers, trainers and organizers and grant them certificates bearing the authority and the imprint of the World Debate Institute, a globally recognized brand. They are devoted to this work not to earn money or fame, but to forward the belief that a global community that has vibrant debating and is populated and eventually run by those with a debating background will be more peaceful, more just and more conducive to the achievement of the human potential.

"A boot camp for the brain, and for free speech as well." -New York Times

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wdi/

http://worlddebateinstitute.blogspot.com/

QatarDebate is Sponsor for Third Conference

About QatarDebate

QatarDebate is the National Debating Organization for Qatar and a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development in the aim of developing, supporting and raising the standard of open discussion and debate among School and University students in Qatar and across the Middle East, which contributes in shaping the Global Citizens of today and the intellectual leaders of tomorrow.

History of QatarDebate QatarDebate is the National Debating Organization for Qatar and a member of Qatar Foundation  for Education, Science, and Community Development. QatarDebate was established in September 2007 with the aim of developing, supporting and raising the standard of open discussion and debate among students in Qatar and across the Middle East, shaping the Global Citizens of today and the intellectual leaders of tomorrow.

At an international level, QatarDebate selects and trains the Qatar National Debating team. The inaugural team attended the 2008 World Schools Debating Championships in Washington DC in September 2008, winning 4 of their 8 debates and setting a new world record as a first-time entrant to the competition in the process. The national team has subsequently attended the 2009 WSDC in Athens in February 2009, again winning 4 out of their 8 debates.

In February 2010, QatarDebate hosted the 22nd World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC) in Doha from February 8, 2010 to February 18, 2010 with the participation of 57 countries.

To date QatarDebate has trained over 7000 students in Qatar, regionally and internationally.

www.qatardebate.org

www.wsdc2010doha.com

Contact: qatardebate@qf.org.qa

2010 Conference Tentative Program Released

From http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/better/Welcome.html, all details available here

Third international conference on argumentation, rhetoric, debate and the pedagogy of empowerment - thinking and speaking a better world

§  Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor, Slovenia (Oddelek za filozofijo, Filozofska fakulteta, Univerza v Mariboru, Slovenija),

§  World Debate Institute (University of Vermont USA)

§  ZIP (Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga/Pro et contra Institute for culture of dialogue Slovenia)

Friday, 22nd October 2010

13.00 – 14.30 Registration, Lobby

14.30 Welcome Remarks from hosts and organizers, Main Auditorium 
Dr. Lučka Lorber, Vice - dean of Faculty of arts, University of Maribor - host

Boris Vezjak, University of Maribor - host

Alfred Snider, University of Vermont, USA - organizer

15.00  - 17.00

Argumentation, room 1,  chair Boris Vezjak, University of Maribor, Slovenia

Public Argument and Debate

§  “Climategate”: Good Science, Bad Arguments, and Problems for Public Discourse, Steven Woods, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA and Misa Haring, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA

§  Argumentation in the Online Media Debate on the Blogs, Ivanka Mavrodieva, Sofia University, Bulgaria

§  Rhetoric of B. Obama, Natalija Kocijan

§  Latino National Identity and the 2006 English as the National Language Debate, Donathan L. Brown, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, USA

Debate, room 2, chair, Korry Harvey,  Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA 

Debate and Social Progress

§  Debate as agency: Preparing students for civic engagement, Allan Louden, Wake Forest University, USA

§  Debate as a tool for social progress,  Arlan  A. Narvaez R., Universidad Central de Venezuela, Venezuela

§  The role of trust in political culture when teaching debate: The Kosovo case study, by Leela Koening, Netherlands and Maja Nenadović, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

§  Challenges of on-line deliberation: the case of Citizen's forum, Simon Delakorda,  & Matej Delakorda , Institute for Electronic Participation (InePA), Slovenia

Pedagogy, room 3, Sam Greenland, University of Sydney, Australia

Argument and Debate in Different Social and Cultural Contexts

§  Critical Thinking in Indian High schools –  the TIC experiment,  Ameya Kilara and Aditya Verma

§  Debating and argumentation skills in the speaking strand of Qatari National English and Arabic Curriculum Standards: A critical review, Abdul Gabbar Al – Sharif, Qatar Debate

§  The critical social and political thinking and the methods of educating students in secondary level education, Georgios D Bikos, University of Athens, Greece

§  Attending the process in philosophical discussion, Rudi Kotnik, University of Maribor, Slovenia

17.00 – 17.30 Coffee break

17.30 – 19.30

Panel discussion: Cultural Variation and Debate, Main Auditorium, chair Alfred Snider, University of Vermont

Invited: Abdul Gabbar Al – Sharif, Abdel Latiff Selami, Debbie Newman,   Arlan  A. Narvaez R., Masako Suzuki Takahashi, David WIlliams

Saturday, 23rd October 2010

9.30 – 11.00 Presentations

Argumentation, room 1, chair Steven Woods, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA

Processes of Rhetoric and Argumentation

§  Pain as rhetoric: Photographic depictions of suffering as an argumentative strategy, Taylor Hahn, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

§  Aesthetic Public Deliberation, Michael Bruner, Georgia State Univ., USA

§  Motivational Consubstantiation as Starting Points for Arguments of Rhetorical Identification:  A Burkean Approach, David Cratis Williams, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

Debate,  room 2, chair Debbie Newman, UK

Explorations in Competitive Debating

§  Judging paradigms,  Andrej Schulcz, Slovak Debate Association

§  Power pairing for Worlds Schools Debate Chamiponship, Alfred C Snider, University of Vermont

§  Assessing the role and use of international relations theory in competitive debate, Samo Novak,   University of Leiden, Netherlands

Pedagogy, room 3, chair Sam Greenland, University of Sidney, Austalia

Active Methods in Different Learning Environments                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

§  Introducing a model for  blending together traditional and modern teaching methodologies, George Yeoman, Slovenia/UK

§  Argumentative learning style of  Arab learners  of English as a second language, Abdel Latiff Selami, Qatar Debate, Qatar

§  Hosting  competitive debates at the Faculty of arts in Ljubljana,  Mirjana Želježič, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

11.00 – 11.30 Coffee break

11.30 – 13.00  Keynote, Main Auditorium 
Debbie Newman,  The Noisy Classroom: Thinking aloud

13.00 – 14.00  Lunch

14.00 – 15.30 Presentations

Argumentation, room 1, chair:  Michael Lane Bruner, Georgia State Univ., USA

Fallacies

§  Logical Fallacies = Rhetorical Fallacies?, Monika Kavalir, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

§  Aristotle and »ad hominem« arguments, Boris Vezjak, University of Maribor, Slovenia

§  »Begging the question« in a philosophical argument - epistemic or pragmatic?, Danilo Šuster, University of Maribor, Slovenia

Debate,  room 2,  Allan Louden, Wake Forest University, USA

States of Debating in the USA 

§  When classes collide – suburban and inner city debater, Chris Wheatly, Aspen Colorado Schools, USA

§  Failure in the public eye: The need for renewed engagement of the public sphere in academic debate communities within the United States, Taylor Hahn, Clarion University of Pennsylvannia, USA

§  Outcome based life choices: An outcome assessment comfirmation study measuring positive social outcomes beyond undergraduate experiences for participants and society in competitive intercollegiate debate, Jack E. Rogers, Department of communication, University of  Central Missouri and Arthur Rennels, Interim Director of Forensics, University of Central  Missouri, USA

Pedagogy, room 3, chair David Williams

New Approaches to Active Education

§  Critical understanding as an issue of problem solving in mathematics and physics education, Patronis Tasos, University of Patras and Rousiakis George, Greece

§  Numerical thinking, Simon Belak, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

§  Theory of knowledge versus debate – parallel universes or two sides of the same coin, Matus Kurian, Gymnazium Jura Hronca/Slovak Debate Association, Slovakia

15.30 – 16.00 Coffee break

16.00 – 17.30. Sam Greenland, Keynote, Main Auditorium

18.00 – 19.30 Presentations

Debate, room 1, chair  Samo Novak,  University of Leiden, Netherlands

Active Learning About Communities and Minorities

§  Debate as a praxis for  global citizenship, Anja Šerc, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia  and Alfred C Snider, University of Vermont, USA

§  An approach to analysis on discourse toward minority, Masako Suzuki Takahashi, Research Center for Foreign Language Education, Keio University, Japan

Debate,  room 2, chair  George Yeoman, UK/Slovenia

Encounter Society Through Debate

§  Youth understanding politics  – how youth initiatives can create an impact in society with debate, Monika Sobočan, University of Maribor

§  Why do people start debating? Helena Felc, Slovenia

§  Debate as a tool response for Venezuelan situation, Alejandro Duque, Universidad Central de Venezuela

Pedagogy, room 3, chair Anja Šerc, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia/Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga, Slovenia

Designing and Implementing Debating in Schools 

§  Secondary schools debates with visiting experts or how to implement debate in the interdisciplinary approach of curriculum and empower youth for active citizenship, Romana Čemažar, Gimnazija ESIC Kranj, Slovenia

§  Culture of debate in High school Domžale, Sofija Baskarad, Srednja šola Domžale, Slovenija

§  Tayloring debate formats for your specific educational goals, Manuele de Conti, University of Padua, Italy

20.00 BANQUET
Sunday, 24th October

10.00 – 11.30 Presentations

Argumentation, room 1, chair David Cratis Williams, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

Critical Thinking and Debate

§  Reason in the Balance:  Teaching Critical Thinking as Inquiry, Sharon Bailin, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada and Mark Battersby, Capilano University, Vancouver, Canada

§  Rhetoric, oratory and philosophy in the debate, Cattani Adelino, Padua, Italy

Debate, room 2, chair Bojana Skrt, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga Slovenia

Debating Scenarios on Three Continents: Europe, East Africa and Japan

§  The transfer from debater to coach – how experienced debaters can contribute to the quality of high school debate education, Monika Sobočan, University of Maribor, Slovenia  

§  Debate for Youth Empowerment in East Africa, Takako Mino, Claremont McKenna  College, USA

§  Debate in Japan, Andrew Nishizaki, Japan

Pedagogy, room 3, chair Masako Suzuki Takahashi, Research Center for Foreign Language Education, Keio University, Japan

Using Debate in the Classroom

§  Teaching rhetoric at  continuining education courses, Boštjan Debelak, Ljudska univerza Koper, Slovenia

§  Instructional Communication as a rhetorical process: political speech as a model of persuasion to be taught and studied, Irina Antonova, Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow, Russia

§  Active methods and debate in a classroom, Karlina Koželj, High school for tourism Celje, Slovenia

§  Debate in the classroom, successful experience in Venezuela, Arlan  A. Narvaez R., Universidad Central de Venezuela, Venezuela

11.30 – 12.00 Coffee break

12.00 – 13.30 Presentations

Argumentation, room 1, chair David Cratis Williams, Florida Atlantic University, USA

§  Philosophizing Without Argument, Nenad Miščević, Central University Budapest, Hungary

§  Level of Generality as a Rhetoric Device, Katarzyna Kobos, University of Lodz

Debate, room 2, chair Steven Woods, Western Washington University,Bellingham, WA, USA

Different Paths to Debate in the USA 

§  National policy debate circuit in U.S.A, Chris Wheatly, Aspen, Colorado Schools, USA

§  Debate as transformative experience, Amanda Feller and Kelly Ryan, Pacific Luthern University,

§  Negotiating expertise: Translating debate techne into community practice, Jeff Kurr and John Ried, University of Pittsburgh

Pedagogy, room 3, Allan Louden, Wake Forest University, USA

Training Citizens and Training Debaters 

§  An argumentation and debate text book for not debaters: Understanding Argument: the journey from consumer to critic, critic to advocate, Korry Harvey and Paul Bingham, Western Washington University, USA

§  Training model: Debate academy, Alfred C Snider, University of Vermont, USA and Bojana Skrt,  Slovenia

13.30 Closing, Main Auditorium