Projects for School and University Students

On February 20-22, the Annual Open Tournament “Dnipro Open”, conducted by NGO “New Vision” since 2009, was held in Dnipropetrovsk. “Tkuma” Institute has been supporting debate tournament for pupils and students three years in a row, so the opening event traditionally took place at the “Menorah” Center in the “Sinai” concert hall. Here the first debate workshops and guided tours around Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” for tutors and debaters took place.

This year 25 teams took place in the tournament representing Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Karlivka, Kyiv, Komsomolsk, Kryvyi Rih, Rozsoshentsi, Tokmak. All in all more than 160 participants participated in the tournament. This is less than last year, but consistently more than in other similar tournaments. It is difficult to define crearly the secret of tournament success: perhaps participants are attracted by original themes for discussion; maybe by professional trainers; maybe just by unusually warm family atmosphere of “Dnipro Open”. One thing that is exactly clear is that gifted pupils and students need a platform for communication, exchange of opinions and ideas, and this project can provide it.

“Unchildish” topics regarding the current and painful problems of society were proposed for the discussion, such as: the role of social media in inciting hatred (inter-confessional, inter-state), reform and lustration, the influence of local communities on the development of the state. Discussion traditionally was conducted in two formats – the Karl Popper and World school debate formats. It should be noted that English-language format is becoming more and more popular. More and more participants join the discussions in international language thus annually increasing level of English language proficiency and the level of debate.

This year, the jury included the teams’ coaches themselves, coaches from the NGO “New Vision”, invited team of judges from Zaporizhzhya National University and UCC “Young Guard” (Odesa). They met during the year at workshops and seminars, which improved their coaching skills and coordinated evaluation criteria for debaters. As part of this “improvement of coaching qualifications” judges participated in “Tkuma” Institute seminars. And at the beginning of the tournament, on February 20, Dr. Igor Shchupak, “Tkuma” Institute and Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” Director conducted the workshop for trainers on debates during the teaching conflict and controversial topics.
It was very difficults for trainers to choose the winners. In the English-language format (World school debate format) the team from Kryvyi Rih specialized school # 4 with in-depth study of foreign languages (coach – Alla Lysenko) won. In the Ukrainian-language format (World school debate) format the team called “Trash” from Berdyansk (coach – Christina Serbinova) won. In the Karl Popper format team “Crazy team” representing NEC # 139 from Dnipropetrovsk (coach – Natalia Peretiatko) won.
Daria Yudina from Berdyansk was recognized as the best speaker. The official website of Debate Tournament says: “Dnipro Open – is not just learning how to debate, but also fascinating communication that invites to open debate teams from different cities of Ukraine and other countries. Debaters have created their own traditions and with great pleasure participate in this tournament”. It is clear that such events create new intellectual environment in Ukraine, capable of drastic changes and reasonable reforms.

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