Armenian students debate political issues with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan

Students from Gavar, Vanadzor, Gyumri, Goris, Kapan, Idjevan and Yerevan gathered in the capital on 3 December 2016 to take part in the final competition of the national university debate clubs, organized by the Jinishian Memorial Foundation (JMF) with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

In view of the upcoming election year in Armenia, the debates focused on issues raised by a number of political parties regarding the democratic process and the participation of citizens in national voting.

Prior to arriving in the capital for the final round of the competition, the participants held a number of intra-university debates in order to identify the winning team that will be representing its  region in Yerevan. The competition is usually judged by a jury composed of NGONGO
non-governmental organization representatives, researchers and independent experts.

“Past and incoming OSCE Chairmanships have stressed the need for young people to make their voices heard,” said David Gullette, Democratization Programme Officer of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. “Debating not only teaches to express a point of view, but also to listen to the arguments of others. This approach helps to promote a mutual respect of views. In our work, this is an important part of building a constructive dialogue and continuous engagement towards consensus”.

Debate clubs have been set up in several Armenian universities by the Jinishian Memorial Foundation and aim to promote the civic engagement of university students.