Office of the Vice President, Funglode and Children International Celebrate Final Student Tournament  

 Student Emilia Bonilla Durán, named “Best Orator,” Received a Medal of Honor  and Other Prizes

Santo Domingo, August 1, 2018 – The Office of the Vice President, the Dominican Debate Society (Sodode), the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (Funglode) and the Children International organization in the Dominican Republic, sponsored the XVII Junior Debate Tournament with the goal of encouraging national youth in issues included in the national and international agendas, as well as encourage the critical analysis of these issues and the active participation of young students in other major issues.

Deputy director of the Progresando con Solidaridad (Prosoli) program, Héctor Medina, who represented Vice President Dr. Margarita Cedeño at the event, highlighted the importance of having the country’s youth learn specific techniques on how to speak in public.  The participating youth are taught by experienced trainers on the importance of learning how to debate ideas on important and relevant issues that impact society.

Vice President Dr. Cedeño, who is the current Coordinator of the Cabinet on Social Policies, encouraged the Alliance with the Dominican Debate Society in 2013 as a way to encourage the debate culture among youth who represent vulnerable sectors.  The goal is to train them to discuss issues related to the national agenda.

The members of the winning team were Anny Adaliza Romero Medina, Dioslanyi Franchesca González, Yanerys Lisbeth Bonilla and Rocío Calderón Rosario.  The jury chose Emilia Bonilla Durán as the tournament’s top orator who, along with the other winners, received cash awards.

The 54 participating high school students from the low-income neighborhoods of Los Tres Brazos and La Caleta, in Santo Domingo, chose as their debate theme the following subject: “Should there be a participation quota for youth in our National Congress?”

Before the event, the participating students and members of Progresando con Solidaridad and the Children International organizations, were trained in oratory, stage control, effective debate and research techniques by experts in the subject area.

Participants in the event also included: Andrés Mejía, head of the Youth Division of Progresando con Solidaridad of the Office of the Vice President; Arisleidy Aquino, Empowerment Coordinator of Children International República Dominicana; the head of the Dominican Debate Society, Pamela Martínez Achécar; and Frida Florentino, from Funglode.  Both Ms. Florentino and Mr. Medina participated as jurors during the debate.

The debate is an essential tool for the development and strengthening of democracy in open societies.  It is more than being a demonstration of verbal talent, it is also a space where ideas can be discussed, tolerance for diversity strengthened, and provide a rigorous self-examination process of ideas.