Doha – QatarDebate
QatarDebate Center (QD) a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), aims through the training of Team Qatar to graduate debate students representing Qatar at the international championships and forums. Since Coronavirus Pandemic has touched on the spectrum of life and the methods of education, research and various activities have changed, it has become necessary for QatarDebate to keep pace with practical plans and interactions with developments in the country and the world without disrupting the precautionary measures taken by the rational leadership in Qatar. The center started with a confident, modern and intelligent move to follow its activities remotely and continues to train Qatar National English Debate Team, Qatar National Arabic Debate Team, as well as the junior team, that yearn vigorously, persistently and eagerly for the debate arenas and for representing Qatar in international forums.
QD administration has taken the responsibility of performing the message of thinking and learning by preparing young national elements who have the weapon of the word and keep up with developments and changes.
Team Qatar Training is designed to prepare the nation’s top school debaters to compete with the best debaters from around the world at the World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC). Once intensive selections are complete, the team goes through rigorous training sessions. Not only must they learn to speak well by perfecting very aspect of their speaking skills, they must become knowledgeable critical thinkers on a wide range of issues, be it social, political, moral or otherwise. In the end, the training program creates batches of intellectual Qatari youth who can think quickly and speak with substance.
Mubarrat Wassey, English Debate Instructor, QatarDebate, said: “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person WSDC has been officially postponed to early 2021. While this has been heartbreaking for everyone in the team preparing to compete, Qatar National English debate team has rallied together tremendously well. Online trainings were conducted even before the final decision on the competition was taken, and even while in limbo, the children did not let their spirits falter. They were resilient and learned to cope with online trainings. Whatever is the outcome, it is a great source of pride and joy for me to train these bright children.”
Alanoud Al Thani- is the English debate team captain. She is a 12th grade student from Qatar Academy, Doha. She is a returning member from last year. She was the team’s highest-ranking speaker in her first year, and now plays the role of senior debater helping to lead others.
Alanoud said:” contrary to what we expected, remote training provides a much less opportunity to chat and relaxation, as in face-to-face training, there is space for side-talk from time to time and full-group discussions.”
Even though, we must be mindful that what we say must be acceptable for those concerned. We all know, of course, that we cannot do the same thing before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is an urgent need for positivity and support. Hearing praise for what we’re doing, motivates us to try more seriously and tells us that it’s going to be a priority, she added.
Mohamed Khider, Arabic Debate Instructor, QatarDebate, said:” Qatar National Arabic debate team has continued its training through distance learning tools, even while the basic plan for Team Qatar Training this season was limited to the end of March, with the end of the championship that they were preparing to participate in and stopped due to the current situation, but the main team members and a group of students insisted on continuing the weekly exercises remotely. Where the team meets within a plan based on three hubs: debating skills workshops (advanced level), knowledge content development workshops, and practicing debate. Team Qatar also participated in a remote public debate with the School Debate Team from Kuwait, moreover the team will have many forthcoming debates with debaters from different countries in the coming period.”
