Green Schools: Climate change regional debates kick off

_____________________
 GREEN SCHOOLS INITIATIVE 
CLIMATE CHANGE REGIONAL DEBATE QUALIFIERS
TEAMS A & B: JUNE 17
_____________________

It's debate time once again as the second successive season of climate change schools debating under the Green Schools Initiative got under way on Monday (June 17) in Uganda's northeast and northwest.

Teams went head to head in the regional qualifiers to secure spots in the national tournament.

With the contest spread out evenly across the 10 regions of Uganda, there is a palpable sense of excitement as up to 100 schools warm up to take part in the tournament.

And it all starts with Karamoja and West Nile regions, where the debates will be hosted at Moroto High School and Mvara Secondary School, respectively.

Monday's contests, themed around innovations that work in the context of climate change, unfolded concurrently. And so will the upcoming debates in the other eight regions in the coming days.

"We are excited!" said Green Schools Initiative project manager John Eremu, who is also the Editor of New Vision, on the eve of the start of this year's regional qualifiers.

Going by the preliminary engagements with the schools that had already arrived, he felt "all of them are upbeat" and raring to go.

The Swedish Embassy in Uganda is funding the Green Schools Initiative, which is currently in its second year of implementation by Vision Group in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO-Uganda).

Clustered in 10 regions of 10 schools (100 schools altogether), this nationwide competition is one of the key project activities on the Green Schools Initiative calendar.

"The debates are to encourage students to do indepth research on climate change issues," said Eremu, who is in Moroto.

"We have a team of adjudicators from the Uganda Dialogue Arena that has experience in managing climate change debates. They are the ones helping with assessment."

By the end of today (Monday), the judges will have picked the best three schools to advance to the national tournament that will take place in Kampala at the end of August.

Karamoja and West Nile participants 👇🏽

'Quality of arguments key'

Rean Joash Mabonga is leading the adjudicators.

"We are looking to picking thoughts of the most pressing issues in terms of climate resilience," he said in the buildup.

In the context of Moroto, where pastoralism is the mainstay of the district's economy, Mabonga and his team have previously engaged in discussions around whether cattle keepers should "equally be responsible for a carbon footprint in terms of payment".

The 23-year-old graduate of telecommunications engineering from Kyambogo University also wonders whether instead of applying strict measures on pastoralists, the government should provide them with greener solutions as a win-win strategy.

Pastoralism is the mainstay of the Moroto economy

These are some of the pertinent issues that debaters are expected to explore today.

Should governments in low developing countries prioritize environmental concerns over economic development?

Will improving access to alternative and efficient energy sources save more forests than stringent enforcement to protect the existing ones?

Also a look at leadership and accountability in the context of environmental harm.

Crucially, in the end, what will sail teams through will be the quality of their arguments and, according to Mabonga, that is what the judges will predominantly assess.

'Advocates for change'

The Green Schools Initiative was launched in 2023 to sensitize the public on climate change mitigation and adaptation using the school system as the entry point.

Debate is one of the two tracks of the project.

The other track focuses on innovative solutions aimed at mitigating or adapting to climate change.

"Schools that excel at the national level will win cash prizes to be ploughed back into related projects," said Sidney Miria, the project coordinator who is in West Nile today.

Already, the initiative is hitting the right notes.

Students are actively partaking in various projects and campaigns to raise awareness about environmental issues.

During the debates, students will showcase their knowledge and research skills.

Ntare School debaters share notes during last year's nationals in Kampala

"This initiative highlights the importance of youth involvement in addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development," said Miria.

"By engaging with students in discussions and debates, the initiative aims to empower the youth to take action and make a positive impact in their communities.

"Through the Green Schools Initiative, students are not only learning about the importance of sustainability, but they are also becoming advocates for change and leaders in the fight against climate change."

Dr Emmanuel Zziwa, the climate change team leader at FAO-Uganda, agrees.

"The debates are organized around themes that stimulate learners' thinking and reflection on alternative interventions and regulations that can save the environment for current and future generations," he said ahead of this year's edition.

Zziwa expressed gratitude to the Embassy of Sweden for the financial support, to Vision Group for implementing it and to the participating schools.

"FAO wishes the best to all participating schools."

▪️  Sacred Heart SS win inaugural climate change debate title

Sacred Heart SS Mushanga won the inaugural edition last year

For the participating teams, weeks and months of preparation come down to their execution today.

"From the engagement feedback from the schools, there has been a lot of preparations going on," said project manager Eremu.

"They have been sharing with us their activities, for we would like to see these culminate into a great debate [today]".

Key district stakeholders are expected to attend, including officials from the resident district commissioner office, the department of environment and district education office.