'Debates in schools should be a continuous process'

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 GREEN SCHOOLS INITIATIVE 
CLIMATE CHANGE REGIONAL DEBATE QUALIFIERS
📍  MOROTO/ARUA DISTRICTS
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The assistant resident district commissioner (RDC) of Moroto in Uganda's northeast, Dinah Adupa Lorika, has urged schools to create programmes that enable debating on various subjects.

The argument here is: debating broadens a learner's scope of knowledge from the research work done, it sharpens their communication skills and it promotes the spirit of teamwork and camaraderie.

Specifically, Lorika pointed to the eloquence of debaters that she observed in the latter stages of the Karamoja regional qualifiers of the 2024 Green Schools Climate Change Debate on Monday (June 17).

Urging continuity, she tasked the debaters with continuing the debating spirit back in their respective schools.

"Let it be a continuous process."

▪️  Green Schools climate change debate season two kicks off

The day-long contest in Karamoja featuring ten schools and hosted by Moroto High School in Moroto district eventually got whittled down to the top three schools that will represent the region at the national championship in Uganda's capital Kampala this August.

Lolachat Seed SS emerged as the Karamoja region champions of the competition's second edition.

Abim Secondary School were second while Napak Secondary School took the third qualification spot.

 WATCH   Lolachat are Karamoja champions


'Continuous process'

The curtains may have drawn on the Karamoja qualifiers but, according to assistant RDC Lorika, that should not be the end of the journey.

"The debating should not remain here at Moroto High School. The debating should continue in your schools. Let it be a continuous process. You have those debates in the timetable," she urged.

Her call to the patrons of the participating schools is to "create programmes so that we help students to do debating on different subjects".

"Much as you are in that club of the Green Project Initiative, let's encourage the rest of the schools to understand what you have come here to do and what you have debated."

Debaters were advised to share the various messages on climate change with their schoolmates to spark more interest and create greater impact.

Below, the team of adjudicators from the Uganda Dialogue Arena...

Debate is one of the two tracks of the Green Schools Initiative, which was launched in 2023 to sensitize the public on climate change mitigation and adaptation using the school system as the entry point.

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

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

On Monday, Vision Group and the project partners received gratitude from the different speakers as the Karamoja and West Nile regions got this year's Green Schools Climate Change Debate Regional Qualifiers off to a flying start.

As Moroto High School hosted the Karamoja contest, the West Nile competition unfolded — concurrently — at Mvara Secondary School in Arua district.

Arua Public Secondary School emerged as the West Nile champions ahead of hosts Mvara Secondary School and Bishop Angelo Talantino. 

And just like their Karamoja counterparts, these top three schools qualified for the nationals.

In Karamoja, Patience Namuju Kakayi was the best female debater and Evaristo Ogwang the best male debater.

In West Nile, Fortunate Hidaya Habibu and Routh Char Banang were named the best female and male debaters, respectively.

📸  Eliakim Matua, the headteacher of Mvara Secondary School awards a certificate to West Nile region winners Arua Public SS as Green Schools Initiative coordinator Sidney Miria (R) looks on

With two regions now done, the regional qualifiers resume on Wednesday with Teso and Northern regions.

Specifically, the respective competitions will be hosted in Soroti and Lira districts.

'Promoting co-operation'

Meanwhile, Moroto district senior inspector of schools, Hellen Aligoi Amullen (pictured in the immediate picture below), was full of praise of the debaters.

"You are children who are moulded and have dared the situations in school and have still remained in school," she said.

"We are proud of you because you are a generation that is competitive," said Amullen ahead of the final debate.

"All of you have done your best, afterall you are the best secondary school in your district. But out of the best, there will always be the best. So whatever results we are going to get, let's take them positively.

"You have communicated a lot. You did a lot of research. I encourage you to continue with the same (research). Aim higher. Go forward."

'Emulate what you have seen here'

In Karamoja, Moroto High School headteacher Twaha Sayekwo Chebet (pictured below seated on the left) spoke of the importance of debates.

"Debates are always good because they train leaders. They train them how to talk," he said.

In his remarks to competitors, Sayekwo tasked them with leaving a lasting legacy.

"We had the late DEO of Moroto district. Every time we would invite him here to come and talk to our students, he was a very happy man. He would tell the students: 'Do you see these trees growing around here, it is us who planted them'," he told the debaters.

"So I want that when you go back to your school, you must do something for your school that you will talk about in the future.

"This place of ours is very green, but when you move out, you will discover that most of the trees have been cut. I want you to emulate what you have seen here and take to your school."

'Ambassadors of tomorrow'

New Vision Editor John Eremu is the project manager of the Green Schools Initiative.

"Debate is one of the activities under the Green Schools Initiative that aims at sharpening research and debating skills in the schools because we are building climate change ambassadors of tomorrow," he said.

"We believe that without research and gaining a deeper knowledge of a particular subject, you cannot articulate that subject competently."

The Green Schools Initiative is sensitizing the public on climate change issues through the school system.

Eremu, who is overseeing the regional qualifiers alongside project co-ordinator Sidney Miria, explained why the project targetted schools in the first place.

"The school system is very organized. Young minds are impressionable and once they buy into an innovation and initiative, then you are assured of sustainability."

One of such young minds is Karamoja's best female debater of 2024, Patience Namujju Kakayi.

The 17-year-old Senior Three student, who said debating had been her hobby since primary school, was given a standing ovation as she walked to the front to receive her certificate for her impressive debating.

"I know that this is not just my achievement but for my whole school and teammates," she told New Vision at the end of the Karamoja contest.

"I appreciate each and every effort they have put towards this achievement."

'Good communicators'

And in her parting shot, Moroto's assistant RDC Lorika said Monday's  debating was "geared towards empowering you [debaters] to become good students, good leaders and good communicators with time".

"This Green Schools project has all along been trying to give us knowledge."

In the same spirit, Lorika rallied students to keep their schools clean and beautiful by ridding them of potential health hazards.

💬  'Quality of arguments better'

A team of adjudicators from the Uganda Dialogue Arena are handling this ongoing national debate tournament. 

In Moroto, Marvin Niwasiima chaired the grand final between Lolachat Seed Secondary School and Abim Secondary School.

At the conclusion of the contest, he shared his thoughts on this year's competition.

❝ My team and I were impressed by the quality of the debate and the arguments that the debaters were putting forward.

Comparing with last year, I can say that the debate has improved in terms of arguments as well as the appreciation of climate change-related matters.

I observed that the level of research that the students have put in has increased and you could see the passion for advancing climate change and environmentalism.

Even within the arguments that these debaters were making, they were not just coming from an arguments' sake for winning debate but you could see a conviction that has been bred by the many days of research that these students have made.

At the end of the day, my team and I were very keen to ensure we make the right decision because that also has an effect on whether we demoralize these students or whether we motivate them.

I am glad that the schools took on the decision wholeheartedly that came from the debate and even congratulated the winning team, which means they have also appreciated that this is not just about winning and amassing titles to the name of the school but a greater cause that is fighting against climate change and advancing the principles of environmentalism.

The Green Schools debate project is growing and is adding value on the students as evidenced in the debate that we have just had and we can only look forward to a good future.

THE MOTIONS

 Round 1 

This House believes that governments in low developing countries should prioritize environmental concerns over economic development as a national planning priority. 

 Round 2 

This House would prevent climate change deniers from seeking political offices.

 Round 3 

This House prefers a world where leaders are held culpable for the environmental harm that happened during their term of office.

 Quarterfinals 

This House would demand international corporations operating in any developing country to uphold the same environmental standards required in their home country.

 Semifinals 

This House regrets the existence of environmental friendly product trends. 
 
 Final 

This House believes that improving access to alternative and efficient energy sources will save more forests than stringent enforcement to protect the existing ones.

 WATCH   'You were eloquent'