The Debate Program

The Debate Program has been active since 1997, and was founded by the Open Society Fund Bosnia and Herzegovina (OSF B&H). The implementation of the Program commenced in April 1997, and the activities of its first clubs in October of the same year. The Debate Program B&H is implemented within OSF B&H, as a non-governmental, non-partisan and non-profit organization that assembles secondary school pupils and teachers regardless of their religion, ethnic origin or gender.

The Program mission is the development of critical thinking and development of democratic principles of decision-making with the aim of creating a democratic model of civil society through debate, because abolishing one totalitarian political system does not mean simply the act of establishing other political institutions, but rather introduction of different models of thinking that have the ability to penetrate every sphere of life.

At present, there are 42 secondary school and three university debate clubs in the Program. The clubs function in schools, universities, but also within institutions for children with special needs, refugee camps and orphanages.

The main activities of the organization

Seminars for trainers and debate-participants on the Karl Popper debate format and on specific subjects concerning education, human rights, the role of young people in the society, and democracy;
State-level "Karl Popper" and other tournaments;
State-level tournaments in the "Parliamentary" debate format for university clubs;
Exchanging visits with clubs from the whole of B&H (the Federation of B&H and the Republika Srpska) with the aim of connecting young people, overcoming prejudices and teaching tolerance through debate within inter-school cooperation;
Round tables on specific subjects concerning civil society, human rights, and education;
Public debates organized at Universities or other public places on topical social, political or cultural subjects;
TV debate tournaments "For and Against" with guests from public life in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Summer camp for the "Karl Popper" and the "Parliamentary" debate clubs comprising seminars, tournaments and round tables on a variety of subjects;
Participating in international debate tournaments and conferences, and participating in world competitions;
Argumentation workshops;
Rhetoric workshops;
Representation workshops;
Work on democratizing the educational system.

The most important projects since July 2004:

Seminars for debate-participants and trainers on the "Karl Popper" debate format and on specific subjects concerning education, human rights, the role of young people in society, democracy, amongst others. (122 in total);
Seminars for debate-participants and trainers on the "University Parliamentary" debate (6 in total);
State-level "Karl Popper" debate tournaments (30 in total);
State-level "Parliamentary Debate Tournaments" for the University Debate Clubs (10 in total);
Exchange of visits between the clubs from the territory of the whole of B&H (FB&H and RS) with the aim of connecting young people, breaking prejudices and learning tolerance through debate;
Round tables with specific topics on civil society, human rights, education, and others (9 in total);
Public debates organized at universities or other public places on the present social, political, and cultural issues in society (14 in total);
Education project for UNICEF titled: "Through Debate to Human Rights" in the period between July 2000 and January 2001 - researching the problems of human rights;
Education project for UNICEF: "Debates on Children Rights" 30th June 2001 to 31st December 2001, - researching the issues concerning children's' rights through joint activities of schools from the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
TV debates "FOR AND AGAINST" competitions in cooperation with FTV, B&HT, with guests from the cultural and educational public life in B&H (151 TV programs in total);
Summer camps for the "Karl Popper" debate clubs and the "Parliamentary" debate clubs that include seminars, tournaments and round tables on different subjects (8 in total);
Participation in international and world debate competitions and conferences (17 in total);
Special award for "Contribution to the Reform of the Educational System" - OSCE 2003
Project for European Commission: "Human Rights in Schools and Local Community - Advocacy Through Debate" - introduction to democratic way of thinking and decision-making as well as education on human rights through strengthening the development of the culture of dialogue through research of target groups of problems identified in their local community, through new research methodology (NIM);
Project of recording TV debates for SDC - IBHI: "Give a Good Reason" - education of young people and assistance in researching issues concerning human rights and their violation, and possibility of public presentation of identified problems;
Project for IDEA: The People Speak- 36 public debates in schools.

Acheivements outside B&H:

World Debate Competition Lošinj 1999
Jan Zlatan Kulenović, First place
Goran Tešić, Second place
World Debate Competition Poland 2000
Sabina Čudić, First place
World Debate Competition Romania 2002
Sabina Čudić, First place
Maja Kapetanović, Second place

Cities with Debate Clubs:

YEAR	CITIES
1997	Sarajevo, Zenica, Jablanica, Konjic, Tuzla, Zivinice
1998	Sarajevo, Zenica, Jablanica, Konjic, Tuzla, Zivinice, Bihac
1999	Sarajevo, Bihac, Jablanica, Konjic, Tuzla, Zenica, Zivinice, Banja Luka
2000	Bijeljina, Brcko, Prijedor, Fojnica, Zenica, Visoko, Sarajevo, Vares, Jablanica, Tuzla, Bihac, Banja Luka, Zivinice, Konjic, Mostar
2001	Prijedor, Brcko, Gracanica, Bijeljina, Banja Luka, Tuzla, Zivinice, Novi Travnik, Fojnica, Zenica, Bugojno, Vares, Visoko, Sarajevo, Gorazde, Foca/Srbinje, Jablanica, Konjic, Mostar
2002	Gradacac, Prijedor, Brcko, Gracanica, Doboj - Istok, Sanski Most, Bijeljina, Banja Luka, Tuzla, Lukavac, Zivinice, Drvar, Novi Travnik, Fojnica, Zenica, Bugojno, Kladanj, Vares, Visoko, Sarajevo, Gorazde, Foca/Srbinje, Jablanica, Konjic, Mostar, Capljina
2003	Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Sarajevo, Foca, Zenica, Visoko, Gradacac, Doboj - Istok, Gracanica, Celic, Tuzla, Zivinice, Kalesija, Kladanj, Teocak, Lukavac, Jablanica, Konjic, Mostar, Gorazde, Fojnica, Bugojno, Sarajevo - Istok, Mihatovici, Novi Travnik
2004	Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Sarajevo, Foca, Zenica, Visoko, Gradacac, Doboj - Istok, Gracanica, Celic, Tuzla, Zivinice, Kalesija, Kladanj, Teocak, Lukavac, Jablanica, Konjic, Mostar, Gorazde, Fojnica, Bugojno, Sarajevo - Istok, Mihatovici, Brcko

Address: Obala Maka Dizdara 3, 71 000 Sarajevo
Telephone: 00 387 33 203 668
Fax: 00 387 33 203 668
E-mail: deb_cen@soros.org.ba
Contact: Sanja Vlaisavljevic, the Program Director

The Debate Centers are a part of the Open Society Fund Bosnia and Herzegovina (OSF B&H) within the Education Program. For more information, please contact the coordinator for the Education Program Dzenana Trbic dzenana@soros.org.ba.