Johanna Mai and Julian Schneider of Debattierclub Münster won Berlin Punk 2010. They faced in the final teams from Frankfurt, Münster and Magdeburg. Motions: Round 1: Dieses Haus würde eine Abstimmpflicht bei Volksentscheiden einführen. Round 2: Dieses Haus würde Organspenden nur noch an Menschen vergeben, die sich ebenfalls zu einer Organspende bereit erklärt haben. Round 3: Dieses Haus würde Briefe, Tagebücher und unveröffentlichte Manuskripte posthum nicht ohne die Einwilligung des/r SchriftstellerIn veröffentlichen. Round 4: Dieses Haus würde Menschen, die unter Alkoholkonsum ein Gewaltverbrechen begangen haben, den Alkoholkonsum verbieten. Round 5: Dieses Haus würde Einrichtungen verbieten, die eine Heilung von Homosexualität versprechen. Semis: Dieses Haus würde es Staaten verbieten, bei der Verteilung von Entwicklungshilfe ihre ehemaligen Kolonien zu bevorzugen. Final: Dieses Haus würde Menschen auch ...

Cheshire cats and Schweppes faces: Just eight teams out of 48 had the chance to break at this year’s edition of Berlin Punk. Here are the teams that compete for the break to finals on Sunday. This is the break into the semis: 1. Magdeburg: Jan-Dirk Capelle und Jana Bachmann 2. Berlin/München: Jan Fischer und Martin Zintl 3. Jena: Severin Weingarten und Jakob Horn 4. Münster: Julian Schneider und Johanna Mai 5. Hannover: Katharina Kleine-Tebbe und Katharina Handke 6. Frankfurt: Willy Witthaut und Robert Epple 7. Münster: Silke Bode und Markus Hässelbarth 8. Jena: Friederike Meyer zu Wendischhoff und Robert Stendel The Top 10 speakers are: 1. Lukas Haffert, 381 points 2. ...

Fritz, the radio station for youth by Radio Berlin Brandenburg (RBB), visited the Berlin Debating Union (BDU). On the website of Fritz you can find a short article and an audio file in German language about the visit. The speaker of the story explains the issue "debating" in an interview with Georg Sommerfeld, who is a member of BDU, to the listener. There are also some live recordings of a debate where Georg, who is a vegan in reality, had to argue for the consumption of meat on the side of the opposition. vro / tr

They have got a master-class coach: The Streitkultur Berlin could win Peter Croonenbroeck, German debating champion 2010, as a coach for their novice nights. He will introduce the art of sovereign appearance and effective arguing and also the fun of debating to all the interested novices. The novice nights take place on 12, 19 and 26 January at 7.15 pm at the “En Passant”, which is situated in Schönhauser Allee 58. Afterwards there will be the regular debate at 8.15 pm on all three days. More information is available on the website of Streitkultur Berlin. vro / tr

Warm-up for the ZEIT DEBATTE in May: the Debattiergesellschaft Jena (DGJ) hosts a friendship tournament from 22 to 23 January in the "City of Light" situated at the river Saale. There are three preliminaries and a final scheduled. The debates are going to be held in Wartburg style. So all the speakers and adjudicators can get to know the format better and prepare their selves for the ZEIT DEBATTE in Jena. Members of DGJ and debaters from other societies, who can find an invitation in their mailbox, are allowed to participate. For those who are in need of a place to sleep, ...

Clemens Lechner and Moritz Niehaus from Debattiergesellschaft Jenahave just won this year's Berlin Invitational hosted by the Berlin Deabting Union (BDU) in the German capital. The motion read "Dieses Haus fordert nach drei Straftaten Haft bis ans Lebensende". They defeated the other teams (Debattierclub Magdeburg/BDU, BDU proper, Wortgefechte Potsdam) from the position of Opening Government. vro / apf

The following made it to the final of the Berlin Invitational 2011: Opening Government: Clemens Lechner and Moritz Niehaus (Debattiergesellschaft Jen) Opening Opposition: Jan-Dirk Capelle and Jonas Werner (Debattierclub Magdeburg/Berlin Debating Union) Closing Government: Dessislava Kirova and Filip Bubenheimer (Berlin Debating Union) Closing Opposition: Moritz Kirchner and Florian Umscheid (Wortgefechte Potsdam) Judges are Torsten Rössing (Klartext Halle), Daniel Sommer (Debating Club Heidelberg), Bernd Hoefer (Debattierclub Kiel), Patrick Ehmann (Berlin Debating Union) and Katharina Kleine-Tebbe (Debating Society Paderborn). The motions: Dieses Haus würde Haiti in die USA eingliedern. Dieses Haus würde die europäische Außenpolitik an Macchiavelli ausrichten. Dieses Haus fordert eine Erbschaftssteuer von 100% zugunsten ...

This article is not yet available in English. Please read the German version to learn more about the Berlin Invitational and Berlin Punk, both hosted this weekend by the Berlin Debating Union.

The full tab of the World Universities Debating Championships 2011 has been made available online already! The CA team put it on the homepage of Botswana Worlds. Naturally, Achte Minute does have a focus on the results of  VDCH teams and speakers. Hence, to lighten the burden for you, our loyal readers, we compiled their results. ...

On December 21st, Christmas found its way to Dresden Debating Union (DDU): About 15 members of DDU came together at the annual Christmassy Debate in the Dark. This debate wasn’t really dark, but a fun debate with candlelight. There were motions offered like "Are only people who are paying church tax allowed to celebrate Christmas?", "Should Christmas take place twice a year?" and "Christ Child versus Santa Claus". Finally there was a debate about the appearance of Santa Claus with candle light, hot spiced wine and self-made biscuits. The government promoted a well-fed, easy-going Santa Claus with a big bushy beard ...

Cheers, New Year: The Berlin Debating Union (BDU) welcomes year 2011 in its own way and hosts the Invitational on 7 January, as already announced. Speakers who could find an invitation by the board of BDU in their mailbox are allowed to participate. Now the list with the teams that accepted the invitation was released on the blog of BDU. Everyone is invited to join the public final on the evening of 7 January. You may listen to the best of these invited speakers. The final begins at 7.00 pm, venue is Orbis Humboldtianus, which is situated above the Audimax at the ...

This article is a wrap-up of what German and international media write about the World Universities Debating Championships in Gaborone, Botswana. Please read the German version to learn about Israeli pride in their debaters, De Nederlands Debatbond and Justice Mothlabani's address to the debaters at Worlds. apf / glx ...

Debaters worldwide already are cheering about their teams at World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds): The Debattierclub Stuttgart (DCS) jubilates about a smooth start into 2011, the Israeli Debating League compliment their Israeli debaters on their results and the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT interviewed Chinese debaters. ...

The term "Worlds" is used in its plural form because numerous winners have been awarded at Gaborone, Botswana last night. Foremost, the three best teams have to be mentioned who prevailed over the course of nine prelims. It is three best teams as there are three categories: "Open Break", "English as a Second Language" (ESL) and "English as a Foreign Language" (EFL). And the winners are ... Monash A from Australia, Haifa A from Israel and Tokyo B from Japan. There were about 300 teams from all over the globe competing for the title, 32 of which made it to ...

Team Stuttgart A made it to ESL semis at World Universities Debating Championships in Botsuana. Congratulations to Michael Saliba and Andreas Lazar. Please read more on this in the German version of this article! apf / glx ...

One quarter of the teams of the ESL break are from Germany! That would make one German team in each room, one could think. But in final rounds, the tab is folded. That means that for instance room one assembles teams ranking on 1, 7, 8 and 16. Thanks to this folding, room three of the ESL qurter finals will see two German teams: Stuttgart A (Andreas Lazar and Michael Saliba) and Berlin B (Patrick Ehmann and Bastian Laubner). Other German teams in the quarters are Berlin B (Florian Umscheid and Dessislava Kirova) and Gutenberg A (Marcus Ewald and Marietta ...

Belgrade, the “white city”, will probably still be white from snow in February when the Belgrade Open 2011 will be held from 25 to 27 February. Language of debate is English, the format is British Parliamentary Style (BPS). Registration is open from 5 January. Please register online on the homepage of the Belgrade Open 2011. Nota bene: The n-1 rule is applied for judges! The registration fee is 45 Euros per person and includes accommodation, meals and socials. The convenors promise a CA team of eminent and experienced adjudicators: Steven Nolan, Marko Cirovic, Frederick Cowell, Lucinda David, Lewis Iwu, Isabelle Loewe ...

And the evening and the morning were the third day of Botswana Worlds 2011. A delay usual for events of this size collided with today’s schedule. But after all, today brought on what all those hundreds of debaters came to Botswana for: The first three of a total of nine preliminary rounds were held today. But most of the day meant waiting for speakers as well as for judges – waiting for registration, waiting for debates to commence, waiting for meals. However, the atmosphere is still great, thanks to good weather and friendly supporters. Even those at home had to wait. ...

And the evening and the morning were the third day of Botswana Worlds 2011. People have just recovered from the ice breaking party when there are complaints about paranoia, the African heat and a belated adjudicators’ briefing – still more surprises for the international debating community from Worlds in Gaborone. However, the atmosphere is great thanks to good weather and friendly people all around, everybody appreciates. Henrik Maedler (Jacobs University Bremen Debating Society), being on his annual leave now in Botswana, felt followed around by his employer as a picture on “Your German Correspondent” proves. The Achte Minute editorial team sincerely ...

No water, no bread! A team from Serbia who wanted to immigrate fromSouth Africa to Botswana was - despite valid visas - defeated late last night by African bureaucracy, as Manos Moschopolous from Greece reported to Achte Minute. No drinks and food available at first for the Serbs around Milan Vignjevic, ESL quarterfinalist at the previous Worlds and co-convenor of the Belgrade Open 2011. Meanwhile, the OrgComm of Botswana Worlds talked to the Serbs, made food and drinks available and will help with all obstacles on early Tuesday morning, Manos released. Isabelle Loewe, Jens Henning Fischer and Henrik Maedler faced similar ...

We've got mail! Florian Umscheid and Moritz Kirchner from Wortgefechte Potsdam already have arrived at Worlds 2011 in  Gaborone, Botswana. The two German debaters briefly revealed their first impressions of Africa to Achte Minute. ...

Let’s get ready to rumble – the 31st World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds) are about to start. From 27 December to 4 January Worlds 2011 are to be held in Gaborone, Botswana. Numerous debaters from VDCH countries change to the international debate circuit to compete with more than 300 teams from all over the world for the title of world debate champion. Nine days, that makes nine preliminary rounds plus various final rounds in three categories: Main break, ESL and EFL. The main break is de jure the category for all speakers, de facto for native speakers of English, ...

Achte Minute is your reliable source on the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds) in Botswana's capital Gaborone. As usual since this year’s Euros in Amsterdam, Achte Minute is going to fulfill this task in English as well as in German. Your local correspondent in Gaborone is Jens Henning Fischer – he reports the latest and most interesting for participants and those at home: breaks, stories, interviews. If you want your stories and reports published on Achte Minute, please convey them to Jens or send an e-mail directly to achteminute[at]vdch.de. In addition to Achte Minute you might want to consult other ...

Debating expertise from down under: The Australian Monash Association of Debaters (MAD) published the Monash Debating Review (MDR) for the eighth time in a row. Debaters from all over the world have contributed to the journal on debating related issues. The first article in the current MDR issue is from the author Tim Sonnreich. As a debater, the Australian was runner-up at Worlds 2003 and won the Australasian IV in 2000, 2001 and 2004. He has also been DCA at both competitions. In his essay “There is no spoon: beginner, intermediate and advanced first principles debating”, Tim shows  how one makes ...

The Botswana Worlds are right ahead of us, when next year's Manila Worlds already show up at the horizon – the chef adjudicators of the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds) 2012, Sam Block and Lucinda David, have assigned their DCAs: Cormac Early, Tim Mooney, Masako Suzuki and Art Ward. Cormac Early is a member of the Harvard Speech and Parliamentary Debate Society and spoke in finals at numerous debate tournaments in the USA and Great Britain such as the Oxford IV. Among other competitions, Cormac was runner-up to Worlds in Koç, Turkey, this year and in Cork, Ireland, in ...

Dear readers of Achte Minute, dear friends, we wish you merry holidays and a happy new year! On top of that, we would like to thank you for being such devoted readers. We hope that after the holidays we will be your up-to-date and reliable reporters that you are used to when it comes to debate related issues on the German speaking debating circuit and beyond. Achte Minute is a honorary project which is supported by the commitment of many. We thank you all for your commitment that makes Achte Minute what it is. We are always happy about recent information and ...

Michael Saliba won the Freshers' Cup 2010 of the Oxford Union. In late November, the former president of Debattierclub Stuttgart (DCS) competed with other freshmen at the famous debating union. The Ph.D. candidate from Stuttgart won on the motion "This house would rig elections to keep extremist parties out of parliament if it could get away with it" from opening government. The Oxford Union stages this Freshers' Cup annually for students of all kinds who start or continue debating at Oxford. About 60 freshmen collected points  in five debates over the first trimester. The eight best speakers break to the final held ...

Contrary to the saying "The devil takes the hindmost" John Engle and Declan Meehan from Trinity College Dublin won the final debate of the SSE Riga IV 2010. John and Declan only made it to the bottomof the speakers' tab because their flight was late to arrive in the Latvian capital which is why they missed the first two prelims on Friday. But the chief adjudicators were indulgent enough to let them have the chance of one extra round after lunch on Saturday. A team from London who had missed a prelim, too, was also allowed in. Tricky: It was the ...

This article is not yet available in English. Please read the German version on how Jennifer Holm from Heidelberg Debating Club talks on German broadcast about public debts and other current issues. ...

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