Judges sought for local school debates

International humanitarian organisation Concern Worldwide is calling on volunteers in Tipperary to get involved in judging their annual secondary school debating competition. More than 50,000 students have taken part in Concern Debates since it began in 1984 and it is now one of the country’s largest school debating competitions, giving young people a chance to voice their opinions on Irish and worldwide issues.

 

These debates would not happen without a team of adjudicators who judge each round. Currently, there is a shortage of adjudicators in a number of counties, including Tipperary, according to Concern’s Schools and Youth Programme Co-ordinator Claire Marshall. 

 

“Our Volunteer Adjudicators are the life of the Concern Debates and we would not be able to run the competition without the support of our dedicated volunteers across the country,” Claire said. “Each Concern Debate requires three adjudicators to attend and mark the debate, adjudicators will receive training and support from a Concern Debates staff member.”

 

In each debate, a motion is proposed by one team and opposed by the other. Previous motions include: ‘Individuals serious about climate change must give up eating meat,’ ‘Thirty years on, the world is no closer to ending the global HIV and AIDS epidemic ‘and ‘The United Nations is no longer relevant.’ All teams debate four times in the league phase with 32 teams advancing to the knockout stages. The all island final takes place in the The Helix Theatre, Dublin.

 

Anyone who wants to volunteer and join the panel of judges for Concern Debates is asked to contact Concern’s Active Citizenship team on 01 4177733 or by email debates@concern.net.