Peruvian Debate Association

The Peruvian Debate Association is a legally ordained, non-profit institution, which organizes and coordinates activities to promote and increase debate in and among schools and universities in Peru. This association was founded in September 2002, by Sixto Ramos, Philosophy, Economics and Peruvian History teacher at Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt and representatives from 6 other schools; Santa María Marianistas, San Ignacio de Recalde, Markham College, Casuarinas, Newton and Carmelitas. In 2003 the Peruvian Debate Association along with other non-member schools and colleges helped Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt organize the World Schools Debating Championship 2003 in Lima, Peru; the grand final was held at a packed auditorium at Univesidad de Lima with well over 1000 people attending.

Every month the members schools for the regular debates at the Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels, with students' ages ranging from 11 to 17 years of age. The PDA holds annual try-outs where schools send their best debaters to compete in the selection for the National Team to compete in the World Schools Debating Championship in the so-caled "Worlds Style" which is derived from the Parliamentary Debate format.

Starting in 2005, at the request of several members, the Association began having debates in Spanish, it being the national language of Peru, both for the purpose of showing that debate does not only happen in English, but also to broaden the spectrum of possible participating schools from only bi-lingual ones.

Main Objectives

* To spread debate among Peruvian schools in both English and Spanish
* Develop training programs for students coaches and judges
* Support the debate activities organized by member schools
* Organize local, national, and international competitions
* Select the members of the national team who will represent Peru in the World Schools Debating Championship and the Pan-American Competition
* Be open to new school members
* Look for sponsorship for debaters, coaches, and judges to attend international competitions

Benefits for the Students

Debating allows students to increase and develop their skills in a number of different areas such as: public speaking, logical organization, general knowledge, research, proving a point of view, personal time management, increase in confidence and inter-personal interaction, and teamwork.

Member Schools

* Abraham Lincoln
* Casuarinas
* Franklin D. Roosevelt
* Leonardo Da Vinci
* Markham College
* Newton College
* Peruano Británico
* San Ignacio de Recalde
* San Silvestre
* Santa María

Peru in the World Schools Debating Championship

Peru sent a team to the WSDC for the first time in 1993 to Medicine Hat, Canada. A brief pause was taken until 1997, then a team was sent to participate in the championship in Bermuda. Ever since Peru has sent a team to compete every year.

Peru's Participation:
* 1993- Canada
* 1997- Bermuda
* 1998- Israel (Semi-finalists)
* 1999- England
* 2000- USA
* 2001- South Africa
* 2002- Singapore
* 2003- Peru
* 2004- Germany (Quarter-finalists)
* 2005- Canada
* 2006- Wales (Octo-finalists)

All teams coached by Sixto Ramos except for WSDC in Peru 03 and Canada 05.

From 1993 to 2001 all team members were from Colegio Roosevelt, From 2002 to 2005 team members have been from different schools including Markham College, Newton College, Carmelitas and Roosevelt.

This year's team for the World Schools Debating Championship 2007 in Seoul, South Korea is:

* Jorge Gallo (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Gloria María González (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Camilla Korder (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Joaquin Ormeño (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Arianna Plevisani (Colegio Roosevelt)

This past year's team for the World Schools Debating Championship 2006 in Cardiff, Wales were:

* Christian Grados (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Gloria María González (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Camilla Korder (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Joaquin Ormeño (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Diego Ortiz de Zevallos (Colegio Roosevelt)

Coach: Sixto Ramos

The team for the 2005 World Schools Debating Championship in Calgary, Candada was:

* Lorena Alarco(Newton College)
* Ruben Del Aguila (Newton College)
* Kyle Hecht (Newton College)
* Juan Diego Farah (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Gloria Maria Gonzalez (Colegio Roosevelt)

Coach: Alejandro Belmont (Colegio Roosevelt)

The team for the 2004 World Schools Debating Championship in Stuttgart, Germany was:

* Nicole Furman (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Kate Gushwa (Newton College)
* Josefa de la Puente (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Jorge Sarmiento (Markham College)

Coach: Sixto Ramos

The team for the 2003 World Schools Debating Championship in Lima, Peru was:

* Nicole Furman (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Jamie McTavish (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Lucia Benavides (Colegio Roosevelt)
* Juan Carlos Canessa (Markham College)
* Katie Gushwa (Newton College)

Coach: Fernando Rodrigo (Colegio Roosevelt)

The 15th World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) was hosted in Lima by Colegio Roosevelt in August 2003, the first and only time the prestigious tournament has taken place in Latin America. 2003 was a notable year for Peruvian debate, as it also marked the first change in coaching. After competing in the 2000, 2001, and 2002 championships as a speaker, Fernando Rodrigo returned as a coach. Under the then Harvard freshman's guidance, the 2003 team made a strong showing by winning as many rounds in the competition as the 2002 and 2001 teams combined. Following in Fernando’s footsteps, three of the debaters also made the Top 50 Speakers list that year. Though he was no longer coach, Fernando’s continued influence and contribution became even more apparent when the 2004 team made the Quarter-Finals in Stuttgart. This proved to be a stark contrast to previous years, in which Peru was consistently ranked as one of the lowest scoring countries.

Top 50 Speakers
*2001:Fernando Rodrigo (41)
*2002:Fernando Rodrigo (32)
*2003:Katie Gushwa (39),Nicole Furman (43),Jamie McTavish (45),
*2004:No list was made this year
*2005:Kyle Hecht (41)

Peru in the Pan-American Debating Champioships

Peru has also had very successful participations at the Pan-American Championships, which was created by Sixto Ramos. The first one was held in Lima, Peru in 2002 where Peru debated at the finals vs. Argentina. In 2004 for the Pan-Americans in Buenos Aires, Argentina two teams were sent:

Team 1:
* Jorge Luis Sarmiento (Markham College)
* Nicolás Aguirre (Markham College)
* Lorena Alarco (Newton College)
* Kyle Hecht (Newton College)
* Alfonso de la Torre (Colegio Santa María)

Team 2:
* Ricardo Maertens (Casuarinas)
* Josefa de la Puente Colegio Roosevelt
* Nicole Furman Colegio Roosevelt
* Gloria Maria Gonzalez Colegio Roosevelt
* Nicolas Vega Colegio Roosevelt The former team winning the Pan-American Championship.Coach: Douglas Scott

This year (2008) the Peruvian Debate Association hosted the Pan-American Championship in Lima, Peru. Delegations from Canada, Bermuda, USA, and Peru participated in a week of intense debates.

External links

* [http://www.apd-pda.org Asociación Peruana de Debate / Peruvian Debate Association]
* [http://www.amersol.edu.pe/hs/activities/debate_club.asp Colegio Roosevelt debate homepage]
* [http://www.amersol.edu.pe/_sramos/debate.html Sixto Ramos' Formal Debate]
* [http://www.newton.edu.pe/english/Index.htm Newton College debate homepage]
* [http://www.abrahamlincoln.edu.pe/LINCOLNNEWS/25B/data/RACADEMICA.htm Colegio Lincoln Debate: Ganadores por segunda vez]

ee also

*Debate