The IDEA Youth Forum (IYF) is a high school team debate event that includes three tournaments as well as a week long debate instruction and great evening activities!

1. Update: This press release was published online before the Karl Popper Debate Championship took
place. The Kosovo team finished the six preliminary rounds with four wins and 12 ballots (out of a
possible 18), advancing to the octofinal elimination round, where they were eliminated by Korea HAFS 1,
eventual finalists in the tournament.
Kosovo is represented in International Debate Tournament
Sarajevo / Bosnia and Herzegovina | 24 Jul 2009
Citizen Action FOL'08 (speak up’08) has started the development of a debate program in Kosovo, which
aims to improve the culture of debate and develop critical thinking. Within this program we will create
the School of Debate and will work with schools and universities of Kosovo to build debate clubs. The
development of the Debate Program in Kosovo is supported by the Open Society Foundation in Kosovo
(SOROS) and the International Debate Education Association IDEA, a leading international organization
in the field of youth debate.
At the invitation of IDEA, FOL'08 has selected and prepared the Kosovo team, who is taking part in the
International Debate Tournament “Youth Forum,” being held this year in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The
following students comprise the Kosovo team: Gresa Statovci, Jon Mulliqi and Samin Emini. The team
has been prepared for more than a month by Mia Marzouk, a private consultant, and Ramadan Ilazi, a
debate trainer.
The theme of international debate tournament in 2009 is "climate change". The Kosovo team will debate
in 6 qualifications rounds. The final round of the tournament will be broadcast live by national television
of Bosnia and Herzegovina and awards will be presented by the President of the Presidency of Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
Gresa Statovci, representative of the Kosovo team, said that it is a privilege to represent Kosovo in this
event of knowledge, argumentation and rhetoric.
“It is at the same time a burden for me and for the members of the team. We hope that we will have
success in this tournament,” said Statovci.
Ramadan Ilazi, FOL'08 coordinator and coach of the team said that the Kosovo team has been fortunate to
be prepared by Mia Marzouk.
"I am convinced that we will be a strong team in this race where 26 countries participate. It is a pleasure
that Bosnia hosted the Kosovo team, as representatives of an independent state. Our flag is among the
flags of participating states," stressed Ilazi.
Furthermore, he added, the organization is working intensively and in consultation with IDEA and
SOROS Kosovo to re-institute the debate program, which was launched in mid 90’s in Kosovo.

2. The Youth Forum is a unique debate event for high-school students. It includes training sessions on
debate, argumentation and rhetoric. More than 150 students from over 26 different countries from around
the world participate in Youth Forum. Students are taught by qualified professionals from 18 countries of
the world, coming from 5 different continents.
International Debate tournament will lunch on 23 July and end on 5th
of August 2009. More information
can be found at the following link: http://idebate.org/ideaforum/
For more, contact: Petrit Zogaj at petrit@fol-08.org or 044 195 361
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