Debating techniques, especially debating in English, are still rather uncommon at German schools. We look back to a tradition of 15 years, and we now send an annual team to the World Schools Debating Championships.

We passionately believe that debating not only promotes independence of mind, a critical and analytical approach, clarity in presentation, and a fearlessness in tackling controversial matters, but also tolerance based on respect for contrary opinions. Debaters think on their feet and they learn to use English as a second language.

 

   
  Mission:    
  To achieve excellence in debating    
  To encourage debating throughout the world    
  To promote international understanding    
  To promote free speech    
  To promote the importance of communication within the German School System    
       
 

 

Dear colleagues and friends of debating,

May I welcome you, on behalf of the Debating Society Germany e.V., to the new year of debating in Germany. It is my duty to inform you of a major change to the structure of DSG for the forthcoming year.

At the Jahreshauptversammlung of the DSG (5th December 2009), a new Vorstand was chosen consisting of myself as 1. Vorsitzender (Chairperson), Christopher Sanchez as 2. Vorsitzender (Vice Chairperson), Ulrike Nogossek as Secretary and Tanja Ferraro-Wolf as Treasurer. Of course, this means now that Angelika Höness is no longer the 1. Vorsitzende. We, as the new "Executive" would like to give huge thanks to Angelika for her work over the past 14 years in setting up debating in Germany and being the driving force behind it and all the developments of these years, including the Worlds of 2004 as THE highlight here. We are all hugely in debt to her for her work and we know that we have a hard act to follow!

However, as a new Executive, we want to bring in some new ideas of our own and so we wish to involve schools and interested parties in developing and promoting debating far beyond the borders of Greater Stuttgart and a few scattered cities. This is a national task and we require dedicated people from all over the country. To this end, we wish to put the Society on a fully democratic footing, giving you the members the power to organise the activities intended to help those people who REALLY count: the debaters.
As such, we wish to setup committees to run the various activities (Germans, Europeans, Senior League, Junior League, PR, the website, sponsorship, accommodation, etc., also regional representation to put debating on a local footing) in order to give everyone a say in the Society's activities. And this is where YOU come in! If you'd be interested in helping us out, in order to help facilitate debating for our youngsters, then please let us know by the New Year so that we can arrange a meeting and allocate tasks to various people. We intend to have bimonthly feedback meetings in order to ensure that the members of the society know about progress in various areas, allowing us to all really work as a team. Since we know that we're not alone in this country, we're perfectly willing to conduct such meetings in the form of moderated chats or via Skype or Facebook in order to allow this to be a truly national Society, promoting the wonderful thing that is debating from Flensburg to Füssen and from Aachen to Frankfurt/Oder!

Come and be a part of this project! Come and make debating happen for all those great dedicated students out there!

On behalf of DSG, I would also like to wish you a happy festive season and we wish you (and hope to work with you!) a wonderful 2010.

Regards,

David Whitehead
1. Vorsitzender
Debating Society Germany e.V.