The curtains came down yesterday on a three-month journey of fierce and competitive debating with a group of influencers emerging as winners in the 2023 National Debating Competition finals.
The debate which was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre saw the Young Influencers Programme Youth Group (YIPYG) of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security proposing the moot: CARICOM’S biggest achievements are exemptions and excuses, while the Golden OM Dharmic Youth Group (GOMYG) opposed the moot.
The competition, hosted by Parliament, is aimed at nurturing young debaters and grooming their public speaking abilities, and saw 16 youth organisations from across the country taking part.
The YIPYG proposition scored 603.3 points and was represented by first speaker, Clarissa McClure, second speaker, Andrew King and third speaker, Saaya Prasad. The GOMYG who effectively constructed their opposing arguments scored 596.3 points and was led by first speaker Nareema Ali, second speaker, Devekanand Nandkumar and third speaker Deyomini Ramlochan.
It came as no surprise when the first speaker of the YIPYG, snared the title of best speaker, through the use of her eloquent oratory skill.
According to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, both teams presented persuasive arguments, with a confident approach of delivery and he urged all participants to keep aiming for greater heights.
Throughout the debate, judges and the audience were captivated and impressed by the level of critical thinking and persuasion techniques. However, the YIPYG edged the opposition with their strong rebuttal based on the shortcomings of CARICOM and the failure to promote adequate integration among member states.
The judges commended all the participants on their hard work and dedication throughout the entire journey. The debaters were evaluated based on their content, reasoning, delivery style, and ability to engage with the audience efficiently. The three judges were Valerie Sammy Smith, Neaaz Suban, and Delon Fraser.
Plaques were presented to all the best speakers who showcased their oral and thinking skills during the debate. The winning team of the competition received cash prizes, electronic tablets, plaques and trophies. McClure received a laptop as her prize for best speaker.
