Debating – a process that not only promotes listening but also speaking, not only talking but also presenting – knows no age, no educational or oratory requirements. Therefore, we believe that a debating competition in the Lithuanian language is a universal way to promote self-discovery and self-education for schoolchildren across the country. That is why, starting in 2023, our association has been inviting young people from Lithuania of grades 9-12 to participate in the Youth Debate Competition. It is a tournament during which various and interesting (not necessarily traditional!) topics are debated, while lasting memories and new experiences are gained.
The association “Jaunimo debatai” is committed to the development of debate culture not only in Lithuania but also in Europe. Hence, we foster existing partnerships and participate in projects and events abroad.
We are pleased to report that our association “Jaunimo debatai” has – from April 2022 to February 2024 – successfully completed its second Erasmus+ project, “Debate, not Argue” (DNA). During this two-year experience, we worked closely with partners from five European countries and involved over 20 participants from Lithuania and another 100 from other partner countries. Our common goal was to promote young people’s digital and media literacy through, among other means, the development of physical and virtual learning tools.
“Debate Your Issue” (DYI), funded by the Erasmus+ programme – starting in February 2020 and ending in autumn 2021 – is the first long-term international project carried out independently by our association. We are very proud of the successful implementation of this project – in cooperation with partners from five other European countries – through a variety of events and activities, with the common aim being the combating the rising Euroscepticism, disinterest in news and the declining involvement of young people in politics.
In 2017, after 47 European “Goethe”-Instituts had joined into the international project “Freiraum”, our association was invited to become a partner of the institute in Vilnius. The initiative considered how freedom is discussed in different European cities: What are the biggest challenges for freedom? How is freedom perceived by communities in different European regions? What is the image of freedom in the minds of citizens, scientists and artists in each country, and why? In order to broaden our understanding of the diversity of freedom(s) in different parts of the continent, we were invited to analyse the project’s ideas together with a team from Romania.
It is very important for the association “Jaunimo debatai” to bring together not only our members but also other young people who are interested in politics and social issues in Lithuania. That is why we regularly organise events – often of an academic nature – where we aim to create a free and safe space to exchange knowledge, discuss and listen to lectures or discussions.
The Summer Academy, the association’s main annual event, is organised every August and takes place in a different Lithuanian city each time, bringing together around 40 participants – students and young professionals aged 18–26. The event involves several days of discussions and talks in which a common theme, announced in advance by the organising team, is explored in different aspects. The aim of the event is to create a safe and open space for debate, to learn how to formulate and justify an opinion, to develop the ability to criticise in an appropriate manner and to promote a culture of debate and discussion.
In October of 2024, the association successfully organised the “International Youth Fair” in Vilnius, where we discussed the challenges of integrating young people from other countries into Lithuanian society. We offered debates, presentations and other activities in English in order to help international students and workers overcome the language barrier and establish contacts with local communities or organisations.
In the summer of 2021, after more than a year spent at home in front of computer screens and a real yearning for live encounters, the association launched a summer programme of three initiatives. We are proud that, as part of the project “Tavo žodžio vasara” (eng. “Summer of Your Word”), we successfully visited more than a hundred students in six schools from different Lithuanian cities (September), organised four public debates (July–August) and once again successfully discussed, learned and debated for a whole weekend as part of our summer academy (August).
The organisation of various trainings, workshops and camps to improve young people’s debating skills is one of the main activities of our association. Since the foundation of “Jaunimo debatai”, we have been annually organising the “Alumni an Schulen”-trainings, during which we help schoolchildren to prepare for the German-language debate competition “Jugend debattiert international”. We are also proud of our Lithuanian Youth Debate Competition (taking place from 2023); as the structure of this competition is developed solely by our association, we organise a number of debating training sessions or workshops for young people who are willing to take part in the event. We also collaborate extensively with various teachers or lecturers – both in Lithuania and in Lithuanian language schools abroad (project “Ateitis yra šiandien”) – to share our experience on how to integrate debates effectively into the classroom.
We regularly organise events of all kinds, meant exclusively for our members. Ever since 2019, we hold an annual members’ meeting in Vilnius, and starting in 2022, we regularly have members’ “Brunches” – meetings in cafés of various Lithuanian cities, where we have conversations with a wide range of public figures and creators in Lithuania.
Here you will find useful teaching materials and publications prepared by the association “Jaunimo debatai”, which will help you to both learn debating on your own and to integrate debating into your classroom: