Alumni an Schulen
The origins of the association “Jaunimo debatai” lie in the annual German-language debating competition “Jugend debattiert in Mittel-, Ost- und Südosteuropa“ (eng. Youth Debate in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe), which takes place in ten countries of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. In the project, more than 2,000 students debate in German, initially competing against each other at the school and city level; winners of respective national debating tournaments then represent their country at the international level of the competition, the final of which takes place in a different city of the region each year.
Debating in German is a great opportunity for Lithuanian students (who have studied German as a first or second language for at least a few years) to test the level of the language they are learning and push their limits. On the one hand, debating interesting social, political or cultural topics requires learners to be able to quickly absorb and compile information to support their arguments in a debate. On the other hand, participants who make it to the semi-finals of the competition have the opportunity to meet their peers from other countries (since the national semi-final is preceded by an international remote training in the region). During this training, pupils prepare for their respective national semi-finals, learn the structure of the competition better and effectively improve their German skills by comparing themselves with their peers from other countries. This gives them the courage to use their foreign language skills more fluently and to argue more thoroughly.
Our association contributes to the organisation, promotion and development of this German debating project in Lithuania: Before the start of the competition, we organise annual training sessions and workshops on the structure of the competition (“Alumni an Schulen”), and during the debating competition, members of our association – also alumni*ae of the project – become judges. We are also proud that every year we are able to improve the qualifications of the project alumni*ae (teachers and judges) – in cooperation with the founders and organisers of the project in Germany.
We believe that by contributing to the “Jugend debattiert in Mittel-, Ost- und Südosteuropa” competition in Lithuania, we are promoting a culture of debate among the country’s pupils, encouraging young people to take an interest in current political and social issues, and teaching them to express themselves in a foreign language in a thorough, decisive and courageous manner.
The patron of the project in Lithuania is Arnoldas Pranckevičius, Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to France and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
