The Debate Ghana Association has appointed Antonio Edem Asinyo, a final year student of University of Ghana, as Ghana’s Debate Brand Ambassador for 2014.

A statement signed by the CEO of the Debate Ghana Association, Christian Lebrecht Malm-Hesse, said the appointment is geared towards influencing the expansion of the debate community especially the Tertiary Debate Program through the promotion of debate and debate related activities among tertiary institutions in the country.

Mr. Asinyo who is also the president of the University of Ghana Debate Society is to help the Association form Debate Societies on campuses of universities and polytechnics identified.

The statement added that Ghana’s tertiary institutions are to be trained through the Tertiary Debate Program so as to migrate from the middle school debate format to the British Parliamentary style for qualifications to events like the annual Ghana Tertiary Debating Championships and the Pan African and World Universities Debating Championships.

PRESS RELEASE

The Executive Council of Debate Ghana Association gives notice to all tertiary institutions and the general public of the appointment of Mr. Antonio Edem Asinyo, a final year student of University of Ghana as the Debate Brand Ambassador 2014 for the country. He is the current President of the University of Ghana Debate Society.

Furthermore, the need for rapid debate development amongst tertiary institutions in the country is imperative. Moreover, emphasizing shared growth and wider inclusive participation of universities and polytechnics in the construction of national tertiary debate programmes and the annual Ghana Tertiary Debating Championships is essential.

A deliberate strategic action plan is situated in this initiative to influence the expansion of the debate community particularly referring to the Tertiary Debate Program. Debate Fellowship Award for Youth Leadership Initiative would be awarded Mr. Asinyo upon excelling with his Youth Initiatives.

The appointee thereof would promote debate and debate related activities among tertiary institutions in the country and help the Association to form Debate Societies on campuses of universities and polytechnics identified.

Institution would then be streamlined into Tertiary Debate Program i.e. debate education and training where the universities would be migrated from the middle school debate format to the British Parliamentary style, and events as the annual Ghana Tertiary Debating Championships and the Pan African and World Universities Debating Championships for their participation, etc.

Debate Ghana Association is a citadel of excellence and the National Debate Organisation registered under the Laws of Ghana. It is a wholly educational organisation made up of established institution Debate Societies and promotes open society activities in Ghana through Debate, Public Speaking and other related literary Arts activities. The Association creates and supports an extended community of established institutions ( i.e. tertiary, Senior and Junior High schools) or individuals by providing tailored education as well as nurture, cultivate and grow the community of debate practitioners, including students, coaches, judges, teachers, and organizations to foster a healthy climate for student debate in Ghana.

Amongst the major programs of the Association is the Tertiary Debate Programme which is prominently made up of the annual Ghana Tertiary Debating Championships and the Academy Courses Modules Registration programs (ACMR). The former is a television programme scheduled to show on television in March, 2014. Tertiary Debate Societies after participation at this national event represent the country at the Pan African and World University Debating Championships respectively.

The Association led the Ghana delegation to the Pan African Universities Debating Championships 2012 in South Africa with University of Ghana winning Best Speaker of Country, and two speakers winning medals for Top Five Best Speakers with Best New Adjudicator won by an official of the Association. The training granted Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology paid off as they won Best Public Speaker, First and Second runners up in the same category and Islamic University reaching the semi-finals of same event in the 2013.

Moreover, the Ghana Junior Forensic League is an endorsed programme by the Ghana Education Service. It has identified over 1000 students from the Gt. Accra region since 2010. It has inaugurated debate clubs in over 16 basic schools in both private and public schools under the middle school debate format. Students are trained per curriculum designed by expert trainers of the Association.

The Association has collaborated with the UN Foundation and International Debate Education Association on the Global Initiative in Ghana, 2011. It also won a grant from Open Society Institute, USA and partnered the Association’s maiden Ghana Tertiary Debating Champs 2012(March). Nonetheless, it worked with World Affairs Council, Philadelphia USA on the ‘‘Horn of Africa’’ conference in 2012. The Association is affiliated to the Ghana Youth Authority, West African Debate Board, Togo Debate Association, South African Debate Board, member of the Pan African and World Debate Council and Argentina Debate Board.

“With your support we can develop the Youth of Ghana in argumentation and democracy”.

Christian Lebrecht Malm-Hesse

Chief Executive Officer

Debate Ghana Association

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