06/04/2022
Bravo to these Ukrainian debaters!
When Russia started its full-scale war in Ukraine, we had to put our debate training program on pause, as safety and comfort of our participants go first. Last week, together with our young debaters and their great coach Микита Буров, we decided to continue the training.
Because we are unstoppable! We will keep studying and practicing — below you can read the thoughts of four young people to find out how it's going 👇
📢 Dmytro Palamar, 15 years old, Lviv, currently abroad
👉 [I applied for Re:debate], first of all, because debating develops skills that are important even in your daily life. It’s also a cool experience of working in a team with incredibly interesting personalities. And, of course, a chance to represent Ukraine in Denmark added some motivation.
👉 [When the war started], my desire to develop my skills of persuasion was heightened even more as I seek to effectively convince foreigners (but not only) that russia is a limitless evil.
📢 Anastasiia Kovalchuk, 17 years old, Novi Petrivtsi (Kyiv Region), currently abroad
👉 [When the war started], my vision of the program changed drastically. In the beginning, I was constantly moving (as every time I moved to a “safe” place, the Russian troops tried to invade there) — thus, I didn’t think I would be able to participate in this program at all. But thanks to the well-organized work of the Re:debate team, I could join the education process together with the other participants.
👉 [What I have learned so far] is that no obstacle can stop you from realizing your dream if you really want it — seeing the conditions in which you have managed to organize this program.
📢 Eldar Vozniuk, 16 years old, Zhytomyr Region, currently abroad
👉 [I applied for Re:debate] to meet real debate experts, realize my potential, join the Ukrainian-Danish Youth House community, and strengthen the ties between Ukraine and the Scandinavian countries.
👉 [What I have learned so far]: the most valuable thing was to build on the simple philosophical truth that any conflict can be solved with proper argumentation, and violence is not a solution. Violence should be avoided by the power of culture and words.
👉 [When Ukraine wins], I will come back home, give my father a big hug, and together enjoy a peaceful, warm, Ukrainian day.
📢 Yeva Kravets, 14 years old, Yuzhne (Odesa Region), currently abroad
👉 [When the war started], I really appreciated that the organizers were doing their best to create comfortable conditions to continue the education process as life didn’t stop. I think it was a right decision to go on with the program.
👉 [What I have learned so far] is the ability to express my opinion in a clear way and persuade people.
👉 [When Ukraine wins], I will right away come back to my hometown of Odesa, go to the main square, and hold our blue and yellow flag. Then I will sign up to volunteer to rebuild our country as soon as possible.
We are now continuing our training, and in the end of April, the team of five Ukrainians will represent Ukraine at Nordic Schools Debating Championship 2022 by Danish Debate Association — stay tuned! 🇩🇰
Glory to Ukraine! Slava Ukraїni! 🇺🇦
