Join us this Monday night to celebrate 20 years of Debating Matters!
This month marks the 20th Anniversary of Debating Matters – the sixth form debating competition I started with colleagues in 2002. What began as a pilot at the British Library has grown into a highly acclaimed national and international programme which takes place across the UK, in Europe and has been developed in both India and Israel, where elements now form part of the national educational curriculum. I couldn’t be more proud of what colleagues and I have achieved.
On Monday 12th December, there will be a special Debating Matters 20th Anniversary Christmas Lecture. The event will be hosted by the DM team, with national coordinator, Mo Lovatt launching the programme and introducing our guest lecturer, Contrarian Prize founder, Ali Miraj.
Ali’s lecture is titled, “Against Conformity: Why Debating Matters” and will be followed by a chaired audience discussion – so do come along and hear what Ali has to say and join the debate!
Ali will, no doubt, be drawing on his fantastic Letter on Liberty, In defence of contrarianism. Ali’s letter is one of three new pamphlets from the series which are available from Monday and which make excellent stocking fillers! In addition to Ali’s letter, Ken McLaughlin writes about the expansion of ‘mental health’ and why that’s a problem for those who are genuinely ill in Escaping the Straight Jacket of Mental Health.
The final pamphlet in this Christmas season is from Debating Matter’s Mo Lovatt on Why Debating Matters, in which she digs a bit deeper into the premise that debating really is essential for a healthy democracy and why attempts to restrict it are problematic. All three are a cracking read!
All three pamphlets, as well as the back catalogue, and will be on sale at the Christmas Lecture on Monday evening. A perfect opportunity to come along and meet Ali, Mo, discuss their ideas and raise a glass of cheer to Debating Matters on their 20th birthday!
As well as the lecture from Ali Miraj, Monday night’s eventwill feature guest contributions from Debating Matters alumni, a teacher, a judge and Jon Floyd who first took part in a special adaptation of the competition which was developed for prisoners in 2015, called Debating Matters Beyond Bars. Jon is a huge advocate of Beyond Bars and if you come along on Monday, you’ll find out exactly why!
So, please do join us to celebrate keeping debate alive and join the fight for freedom at the
Debating Matters Christmas Lecture on December 12 in London. I will see you there!