CONFLICT & RESOLUTION
Debating improves your ability to make arguments I n today’s political climate, where the high-quality ‘discourse’ that we are subjected to by crazed tabloid headlines, so- called expert political pundits and, of course, Twitter, results in nothing more than a mud-slinging, insult-laden shouting match between the Left and the Right, debating is greeted with understandable scepticism. Many people think of debating as being increasingly frenzied, increasingly polarised, increasingly likely to result not in resolution, but in more conflict. They remember the angry Brexiteers and Remainers on Question Time in the days leading up to the referendum; Donald Trump’s cries of ‘fake news’ during his debates with Hillary Clinton; and, more recently, the attempts of both Labour and the Conservatives to blame each other for the fallout from the Windrush Generation scandal. As a two-year veteran of the UK Schools debating circuit, I would like to change their minds. The style of debating that I am used to is very different from what you see on television. We follow the BP (British Parliamentary) format, in which four teams of two compete in each debate. Two teams argue for the motion, and two against. The aim is to beat the three other teams in the round, even the one that is arguing on your side. Each team has 15 minutes to prepare two five-minute speeches on a previously unknown motion, ranging from invading Syria to banning gambling to having the state raise all children. Bear in mind that, during the 15 minutes, there is no access to the Internet, so the debaters’ own knowledge is crucial. The teams are then ranked fourth to first based on the quality of their analysis, their speaking style, and their ability to rebut the other team’s arguments. The top eight teams advance to a semi-final and then a final, where one will be named the winning team. This has been a successful year for DC debaters: we were the winners at Cambridge Schools, gained second place at Oxford Schools, and one of our number won a place on the England national team, which has selected at least one Dulwich student every year for the past seven years. So, I hear you ask, that all sounds great, but what’s the point? You aren’t necessarily debating your own personal views, and it’s unlikely that anyone will ever be convinced by what you say, so why bother? The first thing I think debating can do is help break down a fear of public speaking. Not only does practising something regularly help make it easier, but also the speaking tips and
techniques you learn are immensely helpful in providing you with the ability to convey your thoughts to others with clarity. Debating also improves your ability to make arguments. Each round requires you to present the logical reasoning behind an idea and explain its impact, while maintaining an engaging speaking style. Perhaps the reason that politicians don’t seem to be able to engage in rational discourse is that they don’t have judges giving them feedback or coaches teaching them how to pick apart opposition points without resorting to personal attacks. The structured, content- focused format of Schools Debating means that, in contrast to the unfiltered wastelands of Facebook comment sections, BP debates are civil and meaningful. Another benefit of debating concerns knowledge of current affairs. The lack of Internet access means teams must be able to debate on any relevant subject, ensuring that those who read the newspaper or watch the news have the upper hand on those who don’t. Debating also encourages you to consider issues from multiple perspectives, and as a result can help provide an insight into how those less fortunate might be affected by a certain policy, or how we can help minority groups. The final thing I think you can get from debating is a broader range of social interactions. You meet both boys and girls, from both private and state schools, and get to experience a much wider section of society, as well as making friends with like-minded people. All in all, I think it is safe to say that, in a world that is becoming increasingly polarised, the ability of individuals to engage in the structured civility that debating fosters is becoming ever more rare and ever more desirable. Perhaps if more people were willing to engage in such meaningful exchanges of ideas, we might start to see more resolution, and less conflict.
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