shaping open minds Through Debate Helps Youth Explore New Perspectives BY JACKIE LEDINGHAM
I n a world filled with different opinions, learning to see from someone else’s perspective has never been more important. That’s exactly what the Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate Association (SEDA) is helping young people do — one conversation and one open mind at a time. Fiseko Musonda, executive director, SEDA, says engaging in debate is an innovative way to develop critical thinking skills and
the ability to have difficult conversations. “It truly forces you to evaluate and confront why you think about things the way that you do, or how certain positions come about and also forces you to inhabit a different space when you’re participating in that debate,” Musonda says. Now more than ever, she adds, the essential skills that debate develops are necessary for youth.
“In contemporary society, critical thinking skills are very valuable, especially with the overwhelming amount of information that’s always coming our way. That skill equips youth with a way to handle that,” she says. “It teaches them to take a second and take a deep breath, pause, wait, and then ask, ‘where is this information coming from? Why is the story framed in this way? Who’s benefiting from it? Who’s being harmed? Maybe I need to investigate a little bit more.’”
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SPRING 2025
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