“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.” – FISEKO MUSONDA Since 1974, SEDA has been empowering youth from grades five to 12 across Saskatchewan with the tools and the confidence to engage in reasoned
discourse through debate and public speaking classes, as well as running workshops and tournaments across Saskatchewan. Musonda says that debate provides a non-threatening way for youth to become comfortable with ambiguity, contradictions, or being in a space where you may disagree with someone, but still seek to understand. “When debaters are forced to inhabit a space they don’t typically take, or an approach they don’t necessarily agree with, they learn to sit with that discovery,” she says. “They learn that we can disagree peacefully. They figure out how to respond and react rationally, even when confronted with strong emotions.”
That discomfort, Musonda says, indicates not only a change in perspective is coming, but also signals important realizations that contribute to the development of empathy. She believes that feeling discomfort is necessary for change. “If you’ve never experienced discomfort, it means you’ve been comfortable this entire time, while someone else has been uncomfortable. So when you do feel discomfort, it might be the moment when someone else is finally feeling at ease,” Musonda says. The Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate Association receives Annual Global Funding from the Sask Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation.
Young people across Saskatchewan participated in the Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate Association’s province-wide championship in 2024, where they got to practice their speaking and critical thinking skills. (Photos courtesy of the Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate Association)
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SPRING 2025
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