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  • This house believes that post-colonial states should prioritize negative rights over positive rights

    Infoslide

    Negative Rights: These are rights that require others (typically the government) to abstain from interfering with individual actions. Examples include the right to free speech and the right to privacy. Positive Rights: These rights require others (usually the government) to provide certain services or goods to individuals. Examples include the right to education and the right to healthcare

    Indo-Pacific Pre-ABP 2025 · Round 3 · 2025-07-19

  • As the British government, this Council regrets the Commonwealth country.

    Infoslide

    The Commonwealth of Nations is an organization consisting mostly of countries that were former British colonies. This organization was established to strengthen cooperation in the fields of politics, economics, education, and culture among its members. Currently, there are 56 member countries in the Commonwealth, including major countries such as Australia, Canada, India, South Africa, and Malaysia. The Commonwealth is regarded as a symbol of unity and cooperation among its member countries. However, opinions on the role and relevance of this organization in the modern era vary. Some see it as an important platform for fostering trade and diplomatic relations. On the other hand, the organization also reflects the long history of relations between Britain and its former colonial territories.

    FIPA 2024 · Semifinals · 2025-07-09

  • That we oppose the reopening of the Panguna mine

    Infoslide

    Bougainville is a semi-autonomous region of Papua New Guinea. The Panguna Copper mine was opened in 1972 by Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL). Local concerns about the mine revived a secessionist movement, leading to the mine’s sabotage in 1989 and a civil war that killed 20,000 people. A 2001 peace deal granted autonomy and promised a referendum, which in 2019 saw 98% vote for independence. The mine remains uncontained, with an estimated $80 billion in copper and gold. The Autonomous Bougainville Government now owns 72% of BCL, and is considering reopening the mine as part of its 2027 independence plan.

    South China Australasian Intervarsity Debate Championships 2025 · Grand Final · 2025-07-06

  • In the reconstruction of Mali's national identity, This House would prioritize emphasizing its glorious past over the construction of a hopeful future.

    Infoslide

    **INFORMATIONAL:** During the pre-colonial period, the territory of present-day Mali was home to powerful empires, such as the Mali Empire and the Kingdom of Ghana, known for their technological development, trade networks, wealth in gold, and established political institutions. Highlighting this glorious past aims to promote national unity through historical pride. On the other hand, emphasizing a hopeful future means building an optimistic narrative focused on new possibilities, moving away from nostalgia, and recognizing Mali as it is today, with all its transformations.

    XI Torneio Temático de Debates · Rodada 5 · 2025-07-04

  • This House believes that the premature death of Alexander the Great did more harm than good.

    Infoslide

    Alexander the Great was a Macedonian king who conquered a large part of the known world in his time, uniting territories from Greece, Egypt, and Persia under a single empire. He sought to promote the fusion of Hellenic culture by spreading the Greek language and thought among the subjugated peoples, envisioning, through his conquests, a kingdom where people would unite under rationality. After his sudden death without heirs, his generals, known as the Diadochi, divided the empire into several kingdoms, which resulted in prolonged conflicts and the growing integration of the Diadochi with local cultures, gradually moving away from the Hellenistic heritage.

    XI Torneio Temático de Debates · Rodada 1 · 2025-07-04

  • In ethnically-diverse states that have recently decolonised, This house believes that national militaries should dismantle residual colonial military structures that prioritise selective ethnic recruitment

    Infoslide

    Selective ethnic recruitment refers to colonial-era policies in which certain ethnic groups were deliberately favored for military service based on stereotypical assumptions about their inherent bravery or martial prowess, while other groups were excluded. Popular examples include the British prioritising the Sikhs and the Gurkhas while deprioritising the Bengalis in India, Northerners (e.g., Hausa-Fulani) being prioritised heavily over southern groups in Nigeria, etc.

    Guangzhou United Asian Debating Championships 2025 · Grand Final · 2025-06-17

  • This house prefers the sequencing-first model as opposed to the elections-first model of post colonial democratisation in South Asia

    Infoslide

    The sequencing-first model of democratization refers to an approach where liberal-democratic institutions are developed by elites who had significant influence during the colonial era before electoral competition is introduced in nascent political systems. In contrast, the elections-first model prioritizes the rapid introduction of multi-party elections even if the necessary institutions to support fair and effective governance are underdeveloped.

    Guangzhou United Asian Debating Championships 2025 · Round 4 · 2025-06-17

  • This house opposes the norm of African elites outsourcing their ambitions to outsiders

    Infoslide

    Across Africa, many elites "outsource their ambitions to outsiders." In practice, this refers to African government officials and civil society leaders deferring to external actors (e.g., major allies and development institutions) to set policy targets across sectors including health, education, infrastructure, poverty reduction, and climate change response.

    Vietnam Asian Schools Debating Championship 2025 · Junior Semifinals · 2025-06-15

  • This house opposes the decolonisation of art by imposing quotas for art from a specific culture in museums, galleries, and theatres

    Infoslide

    Decolonisation of art involves challenging the dominance of Western perspectives in the art world and advocating for greater recognition and respect for art from non-Western cultures. For example, institutions like the British Museum hold vast coallections of artefacts taken from other countries, which many critics view as a continuation of colonial practices.

    Santiago Ortega Cup II · Round 2 · 2025-06-07

  • This house prefers a world where indigenous belief systems were dominant over Abrahamic religions

    Infoslide

    Indigenous belief systems are spiritual traditions native to specific cultures, often predating organized Abrahamic religions like Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. They emphasize a deep connection to nature, ancestral spirits, and the sacredness of the land. Usually oral, localized, and non- proselytizing, they are often animistic and polytheistic

    Northern Luzon Intervarsity 2025 · High School Finals · 2025-05-31

  • This house prefers a world where the Industrial Revolution had began in The East

    Infoslide

    The Industrial Revolution refers to a period of significant technological, economic, and social change marked by the transition from agrarian economies to industrial manufacturing (e.g: development of factories, mechanized production, and major innovations in transportation, energy, and communication) It began in Great Britain in the late 18th century and spread to parts of Europe, North America, and eventually other regions throughout the 19th century. For the purposes of this debate, (1) “The East” refers broadly to major civilizations in East, South, and Southeast Asia, including but not limited to China, Japan, Korea, and the Indian subcontinent (2) Assume that “The East” had the necessary preconditions to begin the Industrial Revolution on it’s own accord

    Northern Luzon Intervarsity 2025 · Grand Final · 2025-05-31