Thinking Globally, Debating Locally

Let's continue or discussion on the Resolution: This House would end the War on Drugs. Now that we've talked about the national implications, let's talk about the international consequences. Arguments For: The United Nations' drug strategy of the past 10 years has been a failure, according to a major report by the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), which has called for a major rethinking of global policy on illegal narcotics.The report claims that UN efforts to eliminate the illegal drug market by 2019 through a "war on drugs" approach has had scant effect on global supply while having negative effects on health, human rights, security and development. According to the report, drug-related deaths have increased by 145% over the last decade, with more than 71,000 overdose deaths in the United States in 2017 alone. At least 3,940 people were executed for drug offenses around the world over the last 10 years, while drug crackdowns in the Philippi...

Current events are a hot topic in many debates. One of the more common topics we've encountered over the years is Boko Haram in Nigeria. Below is a few notes on the subject with additional resources and debate resolutions to practice. Enjoy! Background: Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, suffers from a terrorist group led by militant Islamists dubbed Boko Haram.  Boko Haram is based in northeast Nigeria and was founded by Mohammed Yusuf. The aim of the group is to establish a fundamentalist Islamic state with Sharia criminal courts.  Those who follow the movement are called Yusuffiya and consist of northern Islamic students a clerks.  Many argue that Boko Haram emerged as a result of deep ethnic and religious divides within Nigeria. When the British drew Nigeria's borders, they merged together disparate groups that had little in common.  Within Nigeria, there are nearly 350 ethnic groups. The country is also split between the Muslim-dominated north a...

As religious devotion increase in China, the communist government is increasingly seeking to establish stricter control and regulations over practices. Many Chinese individuals increased religious devotion resulting from a dearth of spirituality amidst economic growth. However, these groups, while permitted under the Chinese constitution, face greater scrutiny than ever. Background: Article 36 of the Chinese Constitutions notes citizens "enjoy freedom of religious belief" and bans discrimination and state-compelled worship.  China only formally recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Catholicism, Daoism, Islam, and Protestantism; however, other religious are practiced and mainly tolerated.  estimates vary--the U.S. State Department suggests that nearly 650 million Chinese individuals adhere to a religion Chinese government officials monitor unofficial and official religious activity in an attempt to prohibit any activities that could disrupt public order  The Chi...

While everyone turned toward Syria to watch the unfolding refugee crises, a forgotten calamity continued to brew in Asia--the Rohingya refugee crises. While an important global problem, this topic has also consistently been used as debate topics. Please see below for bullets outlining the main issues of the crises, suggested additional material, and potential debate resolutions. Background: Since the 1970s, the government in Myanmar targeted the Rohingya Muslim minority. Many Rohingya have fled Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.  The Rohingya are an ethnic minority in Myanmar and practice a Sufi variation of Sunni Islam. The majority of Rohingya live in the Rakhine State in Western Myanmar and differ from the Buddhist majority ethnically, linguistically, and religiously.  Since independence in 1948, Myanmar has consistently denied the Rohingya ethnic status. The Myanmar government refuses to grant the Rohingya populations citizensh...

When Ciera and I get a fem motion, we immediately jump at the opportunity to discuss issues we LOVE to talk about--women's issues. Often times not discussed regularly, feminist theory and thought (thankfully) enters a lot of debates. In order to 1. improve your understanding on such an important area of thought / theory, and 2. be prepared to hit these issues respectfully and in an informed way in debate, please read the primer below w/ extra resources and some potential topics / motions! Background:  Feminism originally meant "qualities of females" and the meaning shifting in 1892 to mean equal rights for women based on the notion of equality of the sexes  Feminism encompasses two primary claims: a normative and a descriptive. The normative claim concerns how women ought be perceived and treated based on standards in society. The descriptive claim argues that women are not treated to the same standard outlined in the normative claim.  an example:  normati...

During an interview, President Trump’s personal lawyer made a profound statement that “Truth isn’t truth.”   Mr. Giuliani was attempting to argue that truths are subjective that they depend on the individuals experiencing them; the subtext, of course, is that President Trump is not guilty and is being unfairly targeted by the Mueller investigation.  In the case of the Russian probe, he argues that the Mueller investigation places Donald Trump’s word that he “didn’t talk about Flynn with Comey” against James Comey’s, former FBI director, word that he did.  Regardless of the actual facts, this discussion highlights Trumps powerful rhetoric and makes the case that Truth, for the purpose of argumentation, does not exist. President Trump seems to be unconcerned with factual evidence; instead, he builds his support around his presence. Through this process, he makes truth irrelevant. Using his position, he is able to create an alternative reality where everything he says i...