(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Second International Schools Arabic Debating Championship started yesterday with the participation of 18 Arab states and four other countries
Organised in Arabic by the QatarDebate, 22 teams are participating in the four-day event being held under the patronage of H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad.
Dr Hayat Maarafi, Executive Director, QatarDebate, said the event is a platform for Arabic-speaking students to improve debating skills.
She said QatarDebate was established seven years ago as the first centre for debate in the Middle East that teaches the art of debating as a dialogue and culture and critical thinking.
She said QatarDebate seeks to establish and disseminate the art of debating in Arabic in Arab communities and is part of its efforts to spread awareness and promote debating in Arabic among the youth in terms of preparing future generations and leaders of tomorrow from Arabic authentic foundations, which serve language, culture and identity.
Raziv Mustafa, Coach of the Singapore team, told a press conference that their participation aims at improve the Arabic language among non-Arabic students, which is the ideal art to restore the language to its renowned position
Qatar Foundation International (QFI) contributed to the establishment of the culture and Arabic language centre in Chicago
Fadi Abu Ghawash, Coach of the American Team, said QFI financially supported his team in Chicago and provided latest techniques that enable students to learn the art of debating in Arabic.
He said the American team is impressed with the level of civilisation in Qatar and added that there is a wrong perception in the US about the Middle East that it is dominated by conflict not dialogue.
The Qatari team won the first round in which teams from Kuwait, Yemen, Palestine, Sudan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Bahrain, Oman, Singapore and Jordan also took part
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