[university-l] What is IDEA's Mission in Asia?

Mon Oct 2 10:36:21 CDT 2006

I meant no disrespect at all to Europe.  The point (i
perhaps failed to make) is that IDEA has been
primarily in Europe.  Therefore, it is not natural for
them to approach Asia in the same way it has Eastern
Europe and the Former Soviet Union.  The countries
themselves and their needs in terms of debate are
different.  Nor should IDEA expect that these nations
see a need to keep IDEA abreast of regional
tournaments given the amount of development regionally
that has taken place in the past two years without
IDEA.

I am proud to say that I was able to teach at the
International Debate Academy in Slovenia last year
where I met many outstanding debaters from European
nations.   Unfortunately I cannot leave to go there
again this year.  

--- Liisa Past <past at debate.ee> wrote:

> 
> Dear Jason,
> 
> While I have no desire to take sides in the
> discussion over Asian  
> debate, can I please ask you to remain respectful of
> the ex-Soviet  
> and Eastern European nations and debate programs.
> FYI: most of the  
> Open Society Institute initiatives in the area are
> well into their  
> second decade and most debate programs have
> celebrated their 10th  
> anniversary. Furthermore, many are by now virtually
> independent of  
> IDEA or Open Society Institute funding.
> 
> I think making such an artificial binary opposition
> of Asian and  
> Eastern European debate is both dangerous and
> destructive to  
> international debate.
> 
> Best wishes,
> 
> Liisa Past
> Estonian Debating Society
> 
> 
> 
> On Oct 1, 2006, at 6:37 PM, Jason Jarvis wrote:
> 
> >
> >  The crux of your position is that because people
> in
> > Asia havent joined IDEA, you have no way of
> knowing
> > about regional events.
> >
> > This is not true for a few reasons:
> >
> > 1) IDEA members (Claremont) have attended the
> > Northeast Asian tournament every year it has been
> > held.
> > 2) It has been advertised on your listservs every
> year
> > (including this one).
> > 3) A Korean team won the IDEA Youth Forum this
> year.
> >  Was it honestly impossible to consult with them?
> > 4) IDEA members have been in Northeast Asia, as
> > recently as July and August and were well aware of
> the
> > competition.  Your failure to communicate within
> your
> > own organization is hardly our fault.
> > 5) Debaters in Asia are not attempting to develop
> > debate in Europe or America. Why should they
> consult
> > you?
> >
> > You also say that you are under no obligation to
> > communicate or consult with people in the region
> that
> > you are planning to work in....even when IDEA is
> > entering a region for the first time.
> >
> > This is NONSENSE.
> >
> > The real question, Noel, is this:
> > What are the GOALS of IDEA? WHY are you holding
> debate
> > tournaments in China?
> >
> > If your goal is to promote debate in a region,
> then
> > you have an OBLIGATION to SEEK OUT, CONTACT, and
> > COORDINATE with the people who are already doing
> some
> > of those things in the region where you plan to
> work.
> >
> >
> > WHY do you have such an obligation?
> >
> > (A) Asian debating pre-dates IDEA.  IDEA is
> neither
> > necessary nor sufficient for the promotion of
> Asian
> > debate.  Democracies here may be developing
> (Thailand
> > notwithstanding), but debate has its own
> traditions.
> > The All Asians is entering its 14th year. This
> isnt
> > Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union.
> >
> > (B) If all you plan to do is import people with no
> > local knowledge, and to ignore the needs of the
> > region; be prepared to run an irrelevant
> organization
> > that meets with hostility.  At a mimimum, you have
> > successfully alienated the Korean college
> community,
> > and potentially Japan as well...Since Korea is
> hosting
> > the 14th All Asians, which will be making its
> first
> > appearance in Northeast Asia ever, I would say
> this is
> > an inauspicious start to your plans for Asia.
> >
> > (C) Efficient use of resources would mean
> > coordination, rather than duplication. (Obviously)
> >
> > (D) Given your professed lack of knowledge, its
> > possible your own efforts could augmented by the
> local
> > knowledge of people living here. (Is this fact
> really
> > surprising?)
> >
> > (E) By not coordinating your efforts you run the
> risk
> > of DAMAGING regional debate.  For Northeast Asia
> this
> > is true in the following ways:
> >
> > -Asian debaters/coaches that want to travel in
> > November will have to choose, or will be unable to
> > attend both competitions because they are
> obligated to
> > one tournament.  The fact is that you didnt put
> > together a small domestic competition for only
> Chinese
> > people.  IDEA is ACTIVELY LOBBYING non-Chinese to
> > attend.  This damages the other regional
> tournament
> > that is taking place in Seoul (which, FYI, is only
> a 2
> > hour flight from Beijing).
> >
> > Personally, despite being the Chief Adjudicator
> for
> > the next All Asians, I cant go to Beijing because
> I
> > have obligations to the Northeast Asian Open.  The
> > Beijing competition would be a great opportunity
> to
> > expose more Chinese debaters to the Asian
> > championships, and other regional events.  I am
> hardly
> > the only person who will not have the option of
> > attending both.
> >
> > -It isolates China from Asia.  While its well and
> good
> > for Americans to swoop in to save the Chinese with
> > their debate knowledge, your Adjudication team has
> > never attended the All Asians or the AUDC (do you
> even
> > know what that acronym stands for?).  I didnt see
> a
> > whole lot of experience in the WUDC format on
> their
> > CV's either.  What will the Chinese do when you
> leave?
> >  How will this help them participate in ASIAN
> > DEBATING?
> >
> > Undoubtedly it is good that people have some
> debating
> > rather than none, and there will be people in
> China
> > who get a tournament that they might not have had.
> >
> > However, those goals could have been achieved and
> both
> > tournaments could be better if IDEA were to
> coordinate
> > with people living in Asia.  No explanation was
> given
> > for why November is the only month of the year you
> > could hold the competition in.  Overlapping with
> > events in Europe and the US is not a justification
> for
> > the dates you chose.  The Asian calendar would be
> easy
> > to obtain and should take primacy.
> >
> > Ultimately, the explanations for the lack of
> > coordination are poor and disingenuous.  IDEA
> could
> > have, and SHOULD HAVE KNOWN.
> >
> > Furthermore, despite using polite rhetoric, your
> > response makes it clear that IDEA needs to spend a
> > good deal of time developing a clear Mission with
> > regards to Asia, as well as streamlining its own
> > internal communications before it seeks to meddle
> in
> > the affairs of a region which might very well be
> > better off without its help.
> >
> >
> >
> > Jason L. Jarvis
> > Assistant Dean and Lecturer
> >
> > Korea Development Institute Graduate School of
> Public Policy and  
> > Management
> > http://www.kdischool.ac.kr/
> > Office: 82-2-3299-1031
> > Email: debatekorea at kdischool.ac.kr
> >
> >
> > Korea Debate Listserv
> >  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/koreadebatelist/
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> 

Jason L. Jarvis
Assistant Dean and Lecturer

Korea Development Institute Graduate School of Public Policy and Management
http://www.kdischool.ac.kr/
Office: 82-2-3299-1031
Email: debatekorea at kdischool.ac.kr

Korea Debate Listserv
 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/koreadebatelist/

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