Kurdistan Foundation holds final round of students’ debate championship

The final round of the 'Kurdistan Debate' debating competition is being held on Monday, with four teams remaining in the competition that has featured debates in Kurdish and English relating to topics such as AI and mass media. The Kurdistan Region’s Education Minister Alan Hama Saeed hailed the Foundation's efforts as "very important" and urged further investment in such initiatives.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Kurdistan Foundation on Monday organized the final round of a debate championship titled ‘Kurdistan Debate’ in partnership with the Qatar Foundation and the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Education.

Of the 30 schools that participated in the championship, two Kurdish and two English-language teams are in the finals.

The event is one of several initiatives launched in recent months by the Kurdistan Foundation, led by its founder Areen Masrour Barzani.

The Kurdistan Foundation, a nonprofit non-governmental organization seeking to provide greater services and opportunities for the Kurdistan Region’s youth and preserving and promoting Kurdish culture, was launched in the Region’s capital Erbil in December.

The platform brings several entities under one umbrella and aims to contribute to the empowerment and advancement of the Kurdistan Region through equipping the youth with essential skills and capacities and facilitating job opportunities, as well as offering broader initiatives that seek to empower and advance Kurdistan.

One salient example of the Foundation's work is the Climate.KRD initiative, which their website describes as an agency that seeks to "preserve Kurdistan’s natural beauty and promote sustainable environmental practices through its programmatic activities, and nurtur[e] a generation of climate leaders among Kurdish youth."

The Kurdistan Foundation has stated its commitment to honoring Kurdish culture, traditions, and values, and to promoting collaboration and national pride among the members of the community.

The debating event was held in conjunction with the Qatar Foundation, with the close ties between the Kurdistan Region and the Gulf state being reflected in the intimate cooperation between their respective foundations. The Kurdistan Region has emphasized strengthening ties with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in recent years, having successfully attracted high levels of foreign direct investment and bolstered diplomatic ties.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in March met with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, with the pair discussing ways of further enhancing bilateral relations.

Several senior Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials and students from across the Kurdistan Region attended the event, as well as high-profile Qatari delegates.

Attendees rise at the start of the event. Photo: The New Region

The final Kurdish debate is between Erbil Girls' School and Penjwen High School.

The English debate sees Hawbash College in Halabja challenge Stirling Girls' High School from Duhok .

The KRG education minister praised the efforts by the Kurdistan Foundation for the organization of the event.

Kurdistan Region’s Education Minister Alan Hama Saeed. Photo: The New Region

He hailed such debates between students from across the Kurdistan Region as being “very important” for the advancement and progress of the education sector.

“I would like to request the Kurdistan Foundation to sign a formal memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education… to be able to invest in the sophisticated skills and the potential of these youth to serve the education system, our students, and generations to come,” the minister said.

Photo: The New Region

The topics that were debated between the participating students were myriad, including the pros and cons of AI on the progress of youth, mass media, and globalization.

Photos: The New Region