ACFODE Intra University Debates Move to South Western Uganda

In its campaign to empower young people with skills in discussing topical issues on good governance and democracy, ACFODE in partnership with Konrad Adaneur Stiftung (KAS) conducted intra university debate competitions in Kabale University. The two-day activities that aimed to select a representative for the western region at the national inter university debate championships in Kampala kicked off with a debate training workshop for the students on April 6^th 2013.

Under the theme, "Youth Spearheading gender equality and good governance in Uganda," the training workshop targeted students from various faculties, including; Arts, Social Sciences and Education with lessons in gender and gender roles, emphasizing the need for promotion of equity for the sake of sustainable gender equality. Professor Aggrey Yesigomwe from the department of Development Studies at Kabale University, who led the participatory session, remarked on the ideal type of gender equality that women strive for, in an effort to differentiate between gender equality and equity. 

The training session on good governance and democracy, which preceded an introduction to the British Parliamentary debate format, focused on developing the students' awareness of the concepts of human rights, privileges and obligations of stakeholders in the practice of democracy and the consequential achievement of good methods of governance.

Some of the contentious questions raised during these highly participatory sessions included matters of discriminative gender roles, the misuse of affirmative action for women as well as the rising marginalization of men in gender discussions.

The workshop was crowned with a trial debate in which the students utilized their newly learned skills in the British Parliamentary format of debate to argue the motion, "This house would abolish the women's seat in parliament." The mock debates were held in preparation for debate competitions, to be held on 7^th April.

Compiled by:

Nancy Nandudu

Public Relations and Communications Officer

Action For Development