Inclusive debates
Three debate role plays of the EU-funded Ideas for Europe project happened in Belgium and Austria.
The first session took place in Mons (BE) on two evenings. The participants practised debating techniques in a workshop. A week later, they debated in a role play whether we should lower the retirement age in Belgium. Students had the opportunity to suggest topics before the event. The final motion was inspired by the events in France.
The second debate took place in Welkenraedt (BE) on a single day. After a training in the morning where arguments were exchanged on the benefits of lowering the voting age, the participants debated in the afternoon whether the Belgian Royal Family should join Tiktok or rather Instagram, as well as the pros and cons of a universal basic income.
The third event occurred in the Austrian Wienerwald. The participants debated the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in farming, feed and food. When it comes to GMOs, Austria is the gallic village in the EU because its governments have always heavily opposed cultivating genetically modified plants - and it is still prohibited. This might change. The European Commission proposed this summer to loosen rules, triggering heated discussions not only in Brussels.
The fourth session took place in Brussels in English as a vehicular language. Forty people between 20 and 45 came to practice the art of persuasion through debate exercises on energy, values and transport. Although all participants were based in Belgium, over 10 different nationalities were present with 50% of participants raised in rural areas. This was possible because The Dandelion Group teamed up with Brussels Debaters, a MeetUp group with over 4,500 followers. Around 10 people who signed up had heard about the event on social media but had not attended other meet-up events before. The venue was accessible to wheelchair users and the organisers provided vegan catering.
The debates showed that even in peri-urban and rural areas, citizens are passionate to debate social issues and keen to express themselves and be heard. Quick polls and surveys taken at the end of the role plays suggest that participants acknowledged the complexity of the matter and moved away from black-and-white thinking. They moreover felt more confident in preparing arguments and confronting ideas publicly.
Another benefit emerged: better active listening. Participants realised that we can increase the quality of exchanges, if we pay attention to the counterpart's thoughts, perspectives and experiences. They practiced this when they prepared arguments as a team as well as when they debated the opposing side. We honed the skills of collaboration and understanding also in small groups when the teams looked for ways to support their arguments with substantial evidence and personal examples. in sum, the debates helped everyone grasp policy-making better as well as how to engage in constructive conversations either on the social media or in general. Organising the debates in an interactive role play contributed to boosting their confidence in speaking up in public.
Resources
Slide deck helping participants debate better