I was invited to the Verbattle Debate Competition 2023 on 15 July 2023 held at Bharat Scouts and Guides Auditorium, Palace Road, Bengaluru. It was one of the several clamber events for Verbattle Junior that the Verbattle Academy holds inviting schools across the city to participate in fierce yet civil debating. While I judged 69 teams across 23 calls, I was astonished at how the young participants debated on topics ranging from social issues to technological developments with absolute brilliance.
There was participation from schools across the city with children from the group of 12-16 who possessed some fine skills. At that age, I wondered, if I could put together a phrase so strongly in the English language while the children at Verbattle debates are able to comprehend and explain complex topics like AI going rogue, freebies for the poor, women in politics, urbanization, and whatnot.
The Format At Its Best…
The patented format of Verbattle makes it stand out. Usual debates are ‘one vs one’ but in Verbattle there are 3 teams battling out their wits. One of them will be for the motion and the other against the motion or vice versa. The judges are given various criteria to judge the teams on and how well they showcase their stance on the topic. The debate is a crisp and short form where each team gets about 12-15 minutes to bring out the best they have and impress the audience and judges with their unique viewpoint.
What got me more closer to Verbattle is how it inculcates a spirit of healthy and civil debating in the children at such a tender age as it forms a strong foundation of a democratic nation. Children at this age understand what is it to be politically correct and how to present themselves well in front of an audience so huge.
Another aspect that connects me to Verbattle is the vision of the man, Mr. Deepak Thimaya, the brain behind this amazing concept. While I discussed with him, he told me that it is the joy of listening to your opponent’s viewpoint, also if a child must speak strongly about what he or she believes in, he or she must also listen intently when an opposing view is presented.
Mr. Deepak Thimaya
Verbattle started in 2005 and has reached an international stature holding events across European Union and North America apart from the Indian subcontinent with their training and leadership programs. Verbattle aims to popularize its debate format in every corner of the world. The organization wants to reach every school child and youth as the champion of conflict resolution through verbal civil interaction, through debate, and dialogue. As an ultimate goal, Verbattle would be involved in the spread of democracy throughout the world for the establishment of vibrant and practical democratic processes and systems in all aspects of private and public functions.
