5 Hours and Counting...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTeLRHdiaTs

With only 5 hours to go until the USA Youth Debates Delegation departs for Tunisia, I wanted to provide an update of what we have been doing in the past few days to prepare for the debates and provide a little information about what we plan to do (for all of you who keep asking..."so what exactly are you going to be doing over there?")! The video I have posted provides an overview of the USA Youth Debates process and the theory behind using debate as a tool for fostering cross-cultural relations.

To begin, last night the members of the debate delegation all met in person for the first time. We ate a delicious dinner at Neyla's in Georgetown (to wet our appetites for Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food), and we familiarized ourselves with our soon-to-be debate partners. Following dinner, we had an orientation to go over the day-to-day schedule, and answer any last minute questions like, Where is Tunisia again? What language do they speak? What's this about a revolution? Just kidding; we knew those answers, or most of them ;)

Going over the schedule made me think it might be helpful to provide a little overview of what our days will look like while in Tunisia. When we arrive in Tunisia at 10:05am Tuesday morning, we will meet our host families (smelling lovely of course), and then will get to spend the rest of the day with them in Tunis. The debates will begin Wednesday at the Lycee Pierre Mendes France and will last all day. Thursday we will debate all day at the Mediterranean School of Business, and Friday we will be at the Tunisian Business School. During each day of debates we will be paired with American and Tunisian students on debate teams and will debate a variety of topics ranging from "Globalization is an opportunity not a threat" to "The Tunisian Revolution should be a model for the rest of the world" to "The countries of the Maghreb should form an economic union modeled after the EU." After three intense days of debates we will enjoy our Saturday listening to a panel of individuals who were integral in the Tunisian Revolution, and Sunday we will spend the day with our host families. On Monday we will conclude our trip with a tour Tunisia Live and the North Africa American Military Cemetery. So, if you are following this blog, be prepared for a jam-packed week!

To start the trip off appropriately, this morning our delegation met with Tunisian Ambassador to the U.S. Tekaya and Special Advisor for Youth Engagement in the Near Eastern Affairs Bureau, Andy Rabens. Both were extremely helpful in offering us a platform of ideas to carry with us as we travel to Tunisia. One question in particular that Mr. Rabens encouraged us to ask was, What explains the dearth in youth involvement in the Tunisian political system when youth played such a large role in the revolutionary process? Similarly, Ambassador Tekaya encouraged us to speak one-on-one with the Tunisian students we will meet to hear from them how they perceive the future of their country and the potential roles they will play in the democratic process.

By the time I post this, the count down to take off will have dropped beneath 5 hours! I am thankful for the informative discussion this morning with the Ambassador and with Mr. Rabens, but now, I want to experience Tunisia myself.