Doha: The Fourth International Conference on Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and the Pedagogy of Empowerment yesterday called for building an international network of organisations involved in debate, oratory and dialogue. It also urged using modern technology and communication to enrich the field.
Participants stressed the importance of integrating debate and dialogue skills in educational syllabus. They agreed that more centres dedicated to promoting debate and dialogue skills must be established.
The conference made recommendations that centred around the importance of forming partnerships with non-governmental organisations concerned with debate and dialogue to assist in preparing training courses for children.
Recommendations included a call for making the International Conference on Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and the Pedagogy of Empowerment a beacon of promoting the culture of debate between countries.
Participants also agreed on the importance of developing new research in the field of debates and dialogue and underlined the significance of strengthening communication between different intellectual and cultural backgrounds.
The conference recommended investing human resource in the field of debate and dialogue, as well as in programmes that will promote dialogue between nations regardless of cultural or religious differences. More than 300 researchers from 38 countries took part in the conference. They presented 120 academic papers.
Hayat Ma’arafi, Executive Director of the organisers of the conference, Qatar Debate, said that Qatar Debate will release soon a booklet that will include a transcript of the lectures and discussions held. QNA
