Bosnia and Herzegovina's national team selected for World Debate Competition

The "Equal in Diversity - No Discrimination!" - XXI National Debate Competition, a gathering of high school students from BiH, was organized at the Behram-beg Madrasa in Tuzla. High school students and teachers from all over BiH participated in the event. Young people from: Banja Luka, Bihać, Brčko, Breza, Čelić, Donji Vakuf, Drvar, Gračanica, Gradačac, Istočno Sarajevo, Kakanj, Kladanj, Konjic, Mostar, Novi Grad, Prijedor, Sarajevo, Srebrenik, Srbac, Teslić, Tešanj, Tinja, Travnik, Tuzla, Usora, Visoko, Zenica, Zvornik, and Živinice exchanged arguments against discrimination.

The topics of the gathering were:

- Does BiH schools foster the community of diversity (yes/no)
- Is the exemption of gifted, talented children from equal treatment justified (yes/no)
- Do media in BiH encourage discrimination (yes/no)

Debate is never a conversation among like-minded people. Through their debating skills, high school students showed that discrimination has many faces and that it exists even when we think it doesn't. Differences should not be a basis for division, but should always be the foundation for creating a better and more successful society in which everything can be achieved through agreement.

In addition to the aforementioned topics for reasoned discussions, high school students also presented speeches on the following topics:

- Positive discrimination of Roma is justified in the BiH educational system
- All schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina should provide conditions for the inclusion of blind and visually impaired students
- Equal conditions for enrollment in schools and universities can lead to discrimination
- Equal, but separate – is discrimination

Through individual speeches, the young people demonstrated a significant level of critical thinking and their ability to independently analyze various forms of discrimination that can occur in society and clearly express their stance on the issue without fear of judgment, but also without insulting others and those who are different.

The XXI National Debate Competition was also an opportunity to select the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina that will represent BiH at the World Debate Competition in Zagreb, 2018. The top three teams are: Gazi Husrev-beg Madrasa Sarajevo, SC "Istočna Ilidža" Istočno Sarajevo, Gymnasium Banja Luka.

The best individual speakers were Amina Kahriman, Gazi Husrev-beg Madrasa, Sarajevo; Aleksandar Bakmaz, Gymnasium Banja Luka; Marko Štaka, SC "Istočna Ilidža", Istočno Sarajevo.

The best high school students in the public speaking category were Aleksandar Bakmaz, Gymnasium Banja Luka; Alija Mevkić, Behram-beg Madrasa, Tuzla; Amina Kahriman, Gazi Husrev-beg Madrasa, Sarajevo.

The common conclusion of all participants in the competition is that, unfortunately, discrimination is omnipresent in BiH society and that the solution lies in joint efforts to free BiH society from any stereotypes and prejudices. Differences between local communities, cities, cantons, and entities should be the basis for the joy of living in diversity, and not a stumbling block in any way.

This gathering was realized within the framework of the program "Equality for All - Coalition of Civil Society Organizations in the Fight Against Discrimination", through the Grant Program within which the Center for Dialogue Culture implements the project "Equal in Diversity". The project is financed by USAID and the Open Society Fund BiH.