The ADK

Civic association "Debate Clubs' Association" (ADK) has been established with the aim of promotion of spiritual values, humanitarian goals and advancement of education and culture in the Czech Republic. In the spheres of education, attainments and social the association helps in active self-education. In its activities the ADK is backed by Sir Popper's idea of building-up of the open society, that being mainly characterised by freedom and responsibility, democracy and peace. The aim of the ADK is to - through the medium of entertaining competitive debates - educate young people in the Czech republic and to lead them is such a way that K. Popper's ideals would become their norm in building up both their own personalities and the whole society as well. Debate competitions are not a goal but rather a means in fulfilling this popularly desirable goal.

The association organises in the Czech Republic the international Karl Popper Debate Programme - competitions of young people in academic debating.

Competitive academic debating is an extracurricular activity developing in a drawing way skills of critical thinking, argumentation and rhetoric and deepening knowledge of participants. In its ultimate consequence debating promotes values of tolerance and critical respect to opinion of others. At debate tournaments controversial, usually known-beforehand motions are debated. (For the 1999/2000 academic year the national motions are: "The Czech Republic should aim to become a member of the EU" and "The world should limit economic development for the protection of environment.")

Debate competitions are held in English and Czech; however, the ADK is ready to offer debating as a means of language perfection for students of French, German, Spanish and Russian as well. In the 1999/00 academic year 74 teams in Czech and 25 secondary school teams in English met to compete in 405 debates.

The Open Society Fund Prague has introduced the Karl Popper Debate Programme to the Czech Republic in 1994. The OSF Prague managed the programme until January 1999 when the ADK came into being. The ADK is currently sponsored -through the OSF Prague- by the Open Society Institute New York. Since the financial support can not cover all costs of the ADK and is declining, the association welcomes sponsorship of its individual undertakings. At the same time the ADK looks for its future general partner.

Activities of the ADK include namely organisation of competitions in academic debate and training and seminars for those interested in communication from amongst the ranks of students, teachers and general public. The ADK annually runs its summer camp focused on timely societal issue.

The ADK wants to be an open organisation, open to anybody interested in its activities under the conditions set by its statutes. The ADK members participate at the programme on the basis of voluntary work and their own interest. The aim of the ADK is not to create association of young intellectuals but to create and offer opportunities for anybody who seeks self-perfection.

The Debate Clubs' Association aims to create in the Czech Republic an alternative to methods of education currently used at schools and to offer its own as well as international experience with the work with young people on the basis of building mutually responsible relationship towards educational process.

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