United Asia Debating Championship

Bangladesh UADC 2020

R1: Environment

In developed countries, THW increase the tax on the use of non-renewable energy sources to be equivalent to the cost of the closest renewable energy source.

THBT human beings have a moral responsiblity to preserve the ecology of earth, even at the expense of their own survival.

TH, as a developing country, would choose to deprioritise economic modernisation in favour of the Gross National Happiness Index.

The Gross National Happiness Index was created by Bhutan. The GNH Index argues that sustainable develpment should take a holistic approach towardds notions of progress and give equal importance to non-economic aspects of wellbeing. The GNH Index includes both traditional areas of socio-economic concern such as living standards, health and education and less traditional aspects of culture and psychological wellbeing, It is a holistic reflection of the general wellbeing of the Bhutanese population rather than a subjective psychological ranking of “happiness” alone.

R2: Education

THW make entry into university based on a lottery after passing a basic high school exam.

THW not allow colleges to recruit students using sports scholarships.

THW impose a cap on university endowments, in favour of directing the money towards grants given to individual professors/researchers.

R3: The Subcontinent

THR India’s withdrawal from RCEP.

Launched in 2012, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a trade pact between the 10-member ASEAN bloc, along with China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. India had been due to sign but pulled out last year. The deal includes 2.1 billion people, with RCEP’s members accounting for around 30 percent of global GDP. Its aim is to lower tariffs, open up trade in services and promote investment to help emerging economies catch up with the rest of the world.

TH, as India, would aggressively fund the Pakistan Democratic Movement.

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was formed in September 2020 by the leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, and is mae of 11 political parties, with the main goal of opposing Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party. It represents almost the entirety of the Pakistani political spectrum and has brought together the two mainstream but rival political parties, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led by Bilawal Bhutto and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) led by the exiled Nawaz Sharif, but currently headed by his daughter Maryam.

TH, as the Hijra community, would embrace the mythology surrounding them.

Hijra mythology believes that hijras have the power to bless or currse. This has resulted in fear of the hijra community, as in some areas they are hired as tax collectors to ensure compliance. They often force themselves into special occasions, such as weddings or the birth of a child, to demand payment in exchange for blessings. As a result, Hijra communities often live in close-knit communities, isolated from mainstream society.

R4: US Politics

THBT the Democrats in the United States should focus their political efforts into swinging moderate and conservative voters in traditionally ‘Red’ states (e.g. Arkansas, Utah, Mississippi etc.), as opposed to galvanizing their existing voter bases.

TH, as the Biden Administration, would continue the trade war with China

TH, as the Justice Democrarts, would leave the Democrat Party and make their own party.

The Justice Democrats for the purposes of this debate are a faction of the Democrats that want the party to move further left and stand of for universal healthcare, banning on corporate donotions in politics, and the Green New Deal. This includes, but not limited to Bernie Sanders and members of “The Squad” (Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley).

R5: Drugs

THW subsidize the use and development of psychedelics-based therapy as a treatment to those with prolongs PTSD and depressive symptoms.

Psychedelics (serotonergic hallucinogens) are powerful psychoactive substances that alter mood, induce hallucinations and cause perceptual anomalies. They are also known to stimulate/encourage introspecttion.

TH, as religious organisations, would actively encourage followers to consume hallucinogens and psychedelics for religious/spiritual/mystical events.

In areas with significant amount of illegal trade and production of drugs, TH believes that the state should legalize and aggressively produce and sell drugs.

R6: International Relations

TH, as Aby Ahmed, would abandon attempts at creating the proposed Prosperity Party and reinstate the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).

Ethnic federalism in Ethiopia divides governance along ethnic lines into nine regional states and two multiethnic “chartered administrations”. The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) was an ethnic federalist political coalition in Ethiopia. The Prosperity Party was established as a national party and successor to the EPRDF by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and it will run for the first time in the 2021 election.

THR Juan Guaidó’s decision to boycott the Venezuelan elections.

President Nicolás Maduro won control ov Venezuela’s National Assembly recently in an election that the opposition, Juan Guaidó urged voters to boycott. National Assembly President Juan Guaidó and his allies decliend to seek reelection, saying they didn’t trust the authoritarian Maduro to hold a fair vote,. In their absence, most of the candidates were Maduro allies or supporters.

THR the rise of the Thurkish Pan-Islamist Media.

Turkish Pan-Islamist Media refers to state-funded media that portrays Ottoman history in a glorious light, crafting fictional stories surrounding historical figures. These shows have been very popular among the Turkish public as well as Muslim audiences abroad.

R7: Gender

THR the feminist cult of personality surrounding female leaders from prominent political families in developing countries.

TH, as a female executive in a male-dominated industry, would give preferential treatment to female subordinates.

THR the de-politicizaion of the drag culture

De-politicization means, for the purposes of this debate, the refocusing of activities away from political advocacy, protests, and social changes onto other apolitical activities centered around a culture's art form and entertainment aspects.

R8: Economics

THBT the World Bank should hold major government enterprises as collateral while issuing loans to countries who have a track record of corruption.

THBT the post-COVID economic resuscitation plans of Asian countries in weaker economic positions should heavily focus on local production of real secor goods (agriculture and manufacture) instead of on services or international trade.

In countries with large agricultural sectors, THBT the state should impose strict regulations tot determine the output and best practies for local farmers.

Partial Double OF: Social Media

THW compel giant social media and instant messaging platforms (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc.) to demand a much higher threshold of identification and verifiablity from their users.

THR the rise of the influencer business model

An incluencer is someone who uses their social capital gained from content creation to affect the purchasing decision of others. They have a following in a disinct niche, with whom they actively engage. The influencer business model is one in which influencers create branded content on a variety of product and/or services in exchange for monetary or other forms of compensation.

THR social-media-based self-disclosure groups for mental health

Self-disclosure refers a phenomenon in which individuals choose to reveal personal information about themselves to others. Self-disclosure groups encourage members to share personal and community-based experiences to diagnose and give advice to each other on mental health.

Open OF:

TH, as Soudi Arabia, would like for stronger ties with China at the expense of USA.

THBT closer Arab-Israeli ties are in the best interest of Palestinians.

Very recently, Israel and UAE began diplomatic relations, allowing both countries to engage in trade, information sharing, and tourism. As part of the deal, Israel agreed to postpone their annexaion of a part of the West Bank. Following UAE's footsteps, Bahrain too has normalized relations with Israel. Before the UAE and Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan were the only Arab countries to recognize Israel.

TH, as the Likud Party, would not field Benjamin Netanyahu in the event of an upcoming election.

Open QF / EFL QF: Religion

TH, as a ordinary believer of a monotheistic religion, would choose to believe in religious pluralism over religious inclusivism.

Religious pluralism, for the purpose of this debate, is the belief that the devine is transcendental and unknownable to individuals, and hence all religions are merely equally valid interpretations of the unknownable.

Religious inclusivism is the belief that only one religion is correct and true, but individuals who did not have the opportunity to be converted into the one true faith can still attain salvation, if they abide by the moral codes they have.

THBT left-wing political movements should heavily support the re-interpretation of religious stories (of prophets, miracles, parables and verses) to justifiy pragmatic economic goals such as wealth redistribution.

TH prefers a world in which the conception of sin in Abrahamic religions is entirely a result of human agency as opposed to temptation of the devil.

EFL GF

TH prefers guilt society over shame society.

Open GF

In post-colonial states, THS militaries with strong nationalist ideologies over militaries that see themselves as autonomous, professional bodies.

Vietnam UADC 2019

R1

THBT all decisions about children’s health should be made by medical professionals and not their parents

THW ban all marketing for sugary products including but not limited to all advertising and design packaging

THW remove all regulations on Potentially Reduced Risk Products (e-cigarettes, nicotine patches, vapes, tobacco heating products etc.) as a strategy to combat cigarette consumption

R2

THW allow parents to sue their children for abandonment.

THBT children of minority communities should prioritize developing their communities as opposed to seeking personal success elsewhere.

TH prefers a world where all relationships (platonic and romantic) are pursued without the intention of achieving long-term sustainability

R3

THBT governments should not provide preferential treatment to local firms when allocating investment incentives

THW allocate a significant proportion of non-dividend shares in a company to associations or unions formed by the consumers of the company

THBT companies in the gig economy (Uber, Grab, Gojek, Pathao etc.) should be required to provide contractors who work as long as full-time employees with the same benefits as full-time employees

R4

THS geo-engineering as the primary tool of combating climate change

Geo-engineering is a deliberate global-scale attempt to change the environment, in this case to slow down or reverse climate change. Theoretical projects that have been proposed include: dumping iron dust into oceans to encourage algae growth that absorbs carbon dioxide from the sky; sppraying special aerosols into the sky or injectin seawater into clouds to make them more reflective of sunlight

THW abandon the narrative that consequences of climate change are apocalyptic* in nature

‘apcalypic’ refers to the complete destruction of the world

THW prohibit traditional energy corporations from promoting their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives that focus on green technology

R5

THR the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt

The Muslim Brotherhood was a democratically elected party in Egypt, voted in power after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in the 2011 Arab Spring. However, after being elected to power, they pivoted the country towards increased religious conservatism, concentration of power in the hands of the head of state, and disruption of existing military and geopolitical alliances in the region. Within a year of elections, the citizens rioted against the government, leading to a takeover and crackdown of the Muslim Brotherhood by the military-backed regime of Fattah Al Sisi, which has been in power ever since.

THBT the United States should halt all efforts to overthrow the Maduro regime

TH, as the United States, Would not military intervention

R6

TH, as the transgender community, would oppose the use of female-image consultants by trans women

TH, as the feminist movement, should doxx women whom they believe have falsely accused men of sexual harassment (e.g. Amber Heard)

Doxx: aggressively search for and publish both publish both publicly existing and private information of the individual

THBT intersex athletes with elevated testosterone levels should not be allowed to participate in women’s athletics without undergoing hormone therapy

R7

THBT progressive political candidates should not accept large donations (cash, product or services) from rich donors/corporations

TH prefers a world where political discourse does not include discussions of any candidate’s personal experiences or character

THBT the US Democratic Party should restrict the number of candidates announcing Presidential runs for 2020

R8

TH prefers a world where there are fewer but larger charitable organizations combating poverty

THW require all parents to set up a child trut fund* as a precondition to having children. *A Child Trust Fund (CTF) is a long-term savings or investment account for children that is only accessible to them when they reach 18. #### You are the CEO of a charity which provides educational scholarships to students from a poor ethnic minority with historically low guaduation rates, you discover that your program has not resulted in significant improvement in those students’ graduation rates. THW hide the data ### EFL GF #### TH supports paying reparations to communities that have suffered from historical injustices #### THBT multicultural states should actively impose a singular national identity (e.g. history, culture, language) #### THBT former British colonies should no longer allow the maintenance of all physical remnants of colonial history (architecture, paintings, etc.) ### Open Oct Finals #### TH, as South Korea, would recognize North Korea as a nuclear power #### THBT developing countries in Asia should reject the adoption of Huawei technology #### TH, as the India National Congress, would appeal to religious nationalism as a political strategy

The Indian National Congress is one of the main opposition parties in India. It ruled India for most of its post-independence in 1947 to 2014, when they lost the general election to the Bharatiya Janata Party, a Hindu nationalist party. In the recent 2019 elections, the BJP once again won the election by a convincing margin of 303 seats to INC’s 52, out of 545 seats.

Open Quarter Finals/EFL Quarter Finals

THBT the pro-choice movement should adopt the strategy of interpreting scriptures in favor of abortion

TH, as organizations within Abrahamic faiths, would abandon the notion that followers have a moral duty to proselytize

THBT it is in the interests of non-believers to oppose any movements that attach the faiths of believers

Open Semi Finals/EFL Semi Finals

THBT governments should be given the option to compel companies to publicly release algorithms that use demographic data

THS Facebook’s current current moderation policies

THS the Right to be Forgotten*

The right to be forgotten refers the right of individuals to have information, videos or photographs of them deleted from publicly available sources e.g. the Internet

Open Grand Final

THR the rise of corporate mindfulness programs

Mindfulness is defined as the practice of paying attention to thoughts and feelings without judging whether they are right or wrong, and is commonly taught as a technique to deal with stress and anxiety. 22% of employers in the United States provide programs to teach their employees mindfulness and meditation. These companies include Google, Nike, Apple.

THR the practice of Asians adopting Western names

THR the widespread narrative that living a long life is inherently good

Hanoi Debate Open (Pre UADC 2019)

R1

THW shut down underperforming schools

THBT schools should not motivate children to believe that anyone can succeed through hard work regardless of their background

TH, as the United States, would make public colleges, universities, and trade schools tuition-free

R2

TH regrets the commercialization of pride week events

THBT pride events in conservative countries do more harm than good

TH regrets the emphasis placed on coming out

R3

TH regrets the EU’s decision to phase out palm oil

The EU has recently concluded that the cultivation of palm oil, mostly undertaken in Indonesia and Malaysia, results in excessive deforestation. It should therefore not be eligible to count toward EU renewable transport targets for national governments. The EU has also banned subsidies for palm oil. Palm oil is used in pizza, doughnuts, chocolate, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste and lipstick. It’s also used in animal feed and as a biofuel in many parts of the world.

TH regrets the global shutdown of civilian nuclear power plants

THW impose a tax on meat

R4

TH would reserve seats on the board of directors of companies for women

THBT self-identified pro-choice activists who have had an abortion should not publicly discuss their regret or grief about their experiences

TH, as a feminist, would only join gender-segregated labor unions

R5

TH opposes the widespread adoption of facial-recognition technology

A facial recognition system is a technology that can identify people’s faces from videos and photos (e.g. Facebook auto-tagging photos). These systems identify people by comparing photos and videos of people with photos of people that they already have in a database.

In cities with developed public transport systems, THW tax ride-hailing services like Uber and Grab

THW impose significant taxes on companies that replace human workers with machines

9th United Asian Debating Championship(2018)

R2

THBT NATO countries should support Trump’s decision to back out ofthe Iran Nuclear Deal.

TH as Iran, whould covertly restart and accelerate the acquisition of nuclear weapons.

THBT South Korea should donounce interests and plans of unification, and ecognise North Korea asa legitimate sovereign state.

R3

THR Judical Activism.

Judical activism refers to judical rulings that are suspected of being based on personal pursuit of social justice rather than the traditional interpretation of the law. Judical activism can be narrowly defined as one or more of three possibile actions overturninglaws as unconstitutional, overturning udical precedent, and rulingagains a prferred nterpretation of the constitution, in favour of personal political leanings.

THW lower the burden of proof in cause of sexual assault to a balance of probabilities in a court of law.

BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT

Currently for someone to be found guilty of criminal misconduct, they have to be found guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt”.

Finding someone guilty based on “Balance of probabilities” means that it is merely more likely than not that the person is guilty. It means that it is probable, i.e., the probability that some event happens is more than 50%.

THW allow the retrospective application of laws for felonies that were committed in the period where were not criminalized.

R4

THW reject party-hopping ex-members of the previous ruling party.

THR the narrative that democracy is the ideal form of governance under all circumstances.

TH as the leader, would curtail media freedom and jail fundementalist-minded dissidents.

You are a prograssive leader of a democratic nation that is going through a rise in extremely conservative viewpoints. You are convinced that the prevalence of such political beliefs will inevitably lead to a rise of intorelance and discrimination towards minorities

R5

THW allocate research funds in public universities purely on state-determined utility factors.

In countries where tertiary education is heavily subsidised or completely free, THW allow studends who have passed their high school board exam to study any subject in any local university of their choosing.

THW portray Winston Churchill as a villain of history.

R6

THR the existence of the Vision Fund.

The vision fund is teh result of an alliance forged in 2016 between Mr Masayoshi Son (founder of Softbank, a Japanese telecoms and internet firm) and saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Muhammad bin Salman. The Saudi crown prince handed Mr Son US$45bn as part of his attempt to diversify the kingdom’s economy. The innitial capital attracted more investors-from Abu Dhabi, Apple and others. Together with Softbank’s own US$ 28bn, the Vision Fund exceeded US$100bn. That amount was four times the size of the biggest private-equity fund ever raised, and exceeded the total amount of all venture capital(VC) funds raised globally in 2016. The Vision Fund was informally called “the most powerful investor in our world”. The investment fund has bought into many of the world’s prominent tech companies. These include, but are not limited to Uber, Grab ,Ola, Flipkart, and Autol.

THS cryptocurrencies that seek to work with/for financial institutions (E.g. XRP) over those that seek to disrupt the banking industry(E.g. Bitcoin).

Bitcoin and Ripple(XRP) are digital forms of currency with a limited number of units that can ultimately be mined. Both forms of currency can be transferred from account to account(peer-to-peer, or P2P) without the need for any intervening third party. Ripple is the name for both a digital currency(XRP) and an open payment network within which that currency is transferred. The goal of the Ripple system is to enable people to break free of the “walled gardens” of financial networks, to connect banks and other financial institutions.While Bitcoin is a digital currency intended as a means of payment for goods and services, Ripple is a payment setting, currency exchange and remittance system for direct transfer of assets (e.g. money, gold, etc.) that settles in almost real-time, and is a cheaper, more transparent and secure alternative to transfer system used by banks today, such as the SWIFT payment system. Ripple aimes to become the world’s enterprise blockchain solution for global payments.

THW require a proportionate investment by Multi-National Corporation (MNCs) directed toward rural areas for every capital inflow to urban areas.

R7

THR the popular portrayal of individuals with mental disorders as crative geniuses.

THW rank all charities based on their effectiveness and give tax breaks accordingly.

THW make welfare (E.g. Housing grants, food stamps, unemployment income) conditional on finantial necessity only.

R8

THS Ethipoia’s construction of the Grand Ethipian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

The Gran Ethiopian Renaissance Dam(GERD) is the centrepeice of Ethipoia’s bid to become Africa’s biggest exporter of electricity. Locatec in the headwaters of the Blue Nile and expected to produce 6,000 magawatts of electricity, the dam will be Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant (7th largest in the world) and will boost the economic growth of Ethiopia. As a downstream, desert nation, Egypt says the dam wikk disrupt the flow of the Nile to its almost 100 million people, potentially crippling its agricultural sector and industries. Experts say the Nile’s freshwater flow to Egypt may be cut by 25% upon filling of the reservoir. Egypt has been opposed to the idea of the dam and has threatened to spark a war over water supply. The construction of the dam is nearing completion, with Ethiopia expecting to start filling the dam as early as July 2018.

THBT the UN Force Intervention Brigade should be withdrawn from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The UN Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) is the UN peacekeeping operation specifically tasked to carry out targeted offensive operations to “neutralize and disarm” groups considersd a threat to state authority and civilian security in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The mandate names specific rebel groupes such as the LRA, M23 Movment, and ADF as targets.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is slowly recovering from a conflict that led to the loss of some five million lives between 1994 and 2003, but many eastern areas are still pleagued by violence as various rebel groupes continue to operate there till today. Currently, more than 100 armed groupes remain active in the Democratic Republic of Congo and many continued to attack civilians, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and allied Nyatura groupes, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Nduma Defence of Congo-Renove (NDC-R), the Mazembe, Charles, and Yakutumba Mai Mai groupes, and several Burundian armed groupes. Many of their commanders have been implicated in war crimes, including ethnic massacres, rape, forced recruitment of children, and pillage.

THBT the white community in Zimbabwe should be paid reparations by the State for being subjected to racial discrimination and violence.

Zimbabwe is a former colonial state. British South Africans and Afrikaner colonists came to Zimbabwe until 1980 when universal enfranchisement and sovereignty were established. Under Robbot Mugbe’s authoritarian regime (1980-2017), the state security apparatus dominated the country and was responsibile for widespread human rights violations against the white community. Mugabe’s government-sanctioned purge in the 200s saw violent seizures of land, murders of white Zimbabweans, and refusal to prosecute those who were responsible for the atrocities.

The violence against the dwindling white community, particularly against white farmers, persists up to this day.

Open Octo Finals

THBT the West should collectively commit to bailing out infrastructure prodects that default o ther Chinese loans.

TH as Uighurs, would engage in greater social integration with mainstream Chinese culture at the expense of the preservation of their culture, religion and way of life.

THBT the Vatican should cease all ongoing negotiation with China.

HOLY SEE-BEIJING NEGOTIATIONS

Ties between China and the Vatican have long been stained by disputes over who can appoint bishops in the country. China’s 12 million Catholics are aplit bewteen underground communities that often recognize the pope and those registered with the state-controlled Catholic Patriotic Assosiacion (CPA) in China. CPA bishops are appointed by the government in collaboration with local Church communities and they refuse to accept the authority of the Pope. Recent negotiations bewteen China and the Vatican would allow Beijing to propose candidates for bishop in China and the Vatican to select candidates from the list presented by the Chinese. This system would be similar to how Hong Kong’s chief executive is elected.

Open Quarter Finals/EFL Pre-Semi Finals

THR Mattel’s making Barbie dolls out of feminist icons.(e.g. Freida Kahio, Kathryn Watson, Amelia Earhart)

THBT feminists should reject the ‘guilt-tripping/shaming’ approach in extremely conservation societies.

THS vegan terrorism.

Open Semi Finals/EFL Semi Finals

THBT Palestinians should actively pursue permanent resettlement outside of Palestine.

THW universally cap military budgets to a small percentage of the GDP.

THW remove the US Presidential powers to bypass congressional authorisation for use of military force.

EFL Grand Final

THBT parents should introduce their teenage children to robot lovers.

ROBOT LOVERS

A few companies are in the process of creating robot lovers. These robots are designed to create emotional support and are supposed to be able to adapt to different personalities to create remance. These robots are also available for sexual gratification.

THW aggresively advocate against procreation in mainstream society.

THW celebrate sending one’s parents to homes for the aged(old folks homes).

Open Grand Final

TH regrets the narrative of hope in the approach to illness, death, and grief.

In the face of atrocities, THBT death is better than bondage.

THW prefer to live in societies where we are constantly reminded of our morality.

8th United Asian Debating Championship(2017)

R1: Social Justice

TH regrets the narrative that the empowerment of historically oppressed communities is an intergenerational obligation for members of that community.

THW recognise the sovereignty of all land purchased by indigenous clans or tribes.

As the African-American community, THW reject the narrative of blaming structural oppression in favour of embracing one of seizing personal responsibility.

R2: Culture

THBT states should not be allowed to seize private assets that they deem to be historically or culturally significant.

TH regrets all art that depicts or is inspired by suicide.

In post-revolutionary societies, TH regrets the portrayal of overthrown dictators as absolutely evil.

R3: Asia

TH, as Pakistan, would reject the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

TH supports the establishment of an ASEAN body with jurisdiction to prosecute human rights violations.

THBT South Korea should pursue closer economic, political, and military ties with China, even at the expense of its relationship with the United States.

R4: Development

In times of humanitarian crisis, TH supports countries seeking loans from private corporations as opposed to relying on international aid.

THW aggressively divert development aid from international organizations to local NGOs.

In times of emergency, THW nationalise food supply.

R5: Education

TH supports the Kibbutz communal child-rearing method.

THW ban race/ethnicity-based organizations in universities.

As a teacher from an underprivileged racial/ethnic minority, THW artificially inflate the grades of students from similarly disadvantaged groups.

R6: Economics

TH supports the rise of peer-to-peer lending as an alternative to financial institutions.

THBT countries should use their land and natural resources as collateral when issuing bonds.

THW prohibit hedge funds from purchasing sovereign debt issued by countries nearing insolvency.

R7: Environment

THW require all companies that research into renewable energy to periodically declassify their findings.

THW not provide welfare and government services to individuals who refuse to relocate out of areas at high risk of natural disaster.

THW tax non-renewable energy to match the cost of the cheapest available renewable energy source.

R8: Middle East

THBT the Kurdish people should cease attempts to establish an independent Kurdistan in order to seek greater political power and influence in Iraq.

TH regrets the Trump administration’s decision to end arming Syrian rebels against the Assad regime.

TH, as Hassan Rouhani, would lead the Iranian government to comply with all of the United States’ demands.

EFL Semifinal: Media

THBT Western media should cease all reporting on Daesh.

THBT liberal media outlets should engage in the production of fake news.

THW classify civilian media outlets and non-military broadcasting equipment as legitimate targets in war.

EFL Final: Religion

THW ban religious organizations from operating in refugee camps.

TH prefers a world where Catholicism has no central authority.

THW ban caste-based parties in India.

Open Octofinal: Health

TH supports pandemic bonds.

THW disallow employers from accessing the mental health records of employees and job applicants.

An airborne pathogen has been synthesised that will randomly render half of human beings across the globe infertile. TH supports the release of the pathogen.

Open Quarterfinal: Gender

THW not allow being labeled homosexual to be grounds for defamation claims.

TH, as the LGBT movement, would abandon its pursuit of full inclusion into the armed forces.

You are the leader of a prominent feminist political party which enjoys reasonable support but is highly unlikely to win an election on its own. The recently elected head of state, with a historically poor record with women’s rights, has asked for your party to be part of a coalition government. THW accept the offer.

Open Semifinal: Philosophy

TH supports materialism.

TH regrets cosmopolitanism.

TH prefers a world where morality is entirely constructed based on utilitarianism.

Open Final: Politics

TH prefers an undemocratic technocracy over a representative democracy.

THBT Democratic Party should aggressively prioritize class-based politics over identity-based politics.

THBT progressive liberals in the Philippines should actively dissociate from the Liberal Party in opposing the the Duterte administration.

7th United Asian Debating Championship (2016)

R1

In democracies, THW criminalize the issuance of fatwas which contradicts the law of the land

THBT cabinet positions (e.g., minister of foreign affairs, minister of education, etc) should only be appointed through merit based examinations

THW allow negative voting in elections

R2

THBT the LGBT community should reject the notion of heteroflexibility

TH supports the creation of an independent territory for the LGBT

THW require all advertising on personal grooming products and services to be gender neutral

R3

In multi-ethnic societies, THW prioritize the hiring of ethnic minorities for teaching positions

THW shut down schools that have high incidences of bullying

THW make the fulfillment of an Academic Minor in liberal arts (e.g. social sciences, humanities, political science, philosophy, etc) a requirement for all university programs

R4

THBT India should not host exiled Tibetans

As India, THW actively incentivise Indian Businesses to invest in Kashmir

THBT Western Liberal Democracies should suspend trade with Bangladesh until its government takes substantial and effective steps to bring “bloggerkillers” to justice

R5

THBT social movements should abandon the strategy of attacking and delegitimizing the viewpoints of other people on the basis of their privilege

THW determine income tax based on the relative privilege of an individuals’ upbringing

THW impose an absolute cap on the non-medical, non-emergency expenditure by parents on each of their children

R6

TH, as a developing country, would not investigate individuals’ and companies’ offshore investments if they bring the funds back and invest in the local community

In developing countries, THW not allow Multinational Corporations (MNCs) to sue Small or Medium Enterprises for copyrights/patents infringement

THBT government should nationalize all sin industries (e.g. alcohol, gambling, and tobacco industries)

R7

THBT Bollywood should ban item girls/item songs

THBT feminist movement should celebrate the rising trend of open relationship

THBT the feminist movement should name and shame prominent female figures who take on jobs that pay men more for the work

R8

THW ban diagnose-me websites

You are a fertility doctor. A patient, who comes from a conservative background and is married, approaches you to conduct a test to diagnose her infertility. The test analysis reveals that your patient is genetically male, and suffers from a rare disorder which renders the patient’s body unable to release testosterone, resulting in the patient gaining a woman’s physique. Assuming there was no chance of being found out, THW not reveal to the patient that he is genetically male

THW criminalize the pharmaceutical companies for shortages/stockouts of medically critical products

6th United Asian Debating Championship(2015)

R1: Development

THBT development aid should be made conditional on poor countries aggressively pursuing population control

In the pursuit of promoting development, THBT development aid should come with zero interest

THW impose an extremely high ownership fee on vehicle ownership (200%-300%) in developing countries

R2: Women

THBT governments of conservative societies should financially incentivize men to be house-husbands

TH, as a woman, would vote for Hillary Clinton

In order to address the wage gap, THW impose a higher income tax on men

R3: International Law

THBT states should hold periodic elections for their local governments where people can vote to permanently secede

THW allow the owners of IP rights to sue governments where those IP rights are widely infringed upon within their countries

THBT trials involving crimes against humanity should continue despite the death of the accused

R4: Technology

THW nationalize all internet search engines (e.g. Google Search)

THW not recognize a right to be forgotten online

THBT first world countries should criminalize mere access to the deep web

The deep web is the part of the World Wide Web that is not discoverable by means of standard search engines and typically contains illegal or subversive content.

R5: Economics

THW only allow people to obtain credit credits if they exceed the average national income per person

TH supports the use of economic terrorism to fight against unfair trade practices of large nations, such as currency manipulation and trade-distorting subsidies

Economic terrorism is an attempt by a non-state actor of a coordinated destabilization, in order to disrupt the economic and financial stability of a state, including but not limited to, aggressive market tactics, hoarding dollar reserves for currency manipulation and physical attacks to ports.

THBT EU nations should abandon austerity measures in favor of deficit-spending

R6: Refugees

THW give automatically grant refugees citizenship; if the conflict they are escaping from continues for an equal amount of time it takes for a person to acquire citizenship in the sheltering nation

THBT people who consented to be smuggled across borders but are later trafficked, should be considered as illegal immigrants, rather than as victims

TH supports Australia paying developing countries (e.g. Cambodia, Papua New Guinea) to take in its refugees

R7: Geo-politics

THBT the Philippines should waive its claim over Sabah in exchange for Malaysia supporting the Spratly Islands case against China

THBT India should give military aid to Pakistan to assist in the war on terror

Assuming feasibility, THW relocate Palestine

R8: Social Liberties

THBT Western Liberal Democracies should not allow drawing competitions of the Prophet Muhammad.

THW make labour union membership mandatory

TH prefers using referendums instead of the courts in deciding the legality of civil rights

Open Pre-Octo-Finals: Environment

TH, as an environmental activist, would not engage in carbon offsetting

Carbon offsetting is when a person attempts to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases in order to compensate for their own carbon-heavy emission.

THW ban any speech and publication denying man-made climate change

TH regrets fossil fuel divestment campaign

Divestment campaign is a movement to lobby for people to refrain from investing OR for holders of stocks, bonds, or investment funds to sell their shares in fossil fuel companies.

Open Octo-Finals: Languages & Symbols

THW ban all historically discriminatory words

TH regrets the prevalence of battlefield metaphor in describing the condition of individuals with cancer; such as cancer survivor, fighting cancer and lost the battle to cancer

THBT the disability rights movement should exploit rather than oppose “inspiration porn”

“Inspiration porn” is any picture, video, meme, or feel-good article that displays a person with a disability doing an ordinary activity – such as playing, talking, or walking – and hailing such activity as inspiring.

Open Quarter Finals & EFL Pre-Quarter Finals: LGBT

THBT the state should pay reparations to homosexuals after it recognizes marriage equality

THW not publish the names of donors to ballot initiatives, such as Proposition 8

TH regrets granting the ESPY Courage Award to Caitlyn Jenner

Context: Caitlyn Jenner is a transgender who was born biologically male. She was formerly known as Bruce Jenner, a former Olympian athlete and a reality show celebrity in “Keeping Up With The Kardashians”.

EFL Quarters: Elections

THW ban all forms of election-related polls, such as election forecasts and public opinion polls

THBT states should not allow individuals with dual citizenship to vote in either of their national elections, unless they give up one of their citizenship status

THW mandate a quota of seats for young politicians (i.e. 18 to 30 year-olds) in the Parliament

Open Semifinals & EFL Semifinals: Philosophistication

Given the trolley problem, THW not do anything

The “trolley problem” is a thought experiment in ethics. The general form of problem is the following: There is a runaway trolley speeding down the railway. Ahead, the trolley is heading towards five people tied up and it will end up killing them. Next to you, there is a lever that allows you to switch the track that the trolley is on to a track that will kill one person only. Do you pull the lever or not do anything?

THW allow the enforcement of “moral agreements” between private citizens, including the mutual agreement on the punishment administered

Assuming the technology exists, THW forcibly return his memories

Situation: A man who is married with two kids is living a happy life. He got into a terrible accident while alone on vacation, suffered from permanent amnesia and goes missing. Subsequently, he has established a new life and is happily living with his new family. A friend has discovered him and offered to re-introduce him to his old life. He refuses to return to his old life.

EFL Finals: Religion

THBT secular democracies with substantial religious communities should not allow a separate legal system for those communities (e.g. Syariah Law, Canon Law)

THW recognize religious indoctrination as a mitigating factor in criminal sentencing

TH, as the atheist community, will not support Dawkin’s “God Delusion” publication

Context: Richard Dawkin’s best-selling “The God Delusion” book sets out to prove that God does not exist and a personal belief in God qualifies as a delusion and an insanity.

Grand Finals: Social Construct

THBT Western governments should cease their efforts to universalize liberal values

TH regrets the norm of prospective parents actively choosing to have a biological child rather than adopt

TH prefers a world without any conception of gender over a world with a conception of gender identities

5th United Asian Debating Championship(2014)

R1

THBT the trend of placing trigger warnings(sexual content, violence, suicide) for students in singing up for class courses is regressive for education.

THW ban gender based initiatory organizations (e.g. Fraternies and sororities)

THBT companies should be disallowed from attaching conditions to the scholarships they give out that lock individuals to specific industries.

R2

THW break up megacities

TH regrets the resignation of top officials over national scandals and/or tragedies

THW remove citizen-first hiring policies.

R3

In nations with high rates of crime against women, THBT the international community should saction the poltical elite in the country.

THBT the feminist movement should actively support groups like the Gulabi Gang. (Info: The Gulabi Gang is a group of women activists in India fighting for women’s rights and protection against violence towards women. They are commonly called on by domestic violence survivors to beat up their husbands.)

THBT self indentified pro-choice activists who have had an abortion should not publicly discuss their regret or grief about their experiences.

R4

THW prohibit the media from disclosing the political motivation of terrorist groups.

THW only allow nudity in the media that plays a role in the story or furthers the narrative.

THW require judicial approval prior to the release of classified information by journalist.

R5

THW discontinue the practice of victim testimonies during sentencing hearings.

THW prohibit the release of previously unpublished artistic works, after the death of the creator, author or musician.

THW reduce a prisoner’s sentence for every state-approved book that they read.

R6

THBT the Philippines should allow other countries to set up military bases in parts of its territory in the exchange for money.

THBT Singapore and Malaysia should place a moratorium on importing labour from Indonesia until they reform their environmental practices.

THBT public figures serving in the Japanese government have a moral obligation not to visit the Yasukuni Shrine.

R7

THW, as Dalai Lama, choose to be reincarnated outside of China and Tibet. (Info: China has stated that they have plans to control the next Dalai Lama)

THW, as Pope Francis, expose the gay network in the Vatican.

In impoverished nations, when members of the Church have a child beyond their finiancial means, THBT the Church should be responsible for expenses of rearing the child.

R8

Regardless of consent, THBT families have a right to pull the plug on pregnant women on life support.

THW limit the right to receive organ donations strictly to those who sign up as donors themselves.

THW disallow mergers of big pharmaceutical companies.

Open Pre-Octos

TH regrets the dominant narrative in children’s education that good always wins.

THBT parents who actively try to suppress a child’s sexuality should be charged for abuse.

THBT professional sports clubs should not be allowed to contract underage players to their teams.

Open Octos and EFL Quarters

TH Supports an African Union led intiative into Nigeria to combat Boko Haram

THBT India should institute an automatic right to refuge for persecuted Hindus.

THBT the Pheu Thai party should cede one term of governance to the Democratic Party.

Open Quarters and EFL Semis

THW prevent banks from owning a stake in the extraction, transportation, storage or distribution of physical commodities.

TH condemns Turkey’s move to facilitate oil exports from Kurdistan without the Iraqi federal government’s consent.

THW pay reparations to families of victims of the slave trade.

Open Semis

THBT the Western media should not refer to Hamas as a terrorist organization.

THBT the occupation of the West Bank must be considered as ethnic cleansing.

THBT the Pope, as the head of the Catholic Church, should not have called the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory the “State of Palestine”.

EFL FInal

TH regrets the use of graphic imagery of suffering to promote altruistic causes.

THBT domestic based corporations should not be punished by their governments for committing bribery abroad.

THBT the practice of mitigating crimes out of economic necessity does more harm than good.

Open Final

THBT corporations are a bane to the development of third-world countries.

THBT instead of countries directly giving aid, all developmental aid should be decided by an independent institution, which will not disclose the identity of the donor.

THBT aid budget allocation should prioritize the development of mobile technology, capacity and infrastructure.

4th United Asian Debating Championship(2013)

R1: Education

THBT academic researchers should restrict public access to their research that has not undergone peer review.

THW make public universities free.

THW require all public servants to send their children to public school.

R2: If I Were A Doctor…

As far as they are able to, THBT doctors have an obligation to disclose to a patient’s sexual partners that the patient has HIV/AIDS.

THBT doctors should never administer life sustaining treatment to those pronounced brain dead.

THBT doctors should refuse to administer abortions on patients who insist on maintaining a pro-life stance.

R3: Mind Your Own Business

THW abolish all patents.

THW nationalize any company that is deemed to be too big to fail.

TH supports multinational corporations who outsource their production to countries that have loose labor laws.

R4: Social Networking

THBT social networking sites have done more harm than good for interpersonal interaction.

THBT social networks like Grindr should not allow users to prevent their profiles from being searched by members of a specific race.

TH condemns dating sites like Ashley Madison that are targeted at people in relationships looking to have an affair.

R5: Gender

THW require all employees to take the same amount of leave and work the same number of hours that their average female colleague with a child does.

Regardless of parental consent, THW fund gender reassignment surgery for minors.

THBT homosexual movement should out homosexuals they know to be in the closet.

R6: Crime and Punishment

TH supports the indefinite detention of individuals in the interest of public safety.

THBT justice should involve no consideration for retribution and focus on rehabilitation instead.

THW ban proselytizing (to induce someone to convert to one’s faith) in prisons.

R7: Environment

THW not cut funding to research that seeks to deal with climate change, even in the wake of austerity.

THW stop searching for new sources of oil.

THW stop preventing the worsening of climate change and focus on adapting to its consequences instead.

R8: Democracy

TH prefers a system of proportional representation to first-past-the-post voting.

TH supports parties who choose their policy positions on bills being voted on in the legislature through an online vote by their constituents.

THBT majority of the members of the legislature should be chosen from a socially representative random draw from the general population.

proportional representation=比例代表 , first-past-the-post=小選挙区

Octo Final: Geopolitics and Conflict

In post-conflict societies, THW stop collecting and destroy all information regarding the ethnic and religious identities of its citizens.

For as long as Israel occupies Palestinian territories, TH supports an academic boycott of Israel.

THBT journalists should not use deception to gain access to rogue states or conflict zones.

Open Quarter Final and EFL Pre-mi Final: Economics

THW not tax investment income.

THBT governments should balance their budgets unless they secure consent to the contrary from young voters via referenda.

TH supports the wider use of alternative, non-centralized currencies such as BitCoin.

Open Semi Final and EFL Semi Final: Discourse

TH regrets individualism as the dominant conception of morality in contemporary liberal discourse.

THBT political correctness’ gain is discourse’s loss.

TH regrets the state’s monopoly over historical narratives.

EFL Grand Final: Socio Legal

THW abolish welfare services for the poor and give them the equivalent in cash instead.

THBT spouses with no employment income should be entitled to a significant portion of their partner’s wages/salary.

THW have affirmative action for the ugly.

Open Grand Final: Social Justice

THBT all children should be surrendered to the state’s care upon birth.

THW cap the number of years a person can own land.

THW ban inheritance.

3rd United Asian Debating Championship(2012)

R1

THBT those on organ transplant waiting lists should be prioritized according to lifestyle options.

THW disallow individuals below certain income level from participating in clinical trials.

THBT in the event of life-threatening illnesses, medical decisions about children should be made by doctors not parents.

R2

THW mandate equal primetime coverage for men’s and women’s sports.

THW ban all sports that define winning as inflicting pain or glorifying its simulation

THBT companies which promote unhealthy lifestyles should be disallowed from sponsoring sporting events.

R3

THW forcefully relocate talent and allow resources from all the top educational institutions (primary, secondary, tertiary) to those at the bottom.

THW require universities to share the burden in repaying the loans of their graduates if they are unable to find the unemployment.

THW abolish unpaid internship.

R4

THW exempt indigenous communities from laws relating to environmental protection.

THW actively and forcefully reverse transmigration policies instituted by former dictators or colonial masters.

THBT tribal law should have jurisdiction over all crimes committed on tribal land regardless of who the perpetrator is.

R5

THBT ASEAN should have a defense pact stipulating that any attempt by China to occupy the South China Sea Islands will be met with military force.

THW ban the use of unmanned combat vehicles(i.e drones) in combat operations

THBT the USA should adopt a policy that in the event Israel launches any attack on Iran, the US will withdraw all military support to it.

R6

THBT liberal states with sexually conservative communities should subsidize hymen reconstruction surgery.

THBT the feminist movement should condemn celebrities (like Rihanna) who choose to continue to pursue a personal relationship with abusive partners.

THBT the French government should repeal the ban on burqa

R7

THW legalize polygamy

THBT state welfare should only support families up to a certain size

THBT liberals have a moral duty to abstain from marriage until gay marriage is legalized

R8

THBT religions should be held liable for making curative claims on illnesses if an individual refuses to seek live-saving medical treatment

THW ban proselytizing in prisons

THW ban gay conversion therapy.

Octo Finals

THW cap the number of patents that a corporation can simultaneously hold

THBT corporations only have a duty to their shareholders

THBT victims of environmental abuses by foreign companies should be allowed to hold them liable in the company’s country of origin.

Quarters

Assuming that the technology which can predict crime to a very high probability exists. THW use it to preemptively arrest individuals for their (potential) involvement

Assuming it is possible to do so, THW identify and abort fetuses that with demonstrate sociopathic tendencies in later life.

Assuming it is possible to do so, THW permanently alter the minds of violent criminals

EFL Semi Final Motions

THW disallow plea-bargaining in criminal trials

THW make sexual harassment a criminal offense instead of civil suit

THE elect judges

Open Semis

?

EFL Final

TH Supports The Use of Child Labour

Grand Final

THBT former colonial masters have a responsibility to restore stability in their former colonies that descend into conflict.

THBT the International community should form a coalition of the willing and intervene in Syria with or without United Nations approval

THBT humanitarian aid does more harm than good in active conflict zones.

2nd United Asian Debating Championship(2011)

R1

TH would not allow minors to be involved in politics

TH would scrap the government pension system

TH house regrets the practice of ‘tiger’ parenting

R2

THBT copyright of visual media belongs to the subject and not the photographer

TH would build a national DNA database

TH would ban the collection and sale of location and usage information by Smartphone companies.

R3

TH would ban adult entertainment from casinos.

THBT it is wrong to raise money for social welfare through national lotteries.

TH would remove all sin taxes.

R4

THBT countries which pollute common waters should lose their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs)

TH would not grant citizenship at birth to the children of foreigners on domestic soil

TH would pay the militaries of the other states to fight our battles.

R5

TH believes that doctor should never lie to their patients, even for their own good

TH celebrates the willingness of women to be ‘sluts’

TH would allow individuals to purchase behavior-modifying drugs without prescription

R6

THBT China should leave the WTO

THBT China should support the unification of the two Koreas

THBT China should actively incentivize celebrities and public figures who are non citizen ethnic Chinese to naturalize

R7

TH would make education in the high arts mandatory in schools.

TH would require presidential candidates to disclose their official records upon public request.

TH regrets the high priority given to sports in the national consciousness.

R8

TH prefers a secular autocracy to a fundamentalist democracy

TH would erase the legacies and tear down monuments dedicated to deposed dictators.

TH would require election campaigns to be bi-/multi-lingual

Double Octo Finals

THBT states should actively protect the practice of home grown religion

THBT the state should cease to recognize the specific ‘right to religious freedom

TH would not allow religious missions to access the vulnerable

Octo Finals

THW target the families of our enemies

THBT it’s legitimate for states to exaggerate threats to pass unpopular legislation they deem to be in the interest of national security

THW discontinue all Black Operations

Quarter Finals

THW make the raising of business and labour standards a prerequisite for development aid.

THW punish financial institution who fail to maintain liquidity in situation of market fluctuation.

THW discard tourism reliant economy strategies

Semifinals

TH welcomes the development of the feminist discourse that embraces and expounds on the physical psychological differences between men and women.

THBT seduction is a legitimate tool in achieving political ends.

THW send women as ambassadors to the countries that oppress women.

Finals

TH would never offer amnesty to heads of state in the midst of possible regime change.

1st United Asian Debating Championship(2010)

R0 - Ban

THW ban websites that do your assignments for you

THBT that governments should totally ban smoking

THW ban hymen reconstruction surgery

R1 - Religion

THBT the right to free speech does not extend to offending religions

THBT religious organizations should pay taxes on donations received and assets owned

THBT the Pope should be prosecuted for the crimes of Roman Catholic priests

R2 – Medical Ethics

THBT Doctors should be obligated to report suspected cases of domestic abuse

THBT Doctors should not be forced to perform medical procedures that are against their faith

THW Ban treatments that claim to cure homosexuality

R3 – Post Conflict

THBT post conflict societies should recruit rebel soldiers into state armies

THBT that it is justified to represent fallen regimes as absolutely evil in history textbooks

THW confiscate property of those who cooperated with oppressive regimes after the fall of the regime.

R4 – Big Cities

THW pay youth to not move to urban centers

THW place a prohibitive tax on car ownership

THW impose curfews in high crimes areas

R5 – Media

THBT that western liberal democracies should ban online anonymity

THBT the willingness to participate in formal public election debates should be a pre-requisite for candidates running for national office

THW ban advertisements that use sex to sell products

R6 – Pop Culture / Art

THBT Harry Potter has done more harm than good for literature

THBT that important characters in movies should be portrayed by actors of the same ethnicity

THW impose a minimum age for pop stars

R7 – International Relations

THBT it’s time the US recognize Hamas as a legitimate representative of Palestine

THBT the NLD should not boycott the elections in Burma.

THBT the leaders of nations that stockpile agricultural products for economic gain while global hunger persists should be charged with crimes against humanity

R8 – Social Dilemmas

THW compel children to care for their parents

THW allow minors to apply to be recognised as adults before they reach they age of majority

THBT individuals who have undergone cosmetic surgery should be required to disclose it to anyone whom they want to have children with.

Pre-Octos – WTO

THBT Russia should be admitted as a full member into the WTO now

THBT the WTO should hold all countries to uniform labour standards

THBT the WTO dispute regulation mechanism should allow disregarding intellectual property as a form of retaliation to unfair trade practices

Octofinals – Environment

THW make environmental protection a legitimate defense in the prosecution of destruction of property

THBT The environmental movement should publish outright lies about the extent of environment harm to promote their cause.

THBT governments should only subcontract to environmentally friendly companies.

Quarters Finals and EFL Semifinals – Immigration

THBT ASEAN nations should accept Burmese refugees.

THS accept migrants even if they do not respect laws banning polygamy.

THW give asylum to sexual minorities.

Semis – Sexy Time

THBT gay parades do more harm than good to the gay community.

THW fund sex change operations.

THBT women should withhold sex with their partners to get them to end violent rebellion against the state.

EFL Finals – Crime and Punishment

THW create a DNA registry of all criminals

THW physically castrate rapists

THBT prisoners sentence to life without parole should be allowed to choose the death penalty

Finals – Asia and Unity

THW Abolish parties based on ethnicity

THW create an Asian Parliament

THBT China’s rise to power is in the best interest of Asia (Logan wanted to run, but didn’t)

THBT Asia should have a common currency

THBT Asia should have the same electric socket configuration

THBT Asians should all drive on the same side of the road