Eight girl students from the “Nuestra Señora de la Providencia (Teatinas)” High School in Pinto , one of the most prestigious in Madrid, has achieved the success of proclaiming themselves champion and sub-champions of the VII Debate League of the “Carlos III” University of Madrid (UC3M), the most prestigious public speaking tournament in Madrid. In this event held on February 14, sixteen teams of high school students from public, private and concerted centers in the region met. This year, the debate faced the question: Is the international community willing to implement effective measures against climate change ?, maintaining positions in favor and against.
We interviewed José Velasco Arenas, teacher of the area of Language and Literature, one of the two teachers who accompanied in the preparation of these young students:
NGO: Well José, I imagine you are happy for this achievement.
JVA: It is an immense joy, for the prize obtained, which was deserved, but above all for being able to educate in values that help to create a very timely and necessary environmental awareness in the face of the emergence of climate change.
NGO: Tell us a little about the dynamics of this debate.
JVA: The debate consisted of presenting positions for and against climate change in a very tight structure of Initial Exhibition – Refutation 1- Refutation 2 – Conclusion with 3-4-4-3 minutes of intervention each, alternating the In Favor and Against positions . Refutators could also be asked 15-second questions, except in the final minute.
NGO: I imagine that the nerve factor, but especially the attention, have played a lot in favor.
JVA: Surely the tension with attention remained throughout the debate. The important thing is to have clear ideas, in addition to public speaking techniques, that are defended with accurate and forceful information.
NGO: How have you prepared for this event on a topic as current as Climate Change?
JVA: Look, to be honest, we were helped by the scientific and critical material that you from the Carmelite NGO of the UN provide us through the CarmeNGO newsletter and other publications, which have been very helpful. Likewise, the mobilization of moral conscience in favor of the quality of life for all the inhabitants of the planet (animals and plants included) that COP25 recently brought us in Madrid was a great motivating force.
NGO: Do you think that as a Church we are waking up to this integral ecological consciousness that is so urgent today?
JVA: During the debate we did not have time to address issues from the encyclical Laudato Si’ of Pope Francis, but I certainly believe that it is a source of knowledge and moral inspiration for these issues that the Church presents to the world very lucidly and in the timely moment of the current history.
ONG: Well, José, congratulations on this award! And thanks for your time.
JVA: Thank you, and we keep in touch.
