Statement by Adv. André Gaum, Minister of Education in the Western Cape

Four learners from the Western Cape leave for the United Nations Headquarters in New York tomorrow (10 March 2004) to compete in the finals of the UN Model Debating competition.

Lisa Brown and Minette Geldenhuys from De Kuilen High School, and Shireen Florence and Monray Lopes from Ravensmead Senior Secondary School partnered for the regional competition during August last year and represented the Western Cape at the National leg. They debated with teams from all the provinces and walked away the winners of this prestigious and worthy international initiative.

The delegation to New York consists of the Debating Team as well as one representative from each province to make up the team of 12. The team has to compete against some 2 200 learners from around the world.

The competition is a joint venture between the Department of Education, South African Breweries Limited and Education Africa, and therefore represents another successful partnership between the private and the public arena to the benefit of education.

I would like to thank SA Breweries for their support of this project. Your continued commitment is much appreciated.

The Regional competition involves two learners from a historically advantaged school and two from a historically disadvantaged school that team up and debate together throughout the competition. The competition serves the important goals of nation building.

Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General has declared that that through Model United Nations programmes, students learn skills that will aid them later in life - in conflict resolution, speech making, debating, research, and negotiation. The programme also introduces them to the United Nations, the vital role it plays in today's world and the impact it has on their lives and their communities.

The significance of our participation in this competition becomes apparent as we celebrate our ten years of democracy. When the United Nations first launched this contest in South Africa in 1995, the South African democracy was very young in terms of world events.

However, South Africa was hailed as a miracle country because the country had turned its back on the real possibility of civil war and had resolved political differences by means of debate, dialogue and negotiation. South Africa had achieved the ideal that had brought the United Nations into existence.

It is thus no wonder that previous teams from South Africa have achieved second and third positions in previous years and has received many merit awards. We are hopeful and confident that the team from the Western Cape will do the Western Cape and the whole of South Africa proud.

The Provincial Model UN Debate Competition brings our learners into a great tradition – the tradition of debate that we have inherited from the great oral traditions of African, European and other cultures. Discussion and dialogue has become a way of life for us here in the Western Cape and in our country as a whole.

As this project gives the youth of our province an opportunity to become well versed in the resolution of dispute through debate and also cultivates the democratic values of transparency and inclusiveness.

I support the team wholeheartedly and I believe that their achievement lays the foundation for more learners from the Western Cape to make use of such opportunities to succeed, just as much as it allows this team to gain the needed experience to fulfil their leadership-roles when they return.

Inquires: Rudi Buys at  082 577 6551