ICNY and International Debate Education Association bring Debate in the Neighborhood to Hindu, Sikh and Muslim Youth in Queens
Queens, New York boasts its own version of the “Silk Road” where a multitude of distinctive immigrant communities thrive. This year, with the help of a grant from the Open Society Foundation, ICNY partnered with the International Debate Education Association (IDEA) to launch Debate in the Neighborhood clubs for high school students at The Hindu Temple Society of North America, the Jamaica Muslim Center, and the Sikh Cultural Society and Gurdwara. After providing debate education, IDEA trainers divided students into interfaith teams for a program-ending tournament about racial profiling that was judged by author and former New York Times reporter Amy Waldman, NYC Commission on Human Rights Staff Attorney Rudolph Pyatt, and former Solicitor General of the State of New York Preeta Bansal. The purpose of Debate in the Neighborhood was to boost the students’ public speaking skills, make them more competitive for admissions to college, and introduce them to other youth as together they inherited a rich American tradition.
Simranpreet Kainth, a 16-year old Brooklyn Tech high school junior who worships at the Sikh Cultural Society and Gurdwara in Ozone Park, participated in the program. As a first generation New Yorker residing in an immigrant community, Simranpreet thinks that “many Americans take for granted democratic principles that people of other nationalities are killed for – like freedom of speech, the right to advocate, women’s rights, and religious freedom.”
Discussing racial profiling was the first step. Using David Cole’s “Securing Liberty” (2011), the
students learned about the common perceptions of 9/11 as not just a terrorist attack, but as an attack on fundamental American values. As Simranpreet put it, “More important than the nitty-gritty details, we comprehended an overall concept that 9/11 wasn’t people against society; it was values against values.” Once the topic was well established in the students’ minds, they began the most influential portion of the program – the debate itself.
Simranpreet truly appreciates how learning to debate has made him stronger intellectually and socially. “I was taught how to combat ideas that are often feared more than anything else. I learned how to speak to an audience while arguing a point. We were taught to be able to balance our thoughts even in the most fragile circumstances. As a result, I am more confident and optimistic. All of us have grown as thinkers, as listeners, as students, but most importantly, as people. The ways we’ve been taught to view the world and think is something unlike anything else we’ve ever experienced. Personally, I deeply acknowledge my peers, mentors, and teachers, for everything they’ve given me.”
Socially, Simranpreet says that “one of the most vital things I’ve learned is how to make friends. When the three different sects of this program first met, I expected an awkward environment. To my surprise, all of us were curious in learning more about one another. It’s a trait I’ll carry over for the rest of my life.”
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