FAQ
1. Required activities
1.1 What are the required activities?
In order to participate in The Global Debates, each team needs to:
- Submit a migration plan
- Organize a public debate and submit photos and a sign-up sheet from this debate.
As these are required activities you do not receive points for them.
1.2 What happens if we do not complete the required activities or if we fail to submit the relevant documentation?
In case you do not submit the migration plan, photos and sign-up sheet we will unfortunately have to disqualify you from the contest. This means we will not award any points to other activities you do and will not list you in the final ranking of schools.
1.3 Can we organize more public debates?
Yes, you are encouraged to organize more public debates as they are great way to increase the impact of your efforts! They are also great way to collect more points for elected officials, media coverage, etc.
1.4 Do we have to organize more than one public debate?
No, you are required to organize only one public debate. However in order to collect more points, you are encouraged to organize more of them.
1.5 When I click the ‘guide’ and ‘submission ‘template’ of both the Migration Plan and the Global Idea Challenge Essay they both give me the same link. I was wondering if the Plan and the Essay are two separate projects or is it joint into one?
The submission form for both the Migration plan and Global IDEA Challenge are the same. The Global IDEA Challenge was an activity aimed to encourage students to plan and prepare for their public debates early. Every school has to submit their Migrant plan in order to be eligible for TGD contest. If the schools submitted it until November 20, they were entered into the Global IDEA Challenge contest.
Just a reminder the Migration plan is basically your affirmative case (policy approach) for the debate about increasing protection of migrants. We would like you to send it to us in a form of an essay rather than just answers to the questions we outlined in the submission form. However we will accept both.
2. Media/press coverage
2.1 If we receive media coverage in our native language (not English) should we attach an English translation?
In order to receive points for an article in language other than English, please send us a paragraph summarizing the article in English. The same rules apply as with articles in English.
2.2 What if the same events gets covered by more media outlets? Do we get multiple points?
Only unique articles will get you points. So that means if the same article or its parts get published in multiple media outlets, it will count as one. However if for example you have Monitor, New vision, NTV and UBC (different media outlets in Uganda) cover your story and this story is written by different independent journalists, then you will receive points for each one of them.
Please remember that it is not enough that the journalist is present at your event. Your story needs to be published and documented!
2.3. Do online articles count as well?
Online articles will land you points, if they are published on the official portals of the media outlets. They will not count if they are posted on your website or website of your school. However if your school has an online magazine and you managed to get coverage there, then it will count.
2.4. If our event gets mentioned in an online blog, will we receive points for that as well?
This very much depends on who writes the blog. If the blog belongs to your teammates or your friends, then it will not count. However if for example local government official, local NGO or research institute mentions your event and your cause within their blog that will count.
2.6. If our event gets mentioned in an online blog, will we receive points for that as well?
This very much depends on who writes the blog. If the blog belongs to your teammates or your friends, then it will not count. However if for example local government official, local NGO or research institute mentions your event and your cause within their blog that will count.
2.5. We held our public debate on December 11 and there was a representative from a local magazine present. They want to publish an article about us, but it comes out only in January. Will this still count for TGD Fall campaign?
In case you know about such case, please contact Alex the point administrator as soon as possible to discuss the conditions and deadlines! Also if it is possible please try to get an early edition of the magazine or article and send it to us as soon as possible!
3. Elected officials
3.1 Who counts as an elected official?
An elected leader is someone who is chosen by the public community for a position within a local or national government body. For example you can invite a local/municipal/communal official or a mayor. We will also accept candidates running for these elected seats (so those not yet elected). Although it’s really good to get teachers or business people to attend the discussion, you will NOT be awarded points for having them present at your debate.
3.2 If the same elected official attends different events, can we consider it to be separate points?
No, that will count only once.
3.3 If multiple elected officials are present at our event, will we receive points for each one of them.
Yes, you will receive points for each one of the officials present at your event. So if you have three officials coming to your event you will receive three times 500 points; ie 1500 points in total.
4. Registration
4.1 Is our team registered?
Please find a list of all schools here, this will be updated once a week. If you do not see your school on the list and it has already been one week since you registered, please contact us via email.
4.2 Our teacher has registered our team. Do we have to register ourselves as well?
It is enough to register your team once. Please choose one person, who will do this on behalf of all team members. This team member should include his/her first and last name, your team/school name and follow further instructions within the registration system.
4.3 What should be the size of our The Global Debate team. Is it possible for more than 3 students to participate in the Global Debates Program?
There are no limits on the size of your team. However it is probably wise to have a team of about 5-10 people working on The Global Debates, as the number and variety of activities your team can collect points for is great and each takes a lot of time and effort. Please note, if your team wins one of the main prizes (ie Youth Forum fee waivers) you will have to nominate 3 students and one teacher who would attend out of your whole team.
4.4 Can university students take part as well?
Unfortunately this contest is design mainly for the high school students. The university students can join in by supervising a high school team, by helping them plan events, organize events and debates. However the main actors in this contest should be the high school students themselves.
5. submitting material
5.1 Shall we submit all our materials via email or website? Can we also send materials in hard copy?
It is best if you submit all your activities’ logs via the website. If you have problems with uploading the documents and materials, please email us. In exceptional cases it is possible to submit your materials via regular post as well. Please contact us via email BEFORE sending the material via post!
6. videos
6.1 Do we have to organize 4 different debates in order to be able to submit 4 different videos and get points for that?
You have to organize 4 different events, in order to submit 4 videos, which is the maximum number of videos you can submit. This means if you organize 2 public debates and 2 service projects and capture the most interesting parts of it, you can submit 4 videos from 4 different events.
6.2 I had trouble accessing our group on the Youtube channel. Are we using a different site for uploading videos?
Yes, please upload videos for TGD to a new host: Vimeo. Please click here to join our group. Create an account for your school and upload your video: http://vimeo.com/groups/72655. We are working on retrieving the old videos from Youtube channel.
