News

The Helpful Hands Youth Group narrowly seized victory against the Child Rights Ambassadors Youth Group in the Final of the Speaker’s National Youth Debating Competition 2024.

The event took place in the Chamber of the Public Buildings, Brickdam, Georgetown, at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 13, 2024, before an enthusiastic crowd which included Ministers of Government, Members of Parliament from both the Government and Opposition, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Participants (Best Debaters) from the Speaker’s Regional Youth Debating Competition 2024, students, educators, parents, and debate enthusiasts.

The moot for this final debate was: “Prioritising infrastructure development in Guyana is essential for fostering regional growth and connectivity.”

The combined average scores for the judges were as follows: for the Proposition, the Child Rights Ambassadors Youth Group, 223 points, and 224 points for the Opposing side, the Helpful Hands Youth Group.

As the champions, the Helpful Hands Youth Group received a trophy, cash prizes, and a laptop for the Best Debater award. Mr. Nygel Drepaul of Helpful Hands Youth Group won the Best Speaker Award for this final matchup. Mr. Drepaul also copped the Best Overall Debater trophy in this year’s competition. The runner's up, Child Rights Ambassadors Youth Group, also received trophies and cash prizes.

The participants for the teams that qualified for the second round of the Speaker’s National Debating Competition will now have to prepare for the upcoming 9th Annual Youth Parliament slated for August 2024.

The final debate was accessible to a wide audience, with a live stream available via the Parliament’s website, Facebook, and YouTube pages. Additionally, viewers were able to watch the event on Globespan and Guyana TV. For those who couldn’t tune in live, the debate was re-broadcasted on NCN at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 13, 2024.