The Fourth Annual Inter-House Debating Competition, an initiative of the Department of Health Protection in Anguilla, with the Social Security Board as the Platinum Sponsor, has been of much interest and information to students and other members of the community.
The debates, at the Soroptimist Conference Centre, were held from Tuesday, November 22 to Thursday, November 24 in collaboration with the Department of Youth and Culture and the ALHCS Literacy and Debating Society. The participants were representatives of the five houses (Maroon, Orange, Pink, Yellow and Purple) of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School.
The Social Security Board stated in a press release that it saw “the annual competition as an educational and youth development initiative.” The Board further said it was “proud to contribute EC$3,700.00 as the Platinum Sponsor for the second consecutive year; and that such sponsorship is in keeping with the Board’s motto of ‘Improving the Quality of Life for All.’”
Minister of Health and Social Development, Mr. Evans McNiel Rogers, who opened the debating competition, commented: “The commitment of staff, teachers, judges, media and the youth to these 4th Department of Health Protection Debates is admirable. The debates will heighten the awareness of all residents of Anguilla to issues that confront us on a daily basis, and may provide us with simple and effective solutions. It is indeed an outstanding initiative.”
The Minister commended the Social Security Board and the Department of Health Protection for their involvement in the debates. “The importance of the Social Security Board’s contribution cannot be stressed enough,” he said. “These funds will aid the students of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School Debating Society and the Literary Club in participating in the Leeward Islands Debating Competition. I encourage other stakeholders to come on board to assist the Debating Society and the Literary Club in raising funds.”
The topics of the debates were outlined as follows:
• Is recycling the best option for managing waste in small island states e.g. Anguilla?
• Technological development through social media “whatsapp, facebook, instagram” is negatively impacting our social morals.
• Do food safety concerns support the cause for prioritising the development of our agricultural sector through protectionist policies?
• Individual source reduction initiatives will far outweigh the costs for controlling mosquitoes than through routine fogging.
Mr. Rogers have this pledge in his address:
“As Minister of Health and Social Development, along with my colleagues, we will continue to allocate budgetary support, even in these difficult times, for the departments to tackle these difficult issues. I hope that these debates can assist us in generating some solutions to address these very difficult problems within budgetary allocations.”
