This House Regrets the narrative that people should not
date within their own friend groups
2
This house would rather be a part of the 'Club 27' than live
an average anonymous life
Info Slide
Club 27 represents musicians, artists, and actors who died when they were 27 years old, most often as a consequence of alcohol, sex and drug abuse. Some of the most prominent examples include Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Jimmy Hendrix, etc.
3
This House believes that individuals in conservative
societies who are trapped in loveless marriages are
justified in engaging in infidelity when undergoing sexual
identity exploration
Semifinals
1
This house believes that governments should abandon the strategy of "decapitation" in fighting terrorism.
Info Slide
In the context of anti-terrorism, "decapitation" refers to the strategy of targeting terrorist leaders for assassination<font color="#ffffff"><b>.</b></font>
2
This house would replace existing welfare systems with a universal basic income.
3
THBT threat to energy security forms legitimate grounds for war
Pre-Semi Finals
1
TH, as a democratically elected African leader facing a jihadist insurgency, would seek military aid from Russia instead of France.
2
This House, as the leader of an autonomous ethnic statelet in Myanmar, would declare independence and seek to establish a permanent ethnic homeland.
Info Slide
In 2021, the military of Myanmar overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government, provoking a civil war. Since October 2023, the military junta has suffered significant defeats at the hands of a variety of armies representing different ethnic groups. Large parts of the country, especially the borderlands, are now controlled by functionally autonomous statelets run by these ethnic armies.
3
This House believes that it is in the interests of Pacific Islands nations to align with China instead of the United States
Round 5
1
This House supports the widespread adoption of the Cocobod model in the agricultural industry.
Info Slide
The Ghana Cocoa Board, also called Cocobod, is a state-run organisation that purchases cocoa beans from farmers and sells them on to traders. It sells the beans to traders at market price, but buys the beans at a price fixed at the start of the year to smooth out fluctuations in cocoa market value.
2
This House would implement a global carbon tax on all shipping.
3
This House regrets the decline of the activist short-selling industry.
Info Slide
Activist short-sellers investigate companies, short the stock of those they claim to be engaging in fraud or mismanagement, and then publish reports detailing their claims. They hope that the company’s stock price will fall, which would make them profit. The industry is legally fraught and has been in a decline for years, exemplified by the shutting down of Hindenburg Group, famous for shorting the Adani Group in 2023.
Round 4
1
This House would prioritize creating conditions for universal leisure over trying/training to find 'meaningful work' for all.
2
This House regrets the emphasis on authenticity in modern culture.
3
THP to live without ever forming strong emotional attachments to anything (e.g. relationships, jobs, humans, pets etc)
Round 3
1
THBT for climate-vulnerable nations facing debt distress, unconditional debt cancellation is a more just and effective form of climate action than conditional climate finance.
2
THS community-based resource management over centralized state control for the governance of local ecosystems (forests, fisheries, etc.)
3
This house would prioritise command-and-control regulation (eg bans, performance mandate) over market-based approach to regulation (eg carbon taxes, cap-and-trade) in addressing environmental problems
Round 2
1
THW require social media platforms to optimize their content algorithms primarily for user well-being rather than engagement maximization. (For eg. content prioritizing well being, removing sensational content, screen time reminders, etc.)
2
This house would Require all social media accounts to be connected to an identifiable person or organisation
3
TH opposes the satirisation of tragedy on social media (For example, memes about Covid-19 pandemic, content creators commenting on Kanye West's declining mental health, etc.)
Round 1
1
THW allow juries to return with a "not proven" verdict
Info Slide
Criminal trials typically end in one of two verdicts - "guilty" or "not guilty". Under Scots law there exists a third verdict - "not proven". This is functionally the same as "not guilty" but is typically used to indicate the jury believe the defendant is guilty but lack sufficient evidence.
2
This house believes that, where a player of the national team is originally from a different country, nations should be required to pay reasonable compensation to their nation of origin.
3
This house, as a first year university student, would take active steps to enter into a long-term relationship