April 15, 2023 (newsweek.com) – Discussions about immigration, affirmative action or climate change rarely evoke feelings of optimism, given the current state of polarization in politics. Within the often malicious and inaccurate discourse, real solutions are few and far between. But at the Newsweek offices in downtown Manhattan Friday night, spectators got a glimpse of what a future of respectful and constructive debate looks like.
As part of a new content initiative, Newsweek is partnering with the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL), a nonprofit that promotes debate programs in largely underserved public schools in 22 metropolitan areas.
Through debate, NAUDL encourages students to learn critical thinking, research, collaboration and communication skills that help them think broadly about all sides of an issue and set them up to be the leaders of tomorrow.
The partnership kicked off Friday with an in-office debate at Newsweek’s headquarters that brought eight students from Denver, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C, together to discuss some of society’s most pressing issues.