Leaving a clear mark not only in the scale of organization but also in professional quality, the contest contributes to raising the level of the public speaking - debate for the environment movement in Vietnam, gradually opening the door to international integration for the young generation.
Bridge to bring young people closer to global thinking
A special feature of this year's Green Voice season 3 is that the English table for the first time applies the British Parliamentary (BP) debate format, marking an important improvement, helping the teams get acquainted and access international debate standards more deeply.
Ms. Hyewon Rho, Professional Advisor of the English category of the Green Voice season 3 competition, Executive Director of Debate For All, Former Head Coach of the Vietnamese national team for the World High School Debate Championship, commented: "Green Voice season 3 successfully demonstrates the role of a "bridge" spreading green messages and bringing young people closer to global thinking. In the final round of the English category, four teams debated simultaneously, helping them not only listen to one perspective but also approach many multi-dimensional arguments from six young speakers surrounding the theme of green movement.
Agreeing with this assessment, MSc. Juseung Yi, General Director of Debate For All, was particularly impressed with the professional quality of the contestants. "I have been a judge in many international tournaments, but the quality here is really very high. I can give a perfect score of 5/5," MSc. Juseung Yi commented.
This judge also expressed surprise at the enthusiasm and level of research investment of the participating contestants. Notably, this is the first time the students have participated in the BP format, but the level of debate has been very high, with many global perspectives and feasible solutions.
Emphasizing the difference of the competition compared to other debate playgrounds, MSc. Kithmina Hewage, Senior Policy Advisor for Development of the Asian Charity and Social Center (Hong Kong, China), said that the competition has built a clear identity by focusing entirely on sustainable issues and the environment. This orientation has helped Green Voice differentiate itself from many international tournaments, while promoting the clear progress of contestants through each round of competition.
In the final round of the English category, the Cropspiracy team – including contestants Cao Khanh Nguyen and Ho Duc Minh (Nguyen Sieu High School, Hanoi), excellently won the Champion title.
Ho Duc Minh said that the training process has helped the team improve their thinking and presentation skills.
“We practiced a lot, learned to speak slower, clearer and more coherently for the judges to easily follow. The BP format helps us think multi-dimensionally and see the problem more deeply,” Minh said.
Great potential spreading in the region
After the success of season 3, international judges all expressed optimism about the potential spread of Green Voice in the region.
Ms. Hyewon Rho expects season 4 to attract more diverse voices from Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, and encourage Korean debate teams to participate, because this is "an ideal platform for young people to exchange about sustainable development".
MSc. Juseung Yi also hopes that many young Koreans will participate in Green Voice, emphasizing that this is a rare contest in the region focused on global and sustainable issues.
Looking at the regional perspective, Ms. Wen-Yu Weng, Co-founder and Coach of the national team, Taiwan (China) Debate League, said Southeast Asia is a region rich in potential for economic growth and sustainable innovation. In that context, Green Voices is expected to play an important role in forming a young generation capable of dialogue, cooperation and solving sustainable development challenges in the future.
According to Mr. Kithmina Hewage, the competition has great potential to expand to the regional scope, towards global recognition and become a leading forum for dialogue on climate change.
The Green Voice debate - debate contest is one of the key activities of the Green Education program, within the Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Education and Training and the For a Green Future Fund - Thien Tam Fund (Vingroup Group) for the period 2023-2028.
With more than 3,800 applications from all 34 provinces and cities across the country, Green Voice season 3 affirms its position as the leading intellectual playground for the young generation of Vietnam, focusing on sustainable issues and the environment.
Final results of Green Voice season 3:
- First prize: So Dua (Luong Van Chanh Specialized High School - Dak Lak) - Vietnamese category; Cropspiracy team (Nguyen Sieu High School - Hanoi) - English category.
- Second Prize: Thong Nhat (Vinschool Ocean Park High School, Hanoi) – Vietnamese category; 29. 09 (Nguyen Du Specialized High School, Dak Lak) – English category.
- Third prize: Cassava Round (Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, Hanoi) and Soy Milk (Nguyen Trai High School for the Gifted, Hai Phong) - Vietnamese category; Eco Wonderers (Thoai Ngoc Hau High School for the Gifted, An Giang) and Cool Cucumbers (Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted, Ho Chi Minh City) - English category.
- Consolation prizes: White Heart (Bac Giang Specialized High School, Bac Ninh and Khanh Lam High School, Ca Mau), Slavik (Nguyen Thien Thanh Specialized High School, Vinh Long), LALC ECODAILYH (Nguyen Binh Khiem Specialized High School, Da Nang), Green Grass (Dakrong High School, Quang Tri) - Vietnamese table; Eco Sparks (Ha Long Specialized High School, Quang Ninh and Tran Phu Specialized High School, Hai Phong), Economads (Nguyen Van Troi High School, Khanh Hoa), Vico (Vinschool Central Park High School, Ho Chi Minh City) and Pioneers (Phan Boi Chau Specialized High School, Nghe An) - English table.
- "School with the highest response" award: A Duy Tien High School (Ninh Binh) and Nguyen Van Thoai High School (Da Nang). Each unit will receive an in-kind prize worth equivalent to 50 million VND.
