Empowering Youthwork for the Green Debate at Estonia’s Summer Academy

Workshops and Learning Beyond Debate

Throughout the week, participants attended a wide variety of workshops led by both Estonian debaters and international guests. Sessions combined debate technique training with broader explorations into themes such as climate change and environmental issues. This multidisciplinary approach allowed young people to sharpen their debating skills while also expanding their perspectives on global challenges.

Climate Debates at the Heart of the Tournament

Within the Academy’s British Parliamentary tournaments, students had the opportunity to apply their learning directly to climate-focused motions. Using IDEA-provided case studies and materials from the Empowering Youth Work for the Green Debate project, participants debated questions such as:

• “This House prefers that environmental movements focus on local problems rather than global agendas (e.g. local pollution instead of climate change).”

• “This House believes that governments should pursue economic growth to combat climate change.”

These motions encouraged participants to think critically about the trade-offs between local and global priorities, as well as the complex relationship between environmental protection and economic development.

A Stage for Future Leaders

The Estonian Summer Academy showed how debate can be both an educational tool and a civic training ground. By engaging with complex climate motions and IDEA’s case studies, participants developed the skills to analyze, argue, and imagine solutions to one of the greatest challenges of their generation.

In doing so, the Empowering Youthwork for the Green Debate project once again demonstrated its mission: to create spaces where youth voices are sharpened, strengthened, and empowered to shape the future.