Heated Young Leaders semis - Cowen, Gasparillo in finals

This left his opponent Rishawn Eccles of St Stephen’s College agitated, as Eccles said he is of that religion (Jehovah’s Witness) and felt disrespected.

Cowen Hamilton Secondary School and Gasparillo Composite School both succeeded in securing a spot in the RBTT debate finals, which is scheduled to take place on April 4.
The team from Cowen Hamilton Secondary School, Stefan Bramble and Sarah Koonjan took the opposing side to the motion, “Be it resolved that respect for the diversity of cultures is the foundation for a peaceful and secure co-existence,” beating the proposing team, Rishawn Eccles and Samantha Keshwar from St Stephen’s College.

Bramble believed that culture cannot be respected until you understand it, especially when some cultures infringed on the freedom of education and life. Bramble went on to use an example from TT, where a religious group refused to give a dying child a blood transfusion because of their cultural belief. Bramble asked the audience, “If the child needs the blood and the parents refuse, should we allow the child to die?”

This sparked an angry reply from Eccles who said the parents did look for alternative ways. Eccles said he was of that religion and felt very disrespected by Bramble’s comment, but would not himself resort to any disrespectful behaviour as he wants a peaceful and secure co-existence.

Advancing to the finals of the RBTT debate as well, were Hayley Chittoo and Jeremy Mungaldeen of Gasparillo Composite School, who took the opposing motion against Joshua Gopeesingh and Gregory Isaacs of Trinity College, Moka, Maraval.

Mungaldeen and Chittoo in their arguments said support structures such as forgiveness, compassion and love were needed before people could respect the diversity of cultures.
Mungaldeen said people needed to be treated like people by having better health care systems, schools and poverty eradication.

“Basic needs have to be met and this has nothing to do with cultural diversity,” said Mungaldeen.

Adjudicators Errol Lewis and June Nathaniel in their comments said the schools made their work quite difficult with such charming styles.

Nathaniel said the debates were spirited and wished to remind the finalists that they would be penalised for reading from a script in the finals.