WUDC 2023 motions

Every motion we have from the 2023 World Universities Debating Championship, round by round.

  • Madrid, Spain
  • 2023
  • British Parliamentary
  • University
  • 17 motions

Preliminary rounds

Round 1Sports

THBT it's in the interest of the team for the player to be excluded from the World Cup finals squad

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A team that’s recently gained prominence after great performances at the World Cup has advanced to World Cup finals for the first time. After the semi final, the team's top scorer and most important player, while drunk at a bar, publicly instigated a physical fight against another member of the team. When asked to calm down they continued to double down, causing more of a public disruption and seemingly irreconcilable differences with other members of the team.

THBT The Pacific Alliance should introduce a common currency

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The Pacific Alliance (Spanish: Alianza del Pacífico) is a Latin American trade bloc, formed by Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

THS the increasing prominence of data journalism at the expense of qualitative journalism

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Data journalism is a type of journalism reflecting the increased role that numerical data has in the production and distribution of information in the digital era. It reflects the increased interaction between content producers (journalists) and several other fields such as design, computer science and statistics. On the flip side, more traditional forms of journalism are qualitative in approach, focusing more on interpretation and contextualisation.

In developing countries with a history of ethnic, racial and/or religious tensions, THP a change of power from dominant political parties

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For the purposes of this debate, dominant political parties are ones that have won multiple elections and have been in power for a long time. We will assume power can be handed over in a fair election.

THBT the internationalisation of intellectual property law brings more harm than good

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Intellectual property is a category of property that includes ‘intangible’ creations of human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property including patents, copyrights and trademarks. The ‘internationalisation’ of intellectual property law refers to efforts to make intellectual property rights universally applicable, including the widespread use of treaties to recognise intellectual property rights across different jurisdictions, the creation of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, etc.

Break rounds

THP a focus on societal factors (e.g. socioeconomic factors) as opposed to individual factors (e.g. personal history) when addressing the causes and consequences of mental health issues

THBT the IMF removing all conditions on these loans, except for explicit anti corruption provisions, is preferable to the recent conditions to developing countries

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During the recent economic crisis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has provided certain conditions to developing countries for receiving loans. These conditions require governments to adopt more market based economic policies. Targets include reducing government budget deficits and increasing international currency reserves. The policy conditions provided by the IMF include 1) reducing or eliminating fuel subsidies and fertiliser subsidies; 2) setting the currency exchange rate to international market rates; 3) implementing market-based interest rates; 4) anti corruption provisions.

THP a world where all individuals have a strong belief in Ubuntu

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Ubuntu (“I am because we are”) is a philosophical belief that asserts that people's identities should be shaped by, and their obligations should primarily be owed to, their communities.

ESL break rounds

For speakers of English as a second language.

When they are not part of that religion, THBT feminists should refrain from critiquing widespread religious practices that have different rules based on gender (e.g. wearing of veils, separate prayer spaces, women on their period being forbidden from fasting, Iddah (waiting) period after divorce/death of a husband, etc.)

EFL break rounds

For speakers of English as a foreign language.

THBT religious organisations should syncretise over remaining independent

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Religious Syncretism is the practice of blending cultural/religious indigenous practices with different religious beliefs (for example, the Catholic Church merging traditional saints with local deities in Latin America). Religious Independence is the belief that one's religion must remain tied to a unique set of religious teachings that contain the truth about humanity and divinity.

About WUDC

The World Universities Debating Championship, often called Worlds, is the largest debate tournament in the world. Hundreds of university teams debate in British Parliamentary style, with 15 minutes of prep for each motion.

Motions from the tournament's tab site. Prep notes are written by the Debatery Editing Team to help you start thinking; they are not the only way to run either side.