Peruvian Debate Association

The Peruvian Debate Association (PDA) is a legally ordained, non-profit institution, which organizes and coordinates activities to promote and increase debate in and among schools and universities in Peru. This association was founded in September 2002, by Sixto Ramos, Philosophy, Economics and Peruvian History teacher at Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt and representatives from 6 other schools; Santa María Marianistas, San Ignacio de Recalde, Markham College, Casuarinas, Newton and Carmelitas. In 2003 the Peruvian Debate Association along with other non-member schools and colleges helped Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt organize the World Schools Debating Championship 2003 in Lima, Peru; the grand final was held at a packed auditorium at Universidad de Lima with well over 1000 people attending.

Every month the members schools for the regular debates at the Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels, with students' ages ranging from 11 to 17 years of age. The PDA holds annual try-outs where schools send their best debaters to compete in the selection for the National Team to compete in the World Schools Debating Championship in the so-called "Worlds Style" which is derived from the Parliamentary Debate format.

Starting in 2005, at the request of several members, the Association began having debates in Spanish, it being the national language of Peru, both for the purpose of showing that debate does not only happen in English, but also to broaden the spectrum of possible participating schools from only bi-lingual ones.

Debating allows students to increase and develop their skills in a number of different areas such as: public speaking, logical organization, general knowledge, research, proving a point of view, personal time management, increase in confidence and inter-personal interaction, and teamwork.

Peru sent a team to the WSDC for the first time in 1993 to Medicine Hat, Canada. A brief pause was taken until 1997, then a team was sent to participate in the championship in Bermuda. Ever since Peru has sent a team to compete every year.

Peru's Participation:

All teams coached by Sixto Ramos except for WSDC in Peru 03 and Canada 05. As of 2012, Sixto Ramos is no longer the official coach of the national team as he retired due to personal problems. For the WSDC 2013, the chosen Coach through vote by the PDA is Jorge Gallo, former speaker. For 2014, Luis-Enrique Zela-Koort coached the team. For 2016, a four-person coaching team was assembled from Peruvian ex-debaters (Jorge Gallo, Sebastían Salomón, Luis Enrique Zela, Sebastián Dasso).

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