By Naa Shormei Odonkor
Koforidua, Aug. 01, GNA – The Ghana Education Service (GES) in partnership with the Disaster Resilience Network, Ghana, has organised a debate capacity-building workshop on climate change for 60 Senior High School teachers and heads in the Eastern Region.
This was to equip the debate actors with the needed information required to train students from 20 selected schools who will participate in the regional-level climate change debate event slated for September 27, 2024.
Mr Benjamin Nai, the Eastern Regional Deputy Director of the GES, gave the theme for the workshop as “Empowering Voices for Climate Change.
He explained that climate change was the significant, long-term changes in the average weather patterns on earth which could be caused by nature including volcanic eruptions or human activities.
However, Mr Nai observed that the current climate change experienced in the country resulted from human activities and needed to be addressed as soon as possible.
Climate change, which led to unpredictable weather patterns, negatively affected agriculture, resulting in food insecurity and fluctuation in prices of food items in the market.
Therefore, the debate event allowed young minds to bring up the latest ideas through critical thinking and research works to propose workable solutions to address climate change, he said.
Mr Raphael K. Nketia, the Eastern Region Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Coordinator of the GES said the debate program was themed: Empowering Minds, Igniting Actions: Join the Climate Change Movement.
He noted that the winners of the regional debate program come September this year would compete with debate winners in the Central Region for the ultimate prize.
Mr Nketia mentioned that the winners at the regional level will receive Gh¢10,000, individual team customized medals, participation certificates, Brewer Cup award media bragging rights and others.
“The second winner will receive an amount of Gh¢8,000, customised medals, participation certificates, media bragging rights and others. The third winner will receive Gh¢6,000 and the same items as the second winner,” he said.
Mr. Nketia indicated that the debaters would speak on three motions which covered topics on Climate Justice, Plastic Pollution and Climate Adaption and Mitigation.
He said to harness the public speaking skills of the debaters, they were expected to adopt the parliamentary debate format which was flexible and emphasized spontaneous and quick responses to comments.
Mr Nketia thanked all participants for honouring the invitation to join the workshop to support the campaign to address issues that led to climate change.
GNA