Isalean Phillip and Kasim Queeley

After a very strongly contested debate final on Sunday, 28th February, it was announced that Team St. Kitts won the competition with 651 points; taking the trophy by 1 point.

Addressing the topic, "The Rights Ascribed to Today's Children Have Resulted in a Marked Decline in the Levels of Discipline in the Caribbean," the first St. Kitts speaker Ms. Isalean Phillip paved the way for her seconder, Mr. Kasim Queeley. Both made use of strong body language, excellent eye contact, interesting quotes, as well as utilizing a touch of humour, delivered with clarity and fluency.

Mr. Queeley was successful in capturing the Best Speaker Award for that debate and also received the Best Overall Speaker Award, with a total of 178 points.

After the awards' ceremony, Ms. Phillip was interviewed by The Observer:

Q. What is your feedback on all five debates delivered this weekend?
A. As the judges said, I think that the quality of the debates progressed as time went on. The teams came with quality debates and it just shows the type of intelligence we have within the Caribbean region and I hope it continues to progress in that way.

Q. How do you plan to move forward in the preparation for future debates?
A. Probably the same way, in terms of putting in all the hard work, doing my research and conferring with others about their opinions; in terms of what they think of the topic and stuff. So probably the same amount of hard work and maybe even more.

Q. What characteristics do you believe helped you to win this competition?
A. My confidence, my personality and probably my intelligence.

Q. What topics do you think should be debated next year?
A. I am not too sure…but definitely issues relating to the Caribbean region and relating to our social and sustainable development.

The competition's first debate, "Perpetrators of child sex abuse should be permanently institutionalized," was between the BVI and Montserrat. The two teams amassed 653 and 620, respectively. Having won by 33 points, the BVI celebrated further when team member Ryan Kelly was named the Best Speaker that night.

In the second debate, "The Caribbean Court of Justice is a more viable option than the Privy Council for the administration of justice in the Caribbean," Nevis was pitted against Antigua and Barbuda. Nevis won, with a score of 621 points to 558 points. However, Carlon Knight from Antigua and Barbuda copped the Best Speaker title.

The third debate topic, "When Caribbean Heads of Government sign agreements with controversial leaders, the outcome will be detrimental," was between St. Kitts and Anguilla. Winning by 25 points, St. Kitts received 671 points. Augmenting their victory, Ms. Xavienne-Roma Richardson was named Best Speaker.

Debate #4, "The continuing decline in West Indies Cricket rests squarely on the shoulders of the shoulders of the WICB," was between Nevis and the BVI. Their total points were 619 and 577, respectively. Ms. Joanne Flemming of Nevis was given the title of Best Speaker.

Montserratian educator, Dr. George Irish, initiated the LIDC in 1972, with only St. Kitts, Montserrat and Antigua and Barbuda as competitors. Over the years it has grown to include Nevis, Anguilla, St. Maarten and most recently the BVI. The teams consist of A-Level college and high school students.

Dr. Irish had the following objectives in mind when he started this competition:
• To promote and expose the leadership potential of young people.
•To generate a consciousness of regionalism.
• To provide a vehicle for serious deliberations on major issues.
• To provide the opportunity for young people to establish lasting bonds of friendship

The number of wins for each island from 1972 - 2010 are:
St. Kitts - 10
Antigua and Barbuda - 8
Anguilla - 7
Montserrat - 7
Nevis - 6
St. Maarten - 0
BVI - 0

St. Kitts made history this year for their second 'three-peat,' their first being from 1973-75. Anguilla is the only other island to have a three-peat, from 1997-99.

Prime Minister of the Federation, The Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, praised the achievement of the local debaters during his weekly radio show, Ask the PM.

Dr. Douglas stated, "In an era of so many distractions and so many toxic options, we really must commend the coaches, family and teachers who all did their part in keeping these young debaters focused and on track for these many months of rigorous practices and tireless preparations. Congratulations to the St. Kitts and Nevis teams; to them, well done.

"These young people have truly outdone themselves. I am extremely proud to talk about their accomplishments," he further added.

The 2011 debating competition is scheduled to be held in the BVI.