In the year 2021, Taruna Jung represented Poland in Jugend debattiert and reached the international half-finals.
1. What inspired / Who encouraged you to participate in Jugend debattiert?
An old friend from school inspired me to try my luck with Jugend debattiert. Various aspects inspired me to take part in Jugend debattiert. With Jugend debattiert I was inspired by a lot of aspects. My interest in political topics and current discussions in the world played a secondary role, because the main reason was the exchange with people from different countries in the world. It's a possibility that we hardly ever have in our everyday lives. How often do you come across a room with 10 different nationalities and all of the people there have a language in common? My guess would be never.
2. What do you like about debating? / Why do you like debating?
The great thing about debating ist the different topics that you always have to adjust to and prepare for. The special thing about it is of course the tiny problem that you have to prepare for both positions, which means that we can expand our knowledge in both directions.
3. Would you say it is difficult to debate in German? Why/Why not?
Yes, clearly. Debating, discussing and speaking in a foreign language is a talent in itself. But the hard part is the persuasion we have to deliver to convince the audience of our own position. I think that even though after many years the language and vocabulary are no longer the biggest problem, it took me a long time to learn how to express myself expressively in order to be able to defend my position.
4. What do you say in retrospect, in what ways did participating in Jugend debattiert benefit you?
The Jugend debattiert adventure will remain in my memory for a long time and it has also led to the fact that I will try to remain a part of Jugend debattiert in the years to come. That's why I would say that Jugend debattiert was definitely worth it, not only for the future, but also for the people I was able to get to know.
5. What do you think this competition can do for a democratic society?
I think Jugend debattiert can do a lot for a democratic society. Because we are the future. Our generation is shaping the political future and we are laying the groundwork for a better world, politics and democracy play a huge role in this. Because I think that if the youth learns how to express themselves now, in order to make a change in the world, it will help us even more in a few years.
6. What do you want to do after school? How can your German skills, but also your skills from the competition, help you in the future?
I will be taking my high school final exams in 2022 and then plan to study law at a university in Germany. After a hopefully fantastic degree, my next step would be to try to get into the Foreign Office to create political change around the world. The contact with people and the conversations that arise from this are aspects of the Foreign Office that have always fascinated me. For this reason, I am convinced that Jugend debattiert will be of great help to me and will prepare me for my future path.
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