In honor of ASEAN Day on August 8, the U.S. Embassy hosted a Model ASEAN Debate Contest. Held at the American Corner at the Lao-American College on the morning of August 4, the Model ASEAN Debate brought together eight students to discuss the best way to solve an important regional issue.
Each participant represented an ASEAN nation and advocated for policies that they believed would best address the issue of human trafficking in Southeast Asia. The participants thought critically about potential policies, gave speeches to present their argument, and wrote resolutions to outline their positions.
Staff from the U.S. Embassy moderated and judged the event, considering factors such as the quality of the participants’ oral arguments and their leadership ability. The winners were Mr. Somsanid Inthongsai, representing Singapore; Mr. Souliyo Vongdala, representing Brunei; and Ms. Wathanya Souvanna, representing Malaysia.
The U.S. Embassy supports programming like the Model ASEAN Debate through its Information Resource Center (IRC). The IRC also provides free English classes and workshops. This fall, the U.S. Embassy will open a new American Center near That Dam.
