The Spirit of Democracy Challenge

For the Spirit of Democracy Challenge we would like you to write an opening statement for a debate responding to the question: “In times of adversity, is freedom of speech a help or a hindrance?”

You are invited to write your statement from one perspective, or to prepare a statement for each side of the argument. You might submit a written statement or be asked to record yourself making your speech. Please refer to your teacher or tutor for guidance as to which they would like you to do.

Your response to the question “In times of adversity, is freedom of speech a help or a hindrance?” might include some reflections on how, and to what extent, social media might help or hinder us in:

• balancing our rights and responsibilities as two sides of a scale;
• focusing on positively addressing those things that we can influence rather than those things we can’t;
• choosing good sources of accurate information and building a true understanding of the issues from a range of perspectives;
• ensuring that we don’t fall victim to (or mistakenly promote) fake news;
• making our voices heard and expressing our views in a clear and considered way;
• promoting and participating constructively in nonviolent protest;
• exercising freedom of expression in creative and effective ways;
• being authentic in the way in which we present ourselves and our opinions to the world.

If you have completed some of the stations 1-6 your notes and worksheets from the different stations might be helpful in completing the challenge, so you may want to gather them together before you begin. You will be able to upload all challenges together once you have completed them at the end of the six sessions.