by Derek Malone-France, Trustee, METI International
This Saturday, October 6, the "METI Debates" will be organized by the Universidad de los Andes at the Uniandino Debate Tournament (TDU). METI is a co-sponsor of the event, along with the Center for Citizen Inclusion and Rights (INCIDE), and the Universidad del Rosario.
TDU is organized as a platform for future leaders drawn from Spanish-speaking countries to generate knowledge on and practice global democratic habits of public dialogue, critical analysis, and conflict resolution. During the program participants will be challenged to research, analyze, and debate the topic of whether TDU ought endorse METI's attempt to establish human communication with extraterrestrial intelligence. My colleague George Washington University Director of Debate Paul S. Hayes and I are honored to have been invited to serve as speakers and judges. We will be joined by Juan Ramón Martínez, the Director of the Investigation Project on Space Law at the Universidad del Rosario.
It is my hope that this is the first in a global series of debates engaging young audiences in public deliberation on METI's mission and work. I look forward to reporting back to the METI community on the results!