Daring Debates | Global Sustainability Film Awards 2020

Daring Debates is a unique debating series which was initiated by Difficult Dialogues in 2016. It aims to bring students from varied backgrounds, regions and ethnicity in the discourse of critical issues.

Daring Debates is an initiative to promote students’ participation in the overall process of policy ideation and formation and to ensure that their opinions reach various stakeholders in the gamut.

So far, five successful editions of Daring Debates have been conducted in various cities of India. In its sixth year, Daring Debates is going global to ensure a bigger participation of young people from across the world. This year it will be an integral part of the prestigious Global Sustainability Film Awards (GSFA), 2020 which are co-organised organised by tve and Difficult Dialogues.

The young and highly talented winning contenders from the regional debates in Africa, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and USA will participate in the grand finale of the Debates on 16 November 2020.

GLOBAL FINALE: 16 November 2020

MODERATOR

Nabanita Sircar

Journalist and Commentator

JURY MEMBER

Vicky Bowman

Director, Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB)

Vicky Bowman has been the Director of Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) since July 2013. Prior to that she led global mining company Rio Tinto's policy approach to transparency, human rights, and resource nationalism/resource curse issues from 2011. She was Director of Global & Economic Issues and G8 Sous-Sherpa for the United Kingdom from 2008-2011 and Head of the Southern Africa Department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK Government from 2006-2007. Vicky served as ambassador of the UK to Myanmar from 2002-2006 and as a second secretary in the Embassy from 1990-1993. She has also worked in Brussels as Member of Cabinet of European Commissioner Chris Patten (1999-2002) and as press spokeswoman for the UK Representation to the EU (1996-1999). Vicky has an MA in Natural Sciences (Pathology) from the University of Cambridge, holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Bradford, and is an Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College. She speaks Burmese and is married to Myanmar artist Htein Lin.

JURY MEMBER

Doreen Nabaho

Chief of Staff, Bridge International Academics

Dr. Doreen Nabaho is an engineer, scientist, and strategy management professional now applying herself to the use of technology for development and social impact in sub-Saharan Africa.

Her interests include technology solutions and how they can be used to improve systems for equitable access to public goods including education, energy, and healthcare.

She has worked on projects in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, South Africa & South Sudan. Doreen currently works as the Chief of Staff at Bridge, which operates thousands of schools in West Africa, East Africa, and Asia, in partnership with government and local communities.

JURY MEMBER

Jacob Carter

Research Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists, Center for Science and Democracy

Jacob Carter is a research scientist for the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. In this role, Dr. Carter investigates how science is used in the policy-making process, focusing on issues of scientific integrity across the federal government.Prior to joining UCS, Dr. Carter worked at the Environmental Protection Agency as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Postdoctoral Fellow. At the EPA, Dr. Carter integrated the effects of climate change into estimates of future coastal inundation on contaminated lands, such as brownfields and superfund sites, to help guide decisions on adaptation efforts that could better protect nearby communities from the spread of dangerous contaminants during future floods. He also helped model greenhouse gas emissions for the siting of renewable energy installations on green space versus contaminated lands as part of his work with EPA’s RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative. Prior to his postdoctoral position, Dr. Carter was at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he helped establish an interagency task force on improving the health of honey bees and other pollinators, planned the planting of the first pollinator garden on the south lawn of the White House, and also worked on President Obama’s Climate Action Plan.Dr. Carter has a B.S. in biology from the University of Central Arkansas, and an M.S. in biology from Kansas State University. He earned a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology and a graduate-level certificate in environmental studies from the University of Kansas.