During his “hero’s tour” of the United States in 1824, General

Lafayette and his son George Washington Lafayette were re-

ceived by the Enosinian Society, the debate and literary society of

the Columbian College. Afterwards, the two Lafayettes accepted

honorary membership into the Society, and the occasion was

commemorated by a debate series entitled, The Lafayette De-The Lafayette De-The Lafayette De-The Lafayette De-

batesbatesbatesbates.

Today, the French Embassy and The George Washington

University have revived The Lafayette DebatesThe Lafayette DebatesThe Lafayette DebatesThe Lafayette Debates,,,, in the

knowledge that now, more than ever, a vigorous and respectful

transatlantic dialogue is of the utmost importance not only for

the French Republic and the United States, but for the world.

THE LAFAYETTE CLIMATE DEBATESTHE LAFAYETTE CLIMATE DEBATESTHE LAFAYETTE CLIMATE DEBATESTHE LAFAYETTE CLIMATE DEBATES

The Lafayette Debates are a groundbreaking academic series initiated by the Higher Education

Department of the French Embassy in the United States. Working in partnership with a broad consor-

tium of over sixty U.S. colleges and universities, our aim is to promote understanding and relations by

using public debate as a method for education and diplomacy in a globalized world and digital era.

Competitive debate is a premiere activity of the U.S. leadership community: U.S. debate alumni go

on to hold leadership positions in U.S. government and society to an amazing degree. Over three hun-

dred and fifty U.S. colleges and universities sponsor teams, and there are over 20,000 active subscrib-

ers to the activity’s online forums. This program is motivated in part by the desire to engage these

emerging leaders, and through them their prominent alumni and academic institutions.

Last year, more than one hundred and sixty students from over forty elite debate pro-

grams and schools such as Cornell, Georgetown, Harvard, New York University, Stanford,

UC Berkeley, Yale, all three U.S. military academies (Navy, Army, Air Force) and the

French Ecole de Guerre participated.

Winners from last year’s event are now working and/or interning in the U.S. Congress, the Europe

division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S Navy, prominent U.S. policy think tanks, and

the White House.

In a run-up to the 2015 Conference of the Parties (COP 21) which will be held in Paris in December 2015, the Lafayette “climate” debates will address this topic:

“That all states have an obligation to anticipate, prevent and minimize the causes of cli-

mate change, and mitigate its adverse effects.”

• The Debates start with an on-line tournament (February 2015 to March 2015), open to all

schools: we anticipate over one hundred participants, institutions from all across the nation.

The best competitors will win their way to the on-campus tournament which is scheduled for

April 18 and 19, 2015 in Washington D.C. Other participants in the on-campus tournament

have already won their invitation through their good performance in last year’s debate.

• An on-line francophone debate is open for the first time for debaters with French language

skills. The first three prizes are a trip to France for a gathering of Francophone students in July

2015.

• The Lafayette Debates website is referencing all major research documents and information

related to Climate change and the upcoming COP 21 conference. It is visited by student com-

munities, scholars and researchers nationwide.

• A series of “exhibition” friendly debates will be organized around the country in March 2015.

• Winners of the on-campus tournament and all who reach semi-finals will win a trip to France

during which they will meet with high-level stakeholders and policy-makers.

The on-campus tournament brings together dozens of outstanding schools but also; for their

expertise as judges, an exceptional panel of specialists in the field, politicians and decision-makers.

Claremont McKenna College

University of Mary Washington

Cornell University

New York University

École de Guerre

Penn State

Emory University

University of Pittsburgh

Georgetown University

Sciences-Po

The George Washington University

Stanford University

George Mason University

University of Texas

Georgia College

The United States Military Academy

Gonzaga University

The United States Naval Acad-emy

Hampden- Sydney College

University of California Berkley

Harvard University

University of Southern Califor-nia

University of Houston

Wake Forest University

James Madison University

Washington University in St. Louis

Loyola Marymount University

Yale University

United States Air Force Academy

PARTICIPANTS IN THE ONPARTICIPANTS IN THE ONPARTICIPANTS IN THE ONPARTICIPANTS IN THE ON----CAMPUS LAFAYETTE DEBATES 2014CAMPUS LAFAYETTE DEBATES 2014CAMPUS LAFAYETTE DEBATES 2014CAMPUS LAFAYETTE DEBATES 2014

For further information visit :

http://www.lafayettedebates.org

Or please contact

Summer Minden : summer.minden@ambafrance-us.org

Julia Goldman :

julia.goldman@ambafrance-us.org

Embassy of France in the U.S 4101 Reservoir Road NW

Washington D.C 20007