20 Students from Qatar, Canada, and Mexico Find Their Voice at Doha Debates Town Hall

During her high school Model UN days, Dahlia Al-Ansari learned how to argue representing her assigned country. However, when Doha Debates invited her to a Town Hall debate held in Toronto this past July, Al-Ansari faced an unfamiliar challenge: the task of sharing her own beliefs on timely topics.

Students from Qatar, Canada, and Mexico visiting the University of Toronto as part of the ‘Doha Debates Town Hall’ program (Photo= AETOSWire)

Al-Ansari, an 18-year-old majoring in biological sciences at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, did not go there to defend a predetermined position. Instead, she realized she came to think critically, express her own perspectives, and maintain an open attitude toward diverse viewpoints.

This shift required Al-Ansari to navigate uncharted territory, but she said, “I am happy that the change required it,” adding, “It shows me the importance of speaking up for myself.”

Al-Ansari was one of 20 students from Qatar, Canada, and Mexico who spent eye-opening days preparing for the live debate. Titled ‘Football Fandom: Community or Commodity?’, this Town Hall explored the impact of massive capital on football fandom. The student group engaged in broad and thoughtful conversations with guests Shireen Ahmed, David Goldblatt, and Kelly Nascimento regarding whether powerful investors have corrupted football and its fans, or upgraded the sport globally.

This Town Hall, a collaboration between Doha Debates and Qatar's Years of Culture initiative, brought together youth from partner countries this year to interact in different cultures and an open manner. Since 2012, Years of Culture has focused on building lasting relationships through cultural exchange.

While the students' preparation covered both debate skills and football-centered discussions, many students agreed that the most valuable achievement was learning how to trust their own Voice amidst differing views.

For J Lina El Zeini, who studies international economics at Georgetown University, that realization meant overcoming self-doubt. A 20-year-old Palestinian-Canadian, El Zeini said, “It was hard at first. I was nervous, I stumbled over some words, and I felt like I messed up.” By the end of the Town Hall, the situation had changed. El Zeini said, “Not only did I gain more confidence in public speaking, but I also realized that my Voice has value, and that meaningful conversation is something I want to continue being a part of.”

The students' transformation was not accidental, but by design. The students' pre-debate journey was intentionally structured to manage stress, navigate differing opinions, and build confidence.

For Ayaan Khan, a 20-year-old student at the University of Toronto, change meant stepping up as ‘not someone looking for the perfect answer, but someone ready to engage, contribute, and grow with others.’

When the students arrived at Toronto's Terminal Theatre on July 8, they had already spent days practicing how to exchange ideas beyond differences and speak according to their personal beliefs. As the cameras rolled and the lights came on, the students listened intently, shared their views, and shed long-held conversational habits.

When it was her turn to speak, Al-Ansari felt the old instinct to pull out something she had practiced, but she resisted it. She said, “I decided to say what I had been thinking for three minutes.”

El Zeini also experienced a similar breakthrough and found her pace. She stated, “The overwhelmingly positive feedback from the audience confirmed what I wanted to hold onto,” adding, “I believe in saying what you believe is right, and that people will meet you at that point.”

For Jose Emiliano, a Mexican student studying political science at Carleton University in Ottawa, the entire experience led to pure excitement. After the debate, when asked to rate how ready he was to step out of his comfort zone on a scale of 1 to 5, Jose Emiliano did not hesitate. Jose Emiliano said, “5.”

The full Town Hall EPISODE can currently be viewed on the Doha Debates and Al Jazeera English YouTube channels.

About Doha Debates

Doha Debates engages the vanguard of Truth seekers with intellectual curiosity to debate differences constructively to build a better future. It also emphasizes integration over division, encouraging conversations that bring us together rather than pull us apart.

Website: DohaDebates.com

X/Twitter: @DohaDebates

Instagram: @DohaDebates

Facebook.com/DohaDebates

YouTube.com/DohaDebates

Threads.net/@dohadebates

TikTok: @DohaDebates

This press release is a Korean translation of the original text written in the language desired by the company. Therefore, for accurate fact-checking of the translation, a comparison with the original text is required. Only the originally written text is recognized as an official announcement with legal effect, and all legal liability is valid only for the original text.

Photo/Multimedia material: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260914150232/en

◆ At a Glance

· Issuing Organization: Doha Debates

· Category: General Education, Broadcasting, Doha Debates

· Distribution: September 15, 2026, 2:00 PM

Source: Doha Debates Press Release (Newswire)

Special Times strives to deliver faster and more diverse news to readers with the help of AI technology.