The BEST Foundation and the American University in Bulgaria were planning on hosting Balkan Voices, the third annual international oratory competition in Bulgaria, in the spring of 2020. The tournament would have taken place from April 3rd to April 5th on AUBG’s beautiful campus, hosting approx. 100 9th-12th grade competitors from schools in the Balkans. Due to the developed COVID-19 situation, BEST and AUBG cancelled this year’s edition of Balkan Voices and we’re hoping to have a great Balkan Voices 2021!
This tournament is a chance for high school students from all around the Balkans to compete with their Original Oratories (a beginner’s guide can be found here), make new friends from other countries, and to learn about the educational opportunities at AUBG. Balkan Voices provides students with a cross-cultural experience that will enable them to substantially connect with students from other countries and to gain new perspectives. We believe that it is important that all students gain access to future opportunities through speech and debate, and touring AUBG and participating in faculty-led workshops during Balkan Voices provides students with a new perspective on going to university. An international tournament hosted in Bulgaria will also enable more future BEST students to get valuable intercultural experiences through speech and debate.
Information on the logistics and how to register can be found below, and as always, you can e-mail us with questions at info@bestfoundation.bg.
Letter of Invitation
If your school or any authorities require an official letter of invitation for your students from either us or AUBG, please, e-mail us at info@bestfoundation.bg.
Tournament Schedule
A full schedule for the tournament is coming soon! Check back closer to the tournament dates for updates.
International travel
We will be in contact with each individual international group and assist as best we can with international travel advice as soon as you have submitted your application. Please make sure that your group is cleared to travel and arrive at the tournament site by Friday afternoon, April 3rd. Conversely, you can e-mail us with any questions you want to ask before you apply at info@bestfoundation.bg.
Tournament Application - decisions made by February 23rd
Application for Balkan Voices has now closed.
Tournament attendance is covered (we will cover the hotel costs for Friday and Saturday, and reimburse your transport upon arrival to the tournament) both for Bulgarian participants and for participants from other Balkan schools. This wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of the Regional English Language Office - Belgrade.
Transportation
The tournament will take place at AUBG’s campus, which can be found on this Google map:
Food
Information on food is coming soon! Check back closer to the tournament dates for updates.