Nina, a Bosnia Youth Leadership Program participant, presents her debate argument before justices from the Oregon Supreme Court.

The Oregon Supreme Court offered 18 Youth Leadership Program students from Bosnia and Herzegovina a great opportunity to meet with them not once, but twice. The students first met with Chief Justice Paul De Muniz and Chief Judge David V. Brewer to discuss the role of courts in the American democratic system. Two weeks later, the students were invited back to the Oregon Supreme Court to participate in a debate overseen by the Supreme Court judges taking on the topic: Should democracies limit free speech that promotes hate or violence? Amer, from Bosnia, explained “In Bosnia we don’t have a lot of debate, lack of dialogue can cause many problems. Our people are divided by ethnic identity, and there are many prejudices where people make assumptions instead of getting to know each other better. Debate helps you learn about other people, and I think that is really important.”