Audience falls in the aisles at peace debate

By LEANNE FRISBIE* and SUSANNE TAYLOR*

Humour was the real winner of The Fourth Annual Great Peace Debate last night and Kiwi comedian Raybon Kan delivered much of it.

Snappy one-liners like Kan's "Don't you hate the fact that there's a brain drain and we're still here?" had the 200-strong crowd in stitches and distracted them from the moot of the debate.

The moot: "That only conflict can ignite the flames of peace" borrowed a metaphor from the youth festival ignite2001 which began yesterday.

Affirming were James Elliott, Michelle A'Court and Ben Walden. Roanna Dalziel, Raybon Kan and Benjamin Zephaniah were for the negative in the debate.

"We can't afford nuclear weapons, but deep down we all want them don't you think?" asked Kan at one point during the 90-minute showdown at the Auckland Town Hall.

Elliott, a former lawyer, read his "Eddie and his Teddy" children's book, playing up his superior philosophical knowledge of conflict.

Walden and Zephaniah, the two British imports, were still suffering jetlag but drew on their natural talent. Walden mesmerised the audience with quotes from Shakespeare and Zephaniah delivered a spontaneous poem.

Adjudicator Radar handed judging over to the audience who, according to his "clapometer", declared the negating team the winners.

Even Master of Ceremonies Elizabeth McRae couldn't resist a final quip – congratulating Radar on his lack of skill at the end of a polished event that showcased great Kiwi talent.

* The authors are journalism students at Auckland University of Technology.

Feature: ignite2001 festival

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