On 10 July 2018, EU Debate Student Club was held in Room 503 of Academia Hall at Rokkodai campus of Kobe University.
　　9 participants first checked some data on the EU's peace-keeping activities and then they debated how the EU's influence in terms of advancing human rights is perceived in Japan. Debate first focused on the death penalty, as Japan continues to resist the EU's demands to abolish the capital punishment. Participants then discussed whether the EU should actively promote human rights around the world, when different cultures have a different stance towards human rights. Participants expressed a variety of opinions on the best ways to promote human rights, but overall they seemed to conclude that the EU's long-standing tradition of soft power (sharing the European values with other countries through a constructive dialogue) is probably the ideal way.
　EU Debate Club helps to familiarise students with a variety of opinions on the EU-related topics and we will continue to select important and relevant debate topics.