Arguments: 1. Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs , Background Note : Israel , , 10 December 2010 , Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs , Background Note : China , , 6 September 2011 ,
2. There are even other member states that are not recognised by every other member state , Israel is not recognised by 33 UN members and the Peoples Republic of China is not recognised by 23 UN members .
3. There are plenty of nations that do not function in line with European and North American concepts of statehood , Afghanistan for example , however they take their seat at the UN and add their voice to the choir of nations .
4. It may well be one at war with a neighbour and in dispute over its boundaries but the only reason it has yet to be recognised is that it would be politically inconvenient for the US , Israel and their allies .
5. In any meaningful way Palestine is a state .

Debate: THB that Palestinian Statehood should be recognised by the United Nations General Assembly


Arguments: 1. Technology is not necessary for a fulfilling life , as the Amish show by avoiding technology which damages the community and harms social relations .
2. Many individuals are increasingly becoming self-absorbed in videogames and autonomous lives on the internet without making lasting connections with people face-to-face .
3. New technologies have broken down traditional social relationships which provide stability and are important for psychological health .

Debate: This House believes science is a threat to humanity


Arguments: 1. In some contexts , separation may not be a realistic option for minority peoples .
2. However , that does not mean that self-determination is not meaningful for such groups .
3. For indigenous peoples , self-determination may take the form of restitution for land that was stolen from them , or compensation and reparations .
4. Furthermore , self-determination may take the form of political autonomy , or greater rights to decide how children are educated , or parallel systems of justice such as sharia courts .
5. Self-determination is about representation and identity and choice - not about outcomes .

Debate:
This house believes self-determination of peoples is a human right