“We don’t just discuss current affairs. This place is a platform for all youths to network, participate in extracurricular events, share information, learn how to speak publicly, and ask correct questions at the correct time in a correct manner,” says Abdush Miya, the founder of The Orator’s House.
With sleek marble floors, rotating chairs, yellow floral print curtains and a podium at the center, The Orator’s House has been built with the sole intention of making you feel welcome.
Established as a public speaking platform in 2017, it has now transitioned into a hub for debate and discussions on current affairs, controversial subjects and personal experiences. Home to a family of public speaking enthusiasts and curious listeners, it’s an expense-less haven for all leaners.
The idea stemmed out of the brilliant, young mind of Abdush Miya. “I started The Orator’s House because I wanted to make new friends while improving my public speaking skills. When you grow older, it’s harder to meet people or form connections,” says Miya.
“When I started this journey, I did it with the intention of finding those connections. But in the last one and a half year, I have realized that a platform like ours is a need for many. Since the plan came into structure, I have never been alone in this,” he adds.
Besides The Orator’s House, Miya is also the founder of Leadership Corner and a software company called Technorio. Similarly, he’s one of the founders and a core member of Sajha Party and the president of a national youth organization.
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Each Saturday, The Orator’s House, located near Singha Durbar—left from the main gate—conducts a session from three to five in the afternoon. Every session has three speakers and each speaker has 10 minutes. After each speech, five minutes is dedicated to a question and answer segment.
The question and answer segment is where the interaction between audience and speaker is usually at its peak. From asking speakers to elaborate on a specific point of their speech to questioning their opinions on specific subjects, it’s a wonderful session of confrontation, learning and bravery.
In some instances, the five minutes isn’t enough. So the audience members approach the speakers for further elaboration or discussions after all the speeches are over. This is also why—even though the program always ends at five—people only leave around six.
“What happens after a session is always the best part of my Saturdays,” says Samikshya Adhikari, a regular speaker and moderator at The Orator’s House. “This is how you network. You meet people with opposing views and learn to adjust with it. It’s how to come to terms with accepting diverse opinions,” she says.
“I have met some of the most intelligent people at this platform and I couldn’t be any more grateful,” she adds.
Adhikari isn’t the only one singing praises of The Orator’s House. Aashish Ghimire, a member of the organizing committee, says, “It’s a wonderful stage where all the youths come together. Not only is it a knowledge sharing platform, but it’s also a safe space for sharing personal experiences, building relationship with new people and for self-growth.”
When it comes to picking topics, the team encourages participants to be as diverse as possible.
Even when the issues being tackled are controversial, it’s more essential to bring them to light. The members believe that shying away from such topics is only going to fuel ignorance.
When asked how they find the balance between freedom of speech and hate speech, Miya says, “We don’t discourage people from speaking. But whatever they say, the audience is going to question it and counter it. Content review dismantles our entire idea. We try to be as inclusive and accommodating as possible.”
However, they still prefer their audience to be 18 years or older. The participants should at least have graduated high school. That’s the age when changes in thinking pattern and growth come about.
The Orator’ House doesn’t require payment for participation any more. Since its 84th session, that was conducted on December 14, 2019, it has established itself as a place of knowledge, sharing and discovery. “We don’t just discuss current affairs. This place is a platform for all youths to network, participate in extracurricular events, share information, learn how to speak publicly, and ask correct questions at the correct time in a correct manner,” says Miya.
A second-time visitor, Aakriti Kharel, student at Kathmandu School of Law, told The Week, “Rather than staying at home on a Saturday and wasting two hours doing nothing, I would rather come here and be productive.” She continued, “Being at the Orator’s House is an opportunity for learning and getting practical lessons. Hearing other speakers talk about their personal experiences and ideas is an extremely efficient way to understand the world.”
Even though The Orator’s House has now found a sponsor, Miya promises that the organization will never become commercial. As it’s free for participants now, they are expecting more and more people to join in. But the present hall capacity is 70 and one wonders if Miya plans to make events a bit more exclusive.
“Not at all,” he answers. “It’s nothing short of remarkable to see our numbers growing day by day. But if it comes to a point where we cannot accommodate all of them, we will definitely find a new place to conduct our sessions. Everyone who is interested should be able to participate,” he concludes.
