Games and virtual worlds are powerful tools for engaging new audiences on a range of serious subject matter, but they are also sources of entertainment and distraction. How do groups that work on human rights issues and causes use these new media tools to promote their missions? How do we use abstracted or even cartoony representations of serious human rights situations without trivializing the subject matter or the people they depict?
Global Kids has several years of experiencing integrating serious games and virtual worlds into our youth development and human rights education work. Our projects have spanned a range of approaches and tools, from creating an online game about poverty in Haiti to facilitating an online dialogue between an AIDS orphan in Uganda and teenagers using SMS text messaging and Second Life.
During this session, we would like to have a strategic and practical discussion about how human rights defenders and educators can best employ games and virtual worlds to increase knowledge and spur civic activism.
Please comment if this seems like a session you would be interested in participating in.
Tags: education, games, games for change, proposal, serious games, virtual worlds, youth
hi I am very interested in participate in this session, I have been working with human rights situation in colombia,,
cheers
eduardo
Hey Rik et al. – I’d like to join in this discussion, too! I’m particularly interested in your use of multiple platforms to promote global interactions… most notably the use of mobile devices and SMS with virtual worlds, like Second Life. Also, I’m thinking this might be a good session in which to integrate a live Second Life link. Several of the spaces at the Holocaust Museum offices would allow us to project Second Life onto a screen, and we could use the browser’s native streaming audio feature to communicate with folks in-world. Thoughts on that?
Thanks for the support. If there’s time, we can even check out some serious games and VWs and talk about their various affordances for our respective work.
Definitely would like to participate in this important discussion. USIP recently hosted a conference on “Smart Tools for Smart Power” which explored this topic: http://www.usip.org/events/next-generation-simulations-and-serious-games-peacebuilding.
USIP also has a clearinghouse that aggregates resources like these, including Ayiti: http://peacemedia.usip.org/
On a side note, As a huge fan of this topic I would like to recommend my personal favorite game for change: A Force More Powerful (http://www.aforcemorepowerful.org/game/index.php).
From their site: “Can a computer game help people learn how to defeat dictators, military occupiers, and corrupt rulers–not with laser rays and AK47s–but with a non-military strategy and nonviolent weapons?”
It’s one of the most immersive games and fun teaching tool out there. A steep learning curve, but well worth it once you get into the nitty gritty.
If anyone’s interested, they’re also working on a sequel and will soon be looking for beta testers!