Saving the World, One Video Game at a Time

The violence erupting in the Middle East is anything but a game. Desperate to eliminate world crises, philanthropists such as the MacArthur Foundation and academics are teaming up with developers of video games to teach new skills and values, particularly to youth who reject traditional media. For example, “Peacemaker” places its players in decision-making roles vis-à-vis the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The UN created “Food Force,” to demonstrate the challenges of delivering food to war-torn regions. Games are an excellent media for exploring and analyzing complex issues and practicing a range of strategies – and modern political events offer excellent premises for games, allowing for intrigue, pathos, nuance and imagery. The creators hope that young people, who might otherwise go uninformed, will form deeper connections and thought about the dramas and history unfolding in faraway places like the Middle East and Darfur through immersion in the games. Most video games are a form of distraction. But designers of the serious political games focus attention and social action on settings where winning or losing matter most – the real world. – YaleGlobal