War, global warming, the economic crisis: real problems that seem impossible to solve are indeed resolved by elementary-school-aged children, thanks to an ingenious game of world peace invented by John Hunter, a passionate American professor.
He created the game in 1978, and the idea has evolved into a 1.5 meter tall by 1 meter wide structure, which represents the world divided into five layers situated one on top of the other. These divisions represent the bottom of the ocean, teeming with fish, up to space and satellites, passing through the Earth’s surface, which is full of countries, some rich and some poor, with different strengths, weaknesses and interests. The countries are all governed by the students. There is also a rain god and a good weather god, which modify the climate conditions and influence crop growth. Finally, there is a large document that describes fifty interconnected international problems, such as those related to the use of fossil fuel versus nuclear energy, tensions between different ethnic groups, or global warming. Once war is declared in the game, the children in charge of those governments must write a letter to the parents of the soldiers expressing their condolences.
The children have to resolve the fifty problems in the document and undergo new negotiations in each session, with the end goal of reaching world peace in just a few weeks.
Concurrently, John Hunter conducts philosophical debates about both the events of the game and “The Art of War” by Sun Tsu, with the goal of better understanding the reasons for the war and, especially, why and how peace can be attained. Thus, he encourages a place of personal and collective reflection, self-learning, and the development of an open, critical, and creative spirit. The children who are faced with these complex problems create their own tools in order to understand the world in which they live.
John Hunter is the best person who can explain the World Peace Game. His TED Talk is available here.
- Also visit the World Peace Game Web site: https://www.worldpeacegame.org/
Written by: Manon Moreno Translated by: Jenna Zebrowski Proofread by : Allison Charette |
