To draw attention to impunity and motivate more people to engage in the issue, IFEX has created a digital game, Break the Silence, for the 2012 International Day to End Impunity campaign.
(IFEX) – 14 November 2012 – To draw attention to impunity and motivate more people to engage in the issue, IFEX has created a digital game, Break the Silence, for the 2012 International Day to End Impunity campaign.
In one scenario in this game, you are a Twitter user in the Americas. Drug cartels and organised crime have infiltrated the political, judicial and law enforcement systems in your country.
In another, you are a musician in Africa. Your government is handing down orders to silence artistic expression. Those who challenge the status quo are being censored, and those who persevere are being threatened and intimidated.
In a third, you are a protester in the Middle East, in a country with an established authoritarian regime in power. Voices of dissent are violently suppressed by the police and military.
In each scenario, you must navigate through a labyrinth where others are doing everything they can to silence your voice.
What will you risk to be heard?
The use of digital games to build awareness and engagement has dramatically increased in the last few years. Organisations large and small, from the UN to community-based non profits, are using simulation games designed around issues from bullying to world hunger. Those who want to reach out to a younger and broader demographic are recognising that the digital space and game-based learning can be a powerful tool.
There is a world of difference between playing a game and experiencing the life and death consequences of actions in the real world. Nevertheless, games can facilitate a more direct connection to the problem, encouraging people to become actively engaged in wanting to solve it.
“For IFEX members, impunity continues to rank among their most pressing concerns. These scenarios reflect real situations that have become all too familiar. Playing this game and experiencing first-hand some of the difficult choices facing so many offers a glimpse into the complicated culture of impunity,” said IFEX Executive Director Annie Game.
The game is launching on the International Day to End Impunity website on 14 November.
Break the Silence was designed by Quantum Grey Studios and is available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish.
