Title:
Using Computer Games to Support Democracy and
Conflict Resolution
Description: This is
a VOA Special English General News Report.
See text below
Text:
Video games can be fun to play. They also can teach
people how to settle conflicts peacefully. This is a
video game called Food Force. It can be downloaded
from the Web site of the World Food Program. The
groups Jennifer Parmalee says the game shows
children the difficulty of getting food to areas of
conflict.
JENNIFER PARMALEE: It helps them feel like they can
be part of a solution. Thats something empowering
and fun for them.
Another video game is called A Force More Powerful.
It takes place in a city similar to Belgrade in the
former Yugoslavia. Ivan Marovic designed the game.
Ten years ago, he organized protests against
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.
The president resigned after disputed election
results in two thousand. He was arrested on war
crimes charges, but died before his trial was
completed.
Marovic says his game shows non-violent ways to help
remove oppressive governments.
IVAN MAROVIC: Like strikes, boycotts, civil
disobedience, street protests, in order to force the
regime to either concede or to step down.
Marovic says another goal is to win public support.
He says the goal is to win the loyalty of people who
support the government. Another goal is to keep up
the interest of your current supporters.
This game deals with the situation in Darfur, Sudan.
The conflict in Darfur has displaced three million
people.
A Web site called Second Life was used to create the
Darfur video game. Players can build their own
make-believe world and contact others through voice
and text messages. Scott Sechser works for Linden
Labs, which created Second Life. He says the game
lets players come in and see what is taking place in
Darfur, listen to a family which left Darfur and is
now in a refugee camp.
The Second Life Web site is able to change text
messages in English to other languages. Sechser says
he has communicated with people from around the
world.
Other parts of Second Life help to support democracy
and conflict resolution. They include a courtroom
where people can learn about legal systems in a
democracy. I'm Bob Doughty.
Hi. I
personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
the window below using any of a number of different services
including Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail.
To post a comment:
• Click "Comment using..." in
the window below
• Click your favorite service: Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail
• Login to the service
• Click "Add a comment..."
• Post your comment in the window
Students: Please post a
comment stating what you found interesting about this video. You are
welcome to include links to your English study blogs and any
other materials you think might be useful for learning
English.
Teachers: Please post your
thoughts about this video. You are welcome to include links to
your sites, blogs, and any other materials you think might
be useful for learning English.
Hi. I
personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
the window below using any of a number of different services
including Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail.
