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The Serious Games Initiative is focused on uses for games in exploring management and leadership challenges facing the public sector. Part of its overall charter is to help forge productive links between the electronic game industry and projects involving the use of games in education, training, health, and public policy.


Reinventing public diplomacy through games award ceremony during E3 week

Posted by Peter Smith on 06-04-26

I just received the USC Center on Public Diplomacy's Newsletter for the first time. It is well done, and the major thrust is about the "Reinventing Public Diplomacy through Games Competition," It's a mouthful, but its also a superb idea that I wish I came up with first (I also wish I had grant funds). The competition is grant funded and designed as a place for people to showcase their talents by deigning a prototype or mod incorporating fundamental characteristics of public diplomacy. The finalists have been announced and the award ceremony will be May 8th at 3pm. You can follow this up with the Games for Health Day also at USC on May 9th and then wrap it all up with a three day E3 Expo Floor extravaganza. I am going to make every effort to be there and so should you, if unfortunately you can’t make it because your attending another conference or can’t convince your boss that E3 is totally an educational experience, you can participate in the award ceremony inside virtual world Second Life. Still not convinced one of the finalists is Global Kids Island, created by Global Kids, Inc. One of the founding organizations behind our sister site Games for Change. Read about all the finalists after the jump.

The finalists ranged from virtual cultural exchange programs to strategy games about the Israel and Palestinian conflict or international water rights. Listed below, in alphabetical order.


Exchanging Cultures Exchanging Cultures, a diplomatic game built inside “Second Life,” was created to facilitate the creating virtual communities and relationships based on the exchange of cultural items like: dances, art crafts, food receipts, architectural models, clothing, cultural routes and images of real original places for travelers and explorers. http://interactive.usc.edu/members/jmfernandez/2006/02/exchanging_cultures_ec_game.html.

Global Kids Island: Fostering Public Diplomacy Through Second Life Global Kids, Inc. envisioned a Public Diplomacy program within Second Life where the youth in the after-school program will spend the month learning about a global issue, experience an interactive and experiential workshop designed to educate about the issue. Their demonstration will be shown at the awards ceremony. For more information on the organization: http://www.globalkids.org/olp/index.jsp.

Hydro Hijinks Hydro Hyjinks is a class project designed to promote discussion about international water issues and to educate players from around the world about sources of international conflict over water rights. Watch the video tour of the game at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS2JT9IV3CM .

Peacemaker PeaceMaker is a cross-cultural political video game simulation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which can be used to promote a peaceful resolution among Israelis, Palestinians and young adults worldwide. More information, please visit their website: http://www.etc.cmu.edu/projects/peacemaker/ .