Most of the group will play a game of catch, throwing a ball around between members of a circle. Three people will form a panel that is making up the rules. They can add new rules and change rules as the game goes on. They should call out the new rules, and everyone should obey them. The only thing they cannot change is that all players must stay in the circle.
It can be useful to have one adult out of the circle to throw the ball back in.
Suggestions for rules:
- Everyone must sit down;
- put one hand behind back;
- sing;
- throw with left hand;
- throw to person on their right;
- call out a country when they throw.
End the game after an amount of time or when players want to move on
Discussion Questions:
after the game ask the group
- How did it feel when other people to kept making up new rules?
- How did it feel to not be in control?
- Why should those 3 people be allowed to change the rules?
Explain the point of the game was to understand how it feels when you do not get a say in the rules, but you have to obey them. This is how it can feel for poor or less developed countries that have to obey rules made up by rich, well developed countries.
For example at WTO (World Trade Organisation) meetings the rich countries have a lot of power, and they manage to influence the decisions that are made. Poorer countries can often not even afford to send a representative to the WTO meetings, so they do not have a voice. They still have to obey WTO rules, even if the rules are likely to have a negative effect on the poor countries.