Before you start
- Ideally you need at least 15 participants for this activity
- Print and cut out role cards. You should have as many role cards as you have participants. There need to be one party leader, two ministers, two businesspeople and two journalists. There can be more political activists, but the biggest group should be local hard workers
What to do
Explain to the group that they are citizens of Poorland, where a war is going on. Then distribute the role cards. You can decide whether you give them out randomly or if you want to give specific roles to specific people in your group
Give some time for everyone to read their role card and think more about their character. Ask participants to close their eyes while you read out the following questions to help them imagine their roles:
• What do you look like?
• What is special about you?
• Who are your friends?
• What are your hobbies?
• Are you in love?
• When you think about the current situation in Poorland, what goes through your mind?
• What are your hopes, fears and expectations?
• What do you want to do now?
Explain that there is going to be a big get-together of the people of Poorland and other countries to discuss the war. To prepare for this meeting they should find people who are similar to themselves to discuss their plans. What do they think should happen now? What do they want to do? They have 20 minutes to prepare in their groups and come up with a strategy, but can also meet other groups during this time if they want to negotiate
After 20 minutes, ask everyone to come together for the big meeting. Explain that the aim of the meeting is to find a way to stop the war in a way that is good for everyone. Ask each group to explain what they think should be done. Let them react to each other; they can question one another and discuss
After 15 minutes of discussion, stop the meeting – even if no solution has been found. Ask everyone to line up in the room. Explain that one side of the room signifies ‘wants to end the war’, and the other ‘wants to prolong the war’. The participants should position themselves on this barometer according to their role. Ask everyone to look around and see where others are standing, and ask a few people to explain why they’re standing where they are
Come back together in a circle and do a de-roling exercise: Explain that everyone has been wearing a big invisible suit that represents their role in the game. They can now unzip the suit, step out of it and throw it away. After this, they are themselves again and no longer in role
Discussion Questions
- How was it? How did you feel playing your role?
- Did you feel that you had a chance to end the war? Why (not)?
- Were you able to come to an agreement? If so, how? If not, why?
- What arguments did the businesspeople use? Were they convincing? Why (not)? What about others’ arguments?
- Who wanted the war to end? Was there anyone who wanted the war to be prolonged, and if so why?
- Who dominated the discussions? Does this reflect reality? Who would have most power in reality?
- Which power structure would be best for a peaceful society? Why?
- How do you think we could break existing unequal power structures in society?