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New online game simulates refugee experience
LONDON, July 2 - The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today launched an online game in the United Kingdom that pits players against repressive governments, sceptical officials and unsympathetic neighbours as they try to flee persecution and seek sanctuary in a new, safe country.
Gamers playing “Against All Odds” online at www.playagainstallodds.com, find themselves facing the brute force of a repressive regime just for taking part in a peaceful march.
Fearing even worse to come, players of UNHCR’s new game must flee their country and become a refugee in order to escape persecution, taking only what they can carry in a small rucksack. Arriving in a strange city where they know no one and don’t understand the language, gamers must find shelter and support while trying to settle in a new land.
“Every day, desperate people must flee because of human rights abuse and war, with no choice but to abandon their homelands,” said Peter Kessler, UN Refugee Agency spokesman. “Players of “Against All Odds” get to experience some of the challenges refugees have to face, including being persecuted and forced to flee their own home and having to confront discrimination while trying to start a new life abroad.”
In the online game, players must cope with difficulties at school, not knowing the local language and the challenges of making new friends. They also experience what refugees go through when sometimes facing xenophobia and discrimination, finding a job and starting a new life in a strange land.
“”Against All Odds” is a unique educational tool which will help develop a better understanding of the reasons why people must seek asylum and their needs,” declared UNHCR’s Peter Kessler.
UNHCR’s new game is certified by the Pan European Game Information agency (PEGI) for use by children aged 7+ and is PEGI Online approved.
Divided into three categories – "War and Conflict," "Borderland" and "A New Life" – the online game takes players on a journey towards asylum and local integration, but also covers the challenges of confronting a new language and navigating a foreign culture.
In addition to the experience-based part of the virtual game, "Against All Odds" also features a factual library with hints for players as well as articles about political repression and the necessity to promote protection and assistance for refugees.
The factual library also includes moving interviews with real refugees who tell their stories –- an Iraqi boy describes what it was like to come to Europe after his father was shot and a Russian pediatrician relates her story of being granted refugee status but not being allowed to practice her profession.
As well as the testimonies of refugees, “Against All Odds” is a lively educational tool, designed with both teachers and students in mind. The web facts section charts the history of asylum in Europe and explains the difficulties refugees face.
“Against All Odds’” UK version (www.playagainstallodds.com) also offers a newly updated Teacher’s Guide section, which provides various lesson plans, learning activities, and other interesting educational resources that can be of use both inside and outside the classroom.
“Against All Odds” was originally launched in Sweden in 2005 in a bid to raise awareness and promote integration and positive attitudes towards refugees by putting players in their shoes. The game and its resources are also available in Danish, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Norwegian, Spanish and Swedish.
UNHCR UK has updated the game with additional web facts designed specifically for the UK market. A “Take Action” section has also been added to the game, giving young players the opportunity to learn more about refugee issues and spread the word about the work of UNHCR, one of the world’s leading aid agencies. Players can also donate the equivalent of what they would spend on a chocolate bar to help refugees fleeing war and persecution and violence.
The UN Refugee Agency, which is almost entirely funded by voluntary contributions, works to protect and assist more than 30 million refugees around the world with offices in more than 110 countries. For more information visit: www.unhcr.org.uk.
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