It's NOT just for fourth graders:
"The World Peace Game is about learning to live and work comfortably in the unknown."
John Hunter
Wow...talk about an inspiring video...I know that it is 20 minutes long...but believe me, it's so worth your time. When watching this I couldn't help but think about my niece, Cortney who grew up dreaming about being a teacher because she wanted to make a difference in the world. At the time her mentor was teacher, Ron Clark who was originally featured on the Oprah Winfrey show and now has his own academy. I'm very proud to say that Cortney did accomplish her goal of becoming a teacher and she is now making a difference with her special needs students in Burbank, California ;)
Teacher and musician John Hunter is the inventor of the World Peace Game (and the star of the new doc "World Peace and Other 4th-Grade Achievements").
Why you should listen to him:
Musician, teacher, filmmaker and game designer, John Hunter has dedicated his life to helping children realize their full potential. His own life story is one of a never-ending quest for harmony.As a student, he studied comparative religions and philosophy while traveling through Japan, China and India. In India, inspired by Ghandi's philosophy, he began to think about the role of the schoolteacher in creating a more peaceful world.
As his online biography says: "Accepting the reality of violence, he would seek to incorporate ways to explore harmony in various situations. This exploration would take form in the framework of a game – something that students would enjoy. Within the game data space, they would be challenged, while enhancing collaborative and communication skills."
In 1978, at the Richmond Community High School, Hunter led the first sessions of his World Peace Game, a hands-on political simulation. The game has now been played around the world, on a four-tiered board. It's the subject of the new film World Peace and Other 4th-Grade Achievements.
A Note From John Hunter (posted on his the World Peace Game site after appearing in March at Ted 2011)
Hello everyone,
Thank you all for your tremendous and kind support in response to the recent presentation at TED 2011. Following that talk in March, I returned to my job teaching 2nd – 5th graders at Agnor-Hurt School in Virginia. Although I have been very busy, I did want to respond to the queries about the World Peace Game.
Currently the game is not available online or anywhere else….yet! We are considering many models for sharing the game, and hope within a relatively short time to be able to offer access to this wonderful experience. If you will check the foundation site or Chris Farina’s film siteabout the game documentary occasionally, any new information should appear there.
For those interested in attending an upcoming screening of the documentary, “World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements,” I will next be accompanying the film at the Harvard University Askwith Forum on Tuesday April 26. The film will also be screened during the Lowell Film Festival in Massachusetts on Saturday April 30. I will travel to the Atlanta Film Festival for screenings on Saturday May 1 and Sunday May 7 and the film and I will be hosted in Asheville, North Carolina for a special screening at the Diana Wortham Theatre on May 4.
Just a brief note; as many of you have understood, the game is not very realistic, nor is it meant to be. I created it during the end of the cold war era when there was the greater possibility of large tank armies battling! Things have changed greatly since then, and I have updated the game to include things like insurgencies, predator drones, cyber warfare, etc.
But in truth, the game is merely a pretext for inspiring children to create, develop and practice the tools and processes of problem-solving, and creative and critical thinking. By competent and insightful practice, I would hope that the children may ultimately be able to use these experiences to help reduce suffering and increase compassion in the world.
John Hunter
The World Peace Game Foundation
Well...I don't know about you all...but I'd love a chance at playing this game! As adults we should continue to learn new things and we could all use a referesher course on World Peace. Hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did.
Fondly, Roberta
Roberta, I just discovered your blog through a comment you made on the Be More With Less blog. So much of what you blog about concerns me so I'm going to slowly go through your blog, learning about more ways to make a difference. Thanks for all you do and for spreading hope!
Posted by: Cherie | 05/17/2011 at 10:57 AM