INTRODUCTION
Earlier this year, the Theory of Knowledge department combined with the Geography department to discuss the issue of Aid. The vehicle for this discussion was a role play which needs about two hours to play effectively. Within the British International School Cairo the TOK students are used to these role plays as a way of exploring TOK issues, and react extremely well to what is demanded of them.
To set up the game one preferably needs three rooms that are interconnected in order to have control over the students' discussions. If one has three rooms that are connected by an internal telephone system this is be even better. Within the middle room we have a model of the situation set up. We used the scenario of an aid convoy trying to get themselves and their aid through a variety of situations. Our situation was based on Afghanistan since an earthquake had just happened there and the news was fresh in people's minds. We did the role play with 10 students, but it should work well with as few as seven or as many as twenty. Our students were given roles and details of what their roles involved. Some of the students worked in pairs and others alone.
The roles assigned were as follows:
The aid agency.
The aid convoy.
Country A: The government sponsoring the aid agency.
Country B: The government of the country requiring the aid.
Country C: A government of a country neighboring the country requiring aid.
A rebel force.
A journalist.
The details of these roles would depend on what one is trying to achieve, and also on the students one has. It is best to use real examples for the aid agency and countries A, B, and C; one can back this up by letting the students do some research into the various scenarios. Once set up the students had six separate rounds or incidents to go through and each role group was given a scenario of what it was supposed to do in each situation. If no decision was reached at the end of a round, then arbitrators were called in who would force a conclusion that was detrimental to both sides. All our students were given cards to' represent money, arms, and aid. These could be traded as required, within the rules of the role play. Each of these six scenarios took between 10 minutes and 25 minutes to play out, and after each one all participants changed roles.
THE GAME
Round 1:
Disaster hits region of Takhan Province. An earthquake struck the mountainous region of Rustuq last night leaving people dead and homeless. This is an inaccessible region with no rail or air links and a basic quality road. The weather at the moment is cold with thick snow on the ground. The first reports out suggest that the government of Afghanistan are in need of much humanitarian aid. More details may be available from the latest CNN report.
Briefs:
Aid Agency and Aid Convoy:
You are trying to mobilise a convoy to go out to help with this latest disaster. As the staff in the home country you need to know what aid is needed and you need to get permission to travel through those areas held by Country C and the rebels. However you also need money to finance this operation to buy aid and food. The food and aid is to be bought from your directors of operations. You go to the government of Country A and ask for all you need. This is your only source of cash unless you can persuade the government of Country B to pay you at some later date.
You also only have limited information about the needs of the earthquake victims. You need to find out more information and so you contact the government of Country B. However due to the earthquake there are no direct communications. Your messages have to go through the government of Country C or the rebels. Unfortunately contact with the region is very difficult at the moment. You have two choices. You can either contact the rebels who operate in the vicinity of the earthquake zone, but you will need to give them guns and arms for the information. Alternatively you could contact the government of Country C, but they will only help if you cut off all help to the rebels. It will take twice the time to gain the information from the rebels than it will from the government of Country C. You may also contact the government of Country A; they have certain information and will help. You need to get all this information to the aid convoy.
Country A:
You have been approached by the aid agency for help with the earthquake disaster, but you are only prepared to do so if they agree to take one of your people (spy) as part of the convoy. You should not tell anyone about this. You also need information about the situation in the disaster region, and you can either contact the government of Country B or the rebels. From satellite and seismic observation you know the earthquake is large and you reckon that between 1000 and 4000 are dead and possibly twice that number are homeless.
Country B:
You have a large scale disaster on your hands. 4000 people are feared dead and 15000 left homeless. What aid do you need - food, medicine doctors, tents etc.? You can't make direct contact with the aid agency but you can pass on information to the government of Country C or to the rebels who will pass it on to the aid agency. You have asked for help from the international community and the aid agency has responded.
Country C:
You can pass on some information about the situation in the disaster area to the aid agency in return for weapons. You can also get full information from the government of Country B which you can then pass on.
Rebels:
You can pass on whatever information about the situation in the disaster area that you are willing to give to the aid agency in return for weapons.
Round 2:
The bridge across the river Helmand is destroyed. The aid convoy needs a ferry to get across.
Briefs:
Aid convoy:
You can talk to the aid agency, the government of Country A, the rebels, the government of Country C, but not the government of Country B. To get a ferry you will have to approach the government of Country C or the rebels; they both have ferries. To pay for the ferry you will need to contact the aid agency.
Aid Agency:
You may have to help your convoy solve problems. If you need financial or other help you can get it from the government of Country A or the government of Country B. You have a radio link with the government of Country B.
Country A:
You may have to help the aid agency - but see if you can get the government of Country B to pay at least part of the cost. Can you get anything from the rebels or the government of Country C in return?
Country B:
You need to get the aid through. Be prepared to provide any help but there will be a price.
Country C:
You have a ferry, but you require money and part of the aid shipment - negotiate your price.
Rebels:
You have a ferry but it comes at a price - negotiate to decide your price - arms or money.
Round 3:
There is fighting between the rebels and the government of Country C. Until peace is restored the convoy cannot go on.
Briefs:
Aid convoy:
You need to negotiate to try to stop the fighting. You can approach the aid agency by radio if you need anns or money.
Aid agency:
Only the government of Country A or the government of Country B has weapons and arms for sale to you or other parties.
Country A:
You have arms and weapons for sale. However you do not want to supply arms to either the rebels or the government of Country C. You are trying to persuade them to settle the dispute by peaceful negotiation. You can offer to send weapons in the future - with no intention of honoring the agreement. It is important for your prestige that the aid convoy succeeds.
Country B:
You are prepared to supply arms and money to either the rebels or the government of Country C, but at what price? It is vital that the convoy gets through.
Rebels:
You want whatever you can get from whoever is offering and are prepared to enter into direct negotiation with the government of Country C if necessary.
Country C:
You want whatever you can get from whoever is offering and are prepared to enter into direct negotiation with the rebels if necessary. Maybe they will withdraw from this area in return for money from the aid agency.
Round 4:
The aid convoy has a man seriously ill. He needs to be taken out of the country.
Briefs:
Aid convoy:
One of your men has appendicitis and needs to get to hospital urgently. If he does not he will die. Road transportation is very slow and is not an option. You also need a helicopter, and hence you contact the aid agency. You also need a doctor so you contact the government of Country C or the aid agency. If you get the helicopter you will need permission to land so you contact the rebels or the government of Country C.
Aid agency:
Your only way of acquiring a helicopter is to ask the government of Country A. Your only way of getting a doctor to the aid convoy is to ask the government of Country B.
Country A:
You have a helicopter to offer. You also need to gain the permission to land from the rebels. If you get permission to land you must pass on this message to the aid agency with the message that they must pass back the message.
Country B:
You have a doctor, but do not want to send him as he is busy helping victims of the earthquake.
Country C:
You have a doctor, but you want medicine in return for any work that he does.
Rebels:
You are desperate for whatever you can get hold of. Remember that you have landing rights for the helicopter. You can attack the helicopter if it lands and you have not been paid off.
Round 5
Rebels stop aid convoy.
Briefs:
Aid convoy:
You have been stopped by the rebels who are asking for arms. If you do not produce the goods your lives are in extreme danger. You could also ask the government of Country C for help in destroying the rebels. You will also ask the aid agency for help. You could also ask the government of Country B for arms.
Aid agency:
Your aid convoy has a problem. They may ask you for help. If you do not have what is required you will have to go to the government of Country A or the government of Country B.
Country A:
Elections are nearing and there is a scandal erupting about public spending. Anything that you are asked to supply must be paid for and fully accounted for. Pay can be in terms of secrets, alliances or money. You are also keen that the aid convoy gets through so that it looks like you are doing something at election time.
Country B:
You can supply arms/money/secrets if required. You are not keen to supply any but you need the aid convoy. Maybe you can promise them in the future but you have no intention of keeping the promise.
Country C:
You need something in return for any help that is required. You will happily attack the rebels and drive them from the area if you are supplied with arms to do so.
Rebels:
You require arms and or money in return for any favors
Round 6:
There is a loss of aid from the convoy Lorries due to corrupt government officials.
Briefs:
Aid convoy:
You have to notify the aid agency and can try to negotiate directly with who you think may be stealing.
Aid Agency:
You need to find out who is stealing the aid and stop it.
Country A:
Your spy reports that it is the Afghan border guards who are stealing and you want to make sure that the theft is stopped.
Country B:
You are not in control of the corruption but your border guards have stolen from the convoy. You have no control but you do not want to admit it.
Country C:
You are not responsible for the theft
Rebels:
You are not responsible for the theft.
VARIATIONS:
We also designed a series of cards that allowed us to change the situation during a round. Examples of these are given below:
Helicopters can land. This allows you to go into any other room and speak to anyone and to pick up anything.
Airplane. This allows you to visit any other room, but you cannot speak or pick up things.
Spy. You are a spy working for the government of Country A. You are acting as part of the aid convoy, which is your cover. At any time you can give a message to the directors of operations to be passed back to your government.
Aid worker kidnapped. You need to negotiate with kidnappers to rescue. The convoy cannot move until this is achieved.
The government of Country C has decided that a women's place is in the home. They will not allow women on the aid convoy. Unless you resolve this the aid convoy cannot move. Our aid convoy was entirely female!
Alliances. For political reasons an alliance is to be made between you and' the rebels. If you make this alliance the rebels will do all their negotiation through you for this round, but you will have to supply them with 5 aid cards, 5 money cards and 5 arms cards.
Spy found. News flash. There is a spy in the aid convoy, reporting secrets back to the government of Country A.
Radio links between the aid convoy and the aid agency have been broken.
Aftershock of earthquake has destroyed some of the food supplies.
Fire has destroyed 10 units of money.
Senior leader of aid convoy is a spy.
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