New democracy board game ready for use

CEFORD and Yei Community Resource Centre have developed a new board game teaching the participants about democratic values and citizen's rights in Southern Sudan.

The Democracy Board Game developed by CEFORD and Yei Community Resource Centre. Photo: Janne Bruvoll.]

“Your husband is working and getting a salary every month. You do not know how much he earns. Is this a problem? Give your opinion. After that, the other participants vote if they agree or not.”
This is one example of the questions that participants playing a new democracy board game will have to answer. Through debate and voting, it will be decided whether the player will move forward in the game. The participants role a dice and move through the different phases of the game: family, school and health care, civil society organisations, local media and the government. In each phase, there are specific questions related to it.
The board game has been developed by CEFORD and Yei Community Resource Centre with support from former development work for MS Sudan Camilla Ankerstjerne.
“We need to make things simple. When we do activities, the participants must be able to get information fast and in an easily understandable way. We believe that the board game can do that,” says Noel Kaiga, programme assistant for Yei Community Resource Centre.

Others are welcome to use it
With a board game, it is easy for a facilitator to involve many people.
“It is important for us to use approaches where everyone can have a chance to say something and participate. This is what a board game like this can do.”
CEFORD and Yei Community Resource Centre are planning to use the board game in meetings, in their outreach activities and for people who visit the resource centre.
Other organisations can get the board game through CEFORD and Yei Community Resource Centre. However, facilitators will have to be trained to make sure that the board game is used correctly. The training will be free but organisations may have to pay for the printing of the board game.

For more information about the democracy board game, contact CEFORD (+256 477 121 780, +249 955 025 568 or cefordforumtheatre@ymail.com) or Yei Community Resource Centre (+256 477 100 762, +249 955 063 621 or ericjuliet2004@yahoo.co.uk).