Future
world citizens and soldiers learn the rules of war with an innovative
new tool.
Young men and women struggle to pass a checkpoint. Ahead of
them are obstacles, including minefields and roadblocks. The
young people are clearly identified with bibs and badges. They
talk calmly to the soldiers who aim guns at them.
“We are Red Crescent volunteers. We have come to help
the wounded.”
Watching their steps to avoid the dangers, they slowly make
their way towards their goal, a group of people affected by
the conflict who need humanitarian assistance.
It could be anywhere, anytime, in a conflict situation, but
this time it is only a role play, set in the imaginary countryof
Haddar, which is being attacked by neighbouring Deldar. The
young people are volunteers from the Moroccan Red Crescent who
are being trained in Raid Cross, a game designed to increase
their understanding of humanitarian issues in conflict. The
‘mines’ are made of paper and the ‘roadblocks’
are nothing more than overturned chairs. The ‘soldiers’
a re played by Red Crescent volunteers.
Not child’s play
Raid Cross was developed by the French Red Cross and the French-speaking
section of the Belgian Red Cross, and is based on a role play
written by Antoine Grand, a Belgian volunteer who was also a
boy scout. He developed the activity to introduce young scouts
to the basic principles of international humanitarian law, and
then gave the game to the Belgian Red Cross. The two National
Societies developed the game together. It is being spread throughout
the world after an agreement was signed between the French and
Belgian Red Cross, the International Federation, the ICRC and
the World Organization of the Scout Movement in April 2005.
Raid Cross teaches through seven posts or scenarios that focus
on prisoners of war, the treatment of wounded people, combatants,
humanitarian assistance, military decision-making or accountability
in the aftermath of conflict. Up to 90 people can play the game
at once.
Sarah Viale, dissemination officer for the French Red Cross,
has been involved in Raid Cross since before it took its present
form. “It was quite long and designed specifically for
the scouts,” she says, “but the idea was good. We
simply adapted it to the Red Cross Red Crescent.
“The large, international scout network is a great venue
to spread knowledge of international humanitarian law. Raid
Cross also helps National Societies and national scout organizations
work together and develop their national partnerships.”
Raid Cross has been downloaded in English and French from FedNet,
the International Federation’s extranet, by Red Cross
Red Crescent youth from all parts of the world, and many national
scout organizations are contacting National Societies to start
playing. Raid Cross has been played in countries as diverse
as Armenia, Mauritania and the United Kingdom. Translations
into Arabic and Spanish are in the pipeline.
Viale says the true value of the game is that it has an effect
every time it is played. “The players enjoy the game and
always learn something from it,” she says. “It has
the same success everywhere, even when it’s played in
other countries and cultures.” Benjamin, 16, who played
the game in France, says, “I couldn’t see war in
the same way [afterwards]. It doesn’t only mean attacking,
killing and defending yourself. It means protecting civilians
too and taking care of the wounded, even if they are enemies.”
The game
At each of the seven posts, participants play different roles,
such as combatants, civilians and humanitarian workers. The
activities are designed to illustrate the different rules and
to show the players their practical application.
Players do not need to be specialists in international humanitarian
law. Any trained volunteer can be a game leader. There is not
one particular profile for participants either. In France, Raid
Cross is mainly played with young adults aged 12 to 18. But
this can vary from one culture and country to another. The idea
is that children and young adults of today need to learn the
laws of war because they are the future citizens, soldiers and
world leaders. Raid Cross teaches them to protect life and human
dignity in times of armed conflict and, by extension, in all
their experiences.
When the training session is over, it is time for the Moroccan
Red Crescent volunteers to test their skills. The first players
are participants at the Fifth Middle East and North Africa Red
Cross and Red Crescent Conference, held in Marrakesh in May
2006. “Sir, sir, stop please, you are stepping on mines!”
Confused conference participants, on their way to a coffee break,
suddenly become aware of papers on the ground which read “Danger!
Mines!”
Participants start lifting their feet and watching their step.
Some are asked to put on Red Crescent bibs and carry food and
water across the field. They are then stopped by guards: “Sir,
do you have a badge? Where are you going?”
After passing the minefield at the humanitarian Assistance post,
conference participants encounter an artillery position, where
they are asked to become soldiers and attack targets with tennis
balls. Many civilians and even humanitarian workers are knocked
over.
Participants are shown what they have done: “Do you think
a hospital should have been attacked?” Although the people
are rushing for their coffee, the game engages them and many
stay for a while, playing on and talking to the game leaders
from the Moroccan Red Crescent youth section.
The volunteers also organize Raid Cross demonstrations in Marrakesh’s
busy Jamal el Fna square. In the afternoon, when the heat fades,
the square fills with vendors, medicine men, storytellers, snake
charmers and Red Crescent volunteers inviting people to their
activities. The volunteers involve schoolchildren and passers-by
in activities such as learning first aid and road safety, and,
for the first time, playing Raid Cross. Schoolchildren line
up to become soldiers at the artillery position, listening attentively
as the volunteers explain the rules of war before stepping up
to the front, armed with tennis balls. Aiming carefully, they
throw balls toward an image on a plastic bottle, hoping to hit
a military target.
The trial
The game ends with a trial or general debriefing. Although the
players’ understanding increases while they are playing
the game, where they learn never to leave a wounded person on
the battlefield, and to avoid hitting civilian targets when
they are soldiers, Viale says the trial is where you can really
see the effects of the game.
All game leaders are arrested and the players accuse them of
not following the rules of war. Then the players search for
suitable punishments. Next the teams get the chance to defend
their own actions. Often they say that they felt pressured into
making wrong decisions.
At the end of the discussion, they understand that a trial is
necessary — they might have left a wounded person on the
battlefield or hit a civilian target. Each team is judged as
a whole, to avoid targeting individuals. Sarah Viale says she
only knows of one case where a team was not sentenced at the
end of the trial. In this case, when asked why they committed
war crimes, the team replied: “When we arrived this morning,
you told us we had no choice — we had to fight. But we
are just children and it is against the rules to make children
into soldiers.” This team was pardoned and sent to an
ICRC rehabilitation centre for child soldiers.
At the end of each post, the players are given puzzle pieces.
After the trial, they use their puzzle pieces to rebuild the
country of Haddar. This is the final reward for understanding
and respecting international humanitarian law.
This article appeared in the Red
Cross Red Crescent Magazine.
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Young
people in Turkmenistan pick up the basics of international
humanitarian law through role play. (p14719)
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The
volunteers also organize Raid Cross demonstrations in
Marrakesh’s busy Jamal el Fna square. (p14718)
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The
volunteers involve schoolchildren and passers-by in activities
such as learning first aid and road safety, and, for the
first time, playing Raid Cross. Schoolchildren line up
to become soldiers at the artillery position, listening
attentively as the volunteers explain the rules of war
before stepping up to the front, armed with tennis balls.
(p14718)
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When
the training session is over, it is time for the Moroccan
Red Crescent volunteers to test their skills. (p14716)
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