Board game raises awareness of the lives of refugees
A new board game is teaching local pupils about the need for empathy in the current refugee crisis by linking the stories of refugees across the centuries
More in common than you think
The game (pictured) is the result of a co-operation among Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen (Flemish Refugee Action), heritage agency Faro and the province of West Flanders and was launched to coincide with World Refugee Day on 20 June.
This is not a Game tells the stories of 14 refugees who lived between the middle ages and the present. Youngsters get insight into what it means to have to leave your home country, become familiarised with basic concepts of immigration and learn the impact of fleeing conflict on people’s lives.
The board game targets secondary school students and those in the final two years of primary school. It can be played with an entire class, split into four groups.
The educational packet also contains a manual for teachers to lead discussions following the use of the game in class. Flemish Refugee Action is also encouraging classes to visit its touring exhibition BE.Land, which showcases stories of refugees and their experiences. The exhibition is at Arhus until 27 June and then will return in September, starting in Ghent.
Photo courtesy Faro