U.N. Creates Video Game To Educate On World Hunger

from the fun-with-food dept

Thu, Apr 14th 2005 2:07pm — Brett

Ah, those crazy kids. They love the video games, so of course they'll also love a PC/Mac video game that subtly teaches them about world hunger. That's what the United Nations hopes will happen with the free release of "Food Force," a game that was developed by the U.N.'s World Food Programme. We're always skeptical of bureaucrats who co-opt new media for transparent purposes. People -- especially kids -- tend to see right through them. But you never know. The success of "America's Army" shows that if done well, a government-esque game can succeed regardless of its ulterior motives.

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dorpus, 14 Apr 2005 @ 2:28pm

Help Slim Down The Fat Babies of Africa
The world produces enough food to feed its population several times over. Hunger is becoming less common, while obesity is undergoing explosive growth in developing nations. In a few more years, obesity-related health problems will overtake hunger-related health problems, if it hasn't already. Relief workers of the future will be urging Africans to eat less, since they will be dying of obesity.

What if "world hunger" is relatively rare, just a PR conspiracy cooked up by agri-businesses and fast food chains? Who could not feel sorry for TV images of starving babies in Africa? Who could question the notion that we should produce more food, produced by good Christian farmers out to save the world?

The Peace Corps and other relief organizations have very high drop-out rates, like 80%, because the idealistic young people who join realize that the camps are nothing like what they imagined. The camps are full of greedy louts who try to trick relief workers out of everything, playing on guilt trips. The louts beat their women, don't value education, don't give a shit about human rights or the environment.

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W.C. Varones, 14 Apr 2005 @ 8:59pm

Does

I wonder if players get bonus points for taking bribes and raping the locals.

W.C. Varones Blog

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Anonymous Coward, 10 Apr 2008 @ 4:19pm

This is an ancient thread, but I must say that the game is both educational and moderately entertaining. It is particularly strong in that it demonstrates how modern hunger relief efforts are quite different than those in previous decades. Rather than give local authorities the food and hope they will get to poor people, the user is responsible for locating the poor folks, buying the food on the international market, and then moving the food to the people in need.
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