Complex systems like the global economy have leverage points where a little insight, action, or power can be amplified to make an outsized difference. These are catalysts for change.
That’s the set up from a new massive multi-player game, Catalysts for Change, that will be launched by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Institute for the Future on April 3. By inviting large scale collaboration through “tweet-like” playing cards that help innovative ideas spread, the game aims to generate some serious insights into global poverty – and maybe even some real solutions – in a period of 48 hours.
I write about serious games from time to time here on Mission to Learn and, in general, am fascinated by the potential for learning they represent. The Institute for the Future’s Jane McGonigal, who has architected numerous other large-scale, multi-player games, believes that games may be the key to tackling the really big problems that plague the world. Others are skeptical of McGonigal’s arguments, but regardless, I think this is a phenomenon for serious lifelong learners to watch – and perhaps join.
You can find out more and sign up to participate at https://searchlightcatalysts.org/. There’s also a Facebook page and a Twitter handle.
Jeff
