How can gaming be used to promote peace?

As a Sudanese refugee living in Uganda, Lual Mayen used to walk three hours just so he could charge his laptop computer and play video games. Now, as the founder and CEO of Junub Games, he is winning awards and partnering with other developers to create games with a social impact.

Mayen, of course, is not alone in this pursuit. As the gaming industry continues to grow, many other civic-minded gamers are working to educate players about humanitarian issues, from the plight of refugees and migrants to the horrors of war.

Games for Change, for example, is a nonprofit that brings together game creators and social innovators. The organisation hosts an annual festival to help incubate game ideas that can impact a range of social causes. Similarly, the GameDev.World event aims to increase diversity within the industry by hosting game designers from developing nations.

In this episode, Lual Mayen joins Games for Change President Susanna Pollock and GameDev.World founder Rami Ismail to discuss how they are using their platforms to promote gaming for social good. Join the conversation.

On this episode, we speak with:
Lual Mayen @OfficialLual
Founder & developer, Junub Games
junubgames.com

Susanna Pollack @G4C
President, Games for Change
gamesforchange.org

Rami Ismail @tha_rami
Video game developer & industry ambassador
gamedev.world

Read more:
The peace games: Dreaming big for South Sudan’s youth – Al Jazeera
‘This War of Mine’ Dev 11 Bit Studios Raises Over $500,000 for Charity – Variety
At DePaul, creating video games for social good – Chicago Tribune

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