The Earth Charter Game

Post by Olivia Gilmore

One does not usually expect board games to be out during the networking/cocktail hour, but yesterday I found myself pulled aside to play the Earth Charter’s very interactive new game. It can be used as an educational tool for adults, youth, and children, or in this case, it was a great way to facilitate further conversation regarding the topics of the day’s sessions. Instead of traditional game pieces, players are encouraged to find their markers outside in nature or in their surroundings. I was a bottle cap. Rules are flexible, depending on the age level and educational aim, but generally players move around the board, expending “energy” represented by corn kernels as they go. Throughout each player’s journey around eight biospheres and cultures of planet earth, they are called on to tell stories and read positive or negative attitudes from the card deck. To achieve the objectives of the game, players must practice cooperation and interdependence. Either all win or all lose, in a similar situation to what contemporary society faces, within the challenge of sustainability. Fun for the entire ecologically minded family!