Serious Gaming and Simulations – the Power and Potential for Peacebuilders

The Center of Innovation for Science, Technology, and Peacebuilding has partnered with Education and Training Center/ International (ETC/I)  to explore in-depth Serious Gaming and Simulations as tools for improved decision-making by peacebuilders.

 

The Center and ETC/I held meetings with simulation and gaming experts at the World Bank and the National Defense University to understand state of the art and discuss collaboration. In addition, the Center and ETC/I visited Lockheed Martin’s Center of Innovation in Suffolk, VA, on March 4, 2009 to better understand private sector expertise. The USIP delegation was introduced to some leading edge collaboration and simulation tools, as well as predictive analytics. As a result of all of the aforementioned talks, the Center hosted a full-day multimedia showcase of state-of-the-art simulation and "serious gaming" tools that promise to transform the way that peacebuilding organizations train, plan and collaborate.

 

The July 16th, 2009 "Smart Tools for Smart Power" event featured presentations from such innovators as IBM, the Army War College, EBay, Lockheed Martin, Second Life, and USIP's own Education and Training Center.  U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer Beth Noveck presented the keynote address, in which she noted that the Obama administration sees "serious" games as an important, largely untapped way to enable innovation in government and civic engagement.