Darfur is Dying

Image of Daisaku Ikeda

Darfur is Dying is a web-based, viral video game that provides a window into the experience of the 2.5 million refugees in the Darfur region of Sudan. It is designed to raise awareness of the genocide taking place in Darfur and empower college students to help stop the crisis. Students at the University of Southern California, winners of mtvU’s Darfur Digital Activist contest, created the winning prototype.

The game was developed in cooperation with humanitarian aid workers with extensive experience in Darfur.
The content and the creative are woven together throughout the game, beginning with the first phase where the user selects an avatar to forage for water. Upon success or failure, they learn that their chances of succeeding were predetermined by their gender and age. The navigation system at http://www.darfurisdying.com enables a player to learn about the situation in Darfur, get involved with stopping the crisis, and understand the genesis of the project.

Darfur is Dying helps make activism intuitive in the digital age. Action items are embedded within the game, so that the user may send an automated note to President Bush to support the people of Darfur, or petition Congress to pass legislation that aids Darfur’s refugees, and by doing so increase the overall health of the camp. To further enhance the reach of the game, Darfur is Dying was designed to be spread virally. Players can contact everyone in their email address books and social networks about the game with a click of the mouse.

Play for free at: http://www.darfurisdying.com/

Demo