Conservation part of the game in Bali

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): In response to Bali's rapid environmental degradation resulting from development projects, the Balinese are learning ecological conservation through game-playing.

The approach, designed and introduced by environmental activists, aims to improve people's awareness about ecology.

"Remember the cellular phone maker who promoted a game feature? The TV ad says there is child in every one of us -- we believe that's true," says Putu Liza Mustika, an activist with WWF Wallacea Bioregion.

The Bali Enviro-Game is designed by the WWF Wallacea Bioregion in cooperation with the Wisnu Foundation which runs the Center for Environmental Education (PPLH) and Matamera, one of Bali's largest graphic design firms.

The game is similar to Monopoly but without the concepts of real estate, utilities or public works. There are no monopolistic overtones in the enviro-game.

The Bali Enviro-Game board depicts a map of Bali, its ecological wealth and various ecological threats. On the map, there are six square boxes in which to deposit 90 "issue cards." The cards are divided into six groups: agriculture, goods and services, marine tourism, inland tourism, home and school, and home industry. Each card tells a story about actions that either threaten the environment or preserve nature.

The Enviro-Game also includes a six-sided dice and a heap of colorful toy bank notes in denominations of Rp 10,000, Rp 50,000 and Rp 100,000.

"We make the appearances all beautiful so that people will be interested in the Enviro-Game," says Yuyun Ilham, chief of the Wisnu Foundation.

It is a simple game to play. Each player gets starting capital of Rp 100,000 from a "game facilitator." After throwing the dice, the player picks a card as indicated from a throw of the dice.

If the card is about actions harmful to the environment, the player will have to pay a fine as prescribed in the card. But if the card is about conservation, the player wins a cash prize. To win, you must collect the most cash enviro-rewards by the end of the game.

"The better the player's ability to explain environmental issues to the facilitator, the more prizes he wins," Liza says.

The Bali Enviro-Game was created by NGO activists to introduce environmental issues to senior high school students without burdening the curriculum or the teachers' workload.

"The best choice is a game," Liza says.

The game was introduced to 15 senior high schools in Denpasar and received an enthusiastic response, she says.

Some teachers criticized the technique, however, for using terminology that is used in the gambling world, such as bandar (bookmaker). (zen)