Africa died.
It happened during a role-playing game Annie Laser was in at the
Manitoba Co-operative Council’s youth leadership seminar.
Laser, a high school student from Winnipeg, said each person was
representing a continent and was dealt cards representing food, shelter
and health. Then they were set loose to bargain deals with each other.
Laser said the others didn’t offer enough help and the game ended with
the fictitious death of the African continent.
It was a simple game that carried a strong message about the world to
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Laser and the 20 other youth at the Oct. 17-20 event.
Half of the group was from rural Manitoba and half from Winnipeg. Laser
said they talked about “how it’s easier to participate in a small town
because co-op structures are there and the credit unions. It creates
community.”
She also learned about agriculture from a participant who shared
photographs of her family’s feedlot.
“Some of the leaders were really inspiring. One was 21 years old and
had been to Africa and taught agriculture. It gave a sense of direction
to those wondering about their future.”
Laser said some of the lessons about communication and respecting
people’s backgrounds and differences will be valuable to her in school.
While she admitted it is not always cool for teenagers to be so
interested in the world, she found “it opens your mind further.”
