imPACT
Goals
Simulate the use of the Panic Button and responses by PACT members.
Methodology
Role-playing game where teams need to set up, set off and respond to the Panic Button.
Timespan
2 to 4 hours, normally played over dinner
Materials
Game cards, props if needed for trigger actions and Key Figures
Remember
Everyone needs to have Panic Button and credit on their phones.
Full Description
The imPACT game puts participants in a simulated high-pressure situation where the strength of their PACT will be put to the test. A human rights defender (HRD) has been forcibly taken to a detention center and is being held incommunicado: the participants, as part of the HRD’s PACT, will need to be well prepared: they will be required to think and act fast to ensure key actions take place and ‘Key Figures’ in their network are involved in order to free the HRD.
Familiarize yourself with the game mechanics beforehand. Make sure you have printed and prepared enough cards to cover the whole group, and that you have acquired all the props you might need for Key Figures to properly act out their roles.
Explain the game mechanics in plenary - see game instructions for details. Group participants into teams, and provide them with space and time to prepare together at the end of Day 1. Make sure you are present during preparation, to answer questions teams may have about how the game works, and any last minute questions about the Panic Button. Keep notes of the process, group dynamics and difficulties participants encounter before and during the game — both in relation to how they interacted with the app and their preparation work with PACT contacts — since that will inform the plenary discussion to be held after the game (see card 1.5 - PACT action plan)
Make sure all participants have the Panic Button set up correctly, that they have credit on their phones, and that they have tested the application beforehand.