The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, the MIT Education Arcade, and Learning Games Network are pleased to announce the five finalists of Create UNAOC 2012, the international competition for app and game developers to produce apps and mobile games that enable new avenues for intercultural dialogue.
This year’s Finalists are:
- Ibn Battuta’s App (Spain) — Follow in the footsteps of famed Moroccan scholar and traveler Ibn Battuta to learn about the Arab Muslim world.
- Touchable Earth (New Zealand) — Explore the the sights and cultures of different countries with this interactive world book presented by children from around the world.
- Get Water! (Canada) — Take on the role of Maya, who must collect water for her community in this mobile game, and learn about today’s global water challenges.
- Sanskar (India) — Understand different traditions with this interactive game and database that users from around the world can contribute to.
- Reality (United States) — Pursue news stories as a freelance reporter in this game that aims to raise awareness of media bias and promote critical thinking about what we read.
The finalists will each be awarded $5,000 to refine their creations, which will be exhibited at the 5th Annual UNAOC Forum this February in Vienna, Austria. The Learning Games Network and Fields of View, non-profit organizations that have experience developing games for learning and participatory processes, will also be supporting the producers to refine their creations.
The jury reviewed submissions from around the globe that spanned a range of relevant topics and applications. Faced with an abundance of talent and ideas, Create UNAOC would also like to highlight the following projects as Honorable Mentions:
- The PeaceTube Project (Israel) — Make new friends from around the world with this Facebook app that lets you chat with unfamiliar people across national borders.
- Crowdaoke (United States) — Lay down tracks to popular karaoke songs with up to three strangers from across the globe in this web app.
- Cultural Shock (Italy) — Watch the real-life journeys of pairs of strangers as one explores his or her country of origin with a fellow European.
- NuWorld (United States) — Wake up in a foreign land, solve puzzles, acquire the language, and overcome prejudice and bias in this computer and smartphone game.
- Haki II (Kenya) — Solve puzzles and learn more about the struggle of Kenyan youth against corrupt politicians in this game for mobile devices.
The Create UNAOC Team would like to thank its jurors, partner organizations, and entrants for taking part in its inaugural competition. Please stay tuned in the coming weeks as the UNAOC and its outreach partners feature individual projects in the lead up to this year’s UNAOC Forum.