Democracy is under pressure: in Germany, Europe and around the world.
We are people from the gaming community — developers, creators, researchers and enthusiasts who wish to champion democratic principles. If society were a game in which we all play, then democracy would be a set of rules designed to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone: Equal rights for all, fair and secret elections, and the assurance that individual rights are protected even against powerful institutions.
Even though democracy is far from perfect, what its opponents are striving for is far worse: the concentration of power in the hands of a few players, without oversight or transparency. The discrimination and disenfranchisement of entire groups of players. The opposite of a fair game.
Democracy is not a given
Autocratic forces openly call for and plan ethnic cleansing, the persecution of political opponents and state control of science and research. For some years now, these forces have also succeeded in making these demands socially acceptable and capable of gaining majority support.
A look at the world and history teaches us that these are not empty threats. These forces are willing and able to enforce their demands, given the opportunity.
This is why we want to take action. We want to use our talents and knowledge of games to ensure the social game remains fair and free. We seek people from the games community who can endorse these principles and organize with us.
We understand games as a cultural tool that promotes democracy
Games — including digital games — are spaces in which people learn to deal with complexity, take responsibility and see things from different perspectives. At a time when democratic values are under immense pressure, we want to show that democracy can be actively experienced and shaped.
Political education needs powerful games
Therefore, we view games not only as an economic force and a driver of innovation, but also as a powerful cultural phenomenon. We wish to highlight games as a cultural technique and treat them as equal to other media forms.
Authoritarian forces are increasingly attempting to restrict cultural creativity. We see a particular risk in the concentration on a few commercial distribution platforms whose curation follows exclusively economic logic.
Beyond that, we wish to establish analogue and digital games as key drivers in fostering democratic thinking.
Liberal democracy needs a plurality of voices
Liberal democracy needs a strong civil society. We therefore warmly invite everyone who can endorse these principles to join our Discord server.
We look forward to welcoming you!