A promising role play on EPAs
A promising role play on EPAs
A German team of nine authors has written a role play on EPAs for secondary school pupils (16 to 18 years old). The role play was played at the Congress //weltweitwissen (//worldwide knowledge) in Sachsen in November 2007.
The role play is called //weltweithandeln (//worldwide acting) and deals with negotiating EPAs. It is a play for 25-40 participants. The roles are:
- European Commission (+ 5 people)
- European Farmer Union (+ 3 people)
- European Clothing Industry (+ 3 people)
- European NGO (+ 2 people)
- South East Africa Group (SADC with Botswana, Tanzania and Namibia) (+ 3 people)
- West Africa Group (Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana) (+ 3 people)
- African Cotton Industry (+ 2 people)
- African Chicken Industry (+ 2 people)
- African NGO (+ 2 people)
- Journalists (+ 3 people)
The role play takes a full day (from 10.00 A.M. to 17.00 P.M.). It is performed in three stages:
1) Preparation (introduction to the play, getting informed on EPAs, forming a strategy within your group) 2½ hours
--Lunch 45 minutes—
2) Actual play (press conference, informal talks, negotiations amongst African groups and with the EU, press conference to reveal the results) 2¾ hours
--Short break 15 minutes—
3) Reflection (evaluation of the play and of the outcomes of the negotiations) ¾ hours
The written material provides background information (‘What’s the key issue in the role play?’), aims, an overview of the roles, an example of one such role (Namibia), a time schedule, an overview of materials and number of rooms needed. The written material is accompanied by a CD. The CD contains all the role descriptions, play instructions, an EPA-dictionary and alternatives endings of the role play day.
(The German version can be downloaded for free at http://www.einewelt-sachsen.de/downloads/planspiel.pdf)