Gaming for Peace: Impact of a Digital Role-playing Game on Peacekeepers' Soft Skills

This study provides an opportunity to see the relevance and impact of gamified training in soft skills for peacekeeping personnel. A digital roleplay game embedded in a blended learning module with a curriculum in gender awareness, cultural awareness and communication competence was taken by peacekeeping personnel from military, police and civilian organizations from 18 countries in 4 continents. Before and after quizzes indicated modest progress for participants from what was already quite a high baseline in peacekeeping relevant soft skills. One month later, a survey assessed the impact of the intervention in the participants’ workplaces. The content and delivery proved to be relevant and accessible across all genders, organizational types and nationalities. Overall, the respondents felt the impact of the intervention through greater awareness and more agency to act on those increased awarenesses. There was more self-aware communication within their own organization and with other organizations; more self-aware communication with the local community, and efforts to ensure greater opportunities for women in their organization and any future peacekeeping mission. The participants found the gamified and blended learning approach to be highly engaging and useful for pre deployment training.