‘Wargames: Training for War’ – Thomas D. Morgan
Morgan’s article guides the reader through the evolution of wargames, showing how they have grown significantly in complexity and sophistication. Wargames have progressed from the first game ‘Wei Hai’, invented in China circa 400 BC, to computer-assisted scenarios. The latter are created with complicated algorithms based on large amounts of historical data, relevant wargame scenarios, and databases. With these algorithms, the scenarios can provide a wide range of ‘what ifs’ and (unpredictable) outcomes. These games are mainly used to train and prepare military leaders and evaluate different approaches to combat.
Many other issues may benefit from comparable simulations, including migration, which I will focus on for the moment. With 117 million people being forcibly displaced last year (2023), migration is a rapidly expanding issue. This number has tripled over the past decade and is predicted to continue growing. A few of the main causes of this rising number of displacements are conflict, violations of human rights, and an increase in natural disasters as a result of climate change. All these people, who have been forced to leave their homes, need a new and safe place.
Computer games can simulate a world where natural catastrophes and conflicts occur ‘on a roll of the dice’. The player has to make sure that displaced people are helped effectively. Political cooperation between countries would be essential, as well as planning in advance to accommodate any future displacements. In addition, it could include an element of trying to prevent relocation. For example, focusing on improving flood and earthquake resistance in infrastructures, and engaging in negotiations with conflict-ridden nations.
If the game were a board game, instead of a computer simulation, each player could represent a country. The players have to cooperate to provide a home for those who have been forcibly displaced. The overall concept of the game, in which players work together to beat the game, could be similar to the game Pandemic. If sufficient people are housed adequately, the players win; if not, they lose.
These kinds of simulations and board games could assist nations in planning ahead of time, ensuring that they are already able to accommodate future refugees, while studying the long-term implications of forced displacement.