Join the San Diego Diplomacy Council and our cohost, the San Diego Chapter of International Game Development Association for an unforgettable online fundraising evening exploring how video games can promote world peace and diplomacy.

Panelists include Lual Mayen, who fled war-torn South Sudan and spent 22 years in a refugee camp. Today, he creates video games that build peace. He will be joined by Kate Edwards, a specialist in content culturalization and 27-year veteran of the gaming industry who currently serves as executive director of the Global Game Jam, the world’s largest annual game creation event; and Dr. Constance Steinkuehler, an American professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine, who currently researches the cognitive and social aspects of video games and gaming, and previously advised on policy matters about video games and learning in the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House Executive Office. The event will also feature two representatives from the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with welcome remarks from Assistant Secretary of State Marie Royce and moderation by Joshua Shen, a strategic designer for interactive media and games. 

In partnership with the North America Scholastic Esports Federation, attendees will witness the video games for diplomacy concept in action, as high school students in San Diego and Mexico participate in the video game “Among Us,” to promote global dialogue and collaboration. A Q&A with some of the students will follow.

Local guests will have the option to purchase dinner from IRC MAKE. The Project is a social enterprise catering and food company. It was created to provide low–literacy refugee women the opportunity to learn critical job skills and vocational English in a real, on-the-job setting.

The event will also feature virtual door prizes, a live video game demonstration, and much more!

Your ticket/donation directly supports the San Diego Diplomacy Council’s mission: “To create professional, cultural and educational experiences that connect people and organizations, driving positive changes in themselves, their community and the world.