A UNHCR tent exhibited in Caixa Forum, a centre of Art with social and educational activities in Madrid. Photo: UNHCR/PA. Norman, 20 June 2008

2008-07-01

"Contra viento y marea" – Against All Odds” – a game which lets you experience what it is like to be a refugee

You are arrested, beaten up and forced to sign a confession, just for taking part in a peaceful march. Fearing even worse to come, you flee your country taking only what you can carry in a small rucksack. You arrive in a strange city where you don't speak the language. You don't know anyone. You don't know where to go. You have to find shelter, reliable information and get a job.

On the occasion of the celebration of World Refugee Day 2008, Kiki Rodriguez Norman from UNHCR Regional office for the Baltic and Nordic Countries, had the pleasure to participate in the launch in Madrid of Contra viento y marea – Against All Odds - the interactive web-based game originally developed by UNHCR Regional Office in Stockholm.

	The launch was chaired by Ricardo Rodríguez Vito, director of the art center Caixa Forum in Madrid (far right). Roció Martin (left), UNHCR Madrid, playing Contra viento y marea together with Kiki Rodríguez Norman UNHCR Stockholm. Photo: UNHCR/PA. Norman, 20 June 2008

The Spanish version “Contra viento y marea” has been developed by the Spanish Committé of UNHCR and UNHCR in Spain in cooperation with UNHCR´s offices in Latin America and UNHCR Regional Office in Stockholm and with contribution from AECID (the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development) and the Ministry of Labor and Immigration in Spain.

In this way more than 450 million Spanish speaking people will have free access to this game, Contra viento y marea. The game has been translated and is now online in seven languages in addition to the Spanish version: Danish, English, Finnish, German, Greek, Norwegian and Swedish. Within a near future a French and an Icelandic version will also be launched.

As the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres said  at the launch of the Norwegian-language version of the game a couple of years ago: "It is important that all of us who value tolerance fight against rising intolerance and irrational fears – that we can accept differences. This is a problem everywhere. 'Against all odds' is one tool to struggle for tolerance.

Mr Guterres has singled out the fight against rising intolerance in modern societies as one of the main challenges facing UNHCR today.

Play www.contravientoymarea.org  which means against the wind and seasickness!

Kiki Rodríguez Norman