The Insurgency: An E-Game to See it Coming.

I know, that sounds like a strange idea! But, would you like to take  part in an e-game that I once played with my students. We had a lot of fun. So, are you willing to give it a try? I take that as a “yes.”

Now you are in the classroom, taking one of  the summer courses that I offer. It is 90 degrees outside. You barely made it to the class on time. You wanted so much to get that the cold drink, but you said to yourself “ aha, I will get it after class, I will enjoy it more then.”

I enter that classroom, and  I close the door, telling you and  the rest of the students that “ You all cannot leave today until I say so”. To make it more dramatic or real, I turn off the AC.  You cannot even leave the classroom to get drinks, food, or go to the restrooms. Now, you deeply regret not buying that cold drink.

While, class ponders their situation, I pose the question: “What do you do now?”

Invariably,  you try to “negotiate with it.” However, I maintain my position: “I am unwilling to negotiate. NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO LEAVE!”

Many students who took this exercise  said “Then, we will attack you!”  When I ask them to clarify exactly what they mean, they affirm that they will exercise any form of violence against me to get out of this situation.

So, at that point, I end the exercise by asking them, “Are you violent people?” Their reaction is a resounding “No!” They often sound offended, as if I had just hurt their feelings. “We are not violent people, but what you put us through made us act this way,” they say.

I have tried this exercise with undergraduates, graduates, international students, and practitioners. The results are always the same; in fact, those who undergo the exercise frequently use the same words and display the same reactions.

Now,  when you were playing that e-game did you think the same way too? Did you think (even for a second) in appealing to violence?

I think the students' reaction towards me can easily be predicted by anyone. Similarly,  the local populace of any nation will react violently towards any authority that is "perceived" as depriving them from these services. It does not matter whether this authority is elected or not, legitimate or not.

What’s in it for you? If you are working on projects in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lybia, and Yeman, or if you are just someone who follows the news coming from that part of the world. Please ask yourself this question:

Does the majority of the population receive basic environmental services i.e. safe drinking water, electricity , sanitation services and trash-pick?

If the answer is no, then you should expect trouble such an upraise, insurgency, ethnic conflict or coup d'état.

Aha, before I forget, I will leave with this video from Egypt to watch.