United Nations: a oneness-world-family game

"When you have reached the point where you no longer expect a response, you will at last be able to give in such a way that the other is able to receive, and be grateful. When Love has matured and, through a dissolution of the self into light, become a radiance, then shall the Lover be liberated from dependence upon the Beloved, and the Beloved also be made perfect by being liberated from the Lover." ― Dag Hammarskjöld (second UN Secretary-General, 1953-1961), Markings

United Nations: a world-oneness-family is cooperative game about love and service, a game with a voting, worker placement and crisis management, where players will take on the role of high UN officials and UN affiliated agencies in a quest for world peace and harmony. The goal of the game is to present historical events while at the same time giving the players an active role in avoiding crisis and promoting peace in all its manifestations.

At every moment the game's four natures of world tension, military, economic, social and diplomatic, is increasing. Every United Nations Secretary-General's mandate is interspersed with challenges such as the Cold War, Suez Canal, Ebola outbreaks and dictatorships. But great events also lighten and brighten the welkin of the world's hopes and promises - Gorbachev and the Fall of the Berlin Wall, smallpox is eradicated, UN-supervised elections install a president elected by the people.

Every mandate (round) players will inspire nations to vote and adopt resolutions in both the General Assembly and the Security Council. Each adopted resolution, in turn, will make available powers for UN agents and local governments to address their tensions of greater concern at the time. Tensions not addressed (by lack of time, manpower, resources or positive intention in the voting sessions) might erupt into crisis with the flow of the regional tension deck. A crisis will affect not only the originating region, but its neighbours as well.

Play continues for one round for each of the eight UNSG mandates. Players lose if 10 crisis happen but, as in life, the real goal of the game is to reach the highest possible score by working together for progress, and not just to avoid crisis. The UN stands for the high ideals and hopes of the world's people, so players have to strive to reach the UN agendas for the continuous progress of the world as a oneness-family. Players win if they do not lose for having ten crisis, establish at least seven of the eight possible UN regional offices. Then they score points for each resolution adopted, for each UN regional office they can establish, and lose points for every crisis that happens. On your next game, try to serve better and get a higher score!

"I feel that there shall come a time in the near future when the entire world will be inundated with peace and this world of ours will become a oneness-world-family-home." -Sri Chinmoy, Lifting up the world with a oneness-heart, Agni Press, 1988

—description from the designer