“Curiosity is at the base of our desire to survive well, to deal with this unknown.” ~ John Hunter

The World Peace Game is the brainchild of educator John Hunter. He describes it as “learning to live and work comfortably in the unknown.”

It’s hard to imagine a more curiosity-centric undertaking.

A three-dimensional, hands-on political simulation, the World Peace Game explores the interconnectedness of the global community through economic, social, and environmental crises and the imminent threat of war. The goal is to extricate all the countries from those dangerous circumstances and achieve global prosperity, with the least amount of military intervention.

And it’s played by 4^th graders.

Every question, every comment, every action has to be more deeply questioned. Critical thinking in every student has to go through the roof… [to] examine carefully and critically everything that is said.

Listen to Choose to Be Curious #277: Curiosity & the World Peace Game, with John Hunter

Can’t get enough of John Hunter after this conversation? You’ll enjoy his TED Talk and the NPR interview he mentioned.

World Peace Game Foundation is teaching children the work of peace. The Foundation provides training and other resources, as well as access to Chris Farina’s terrific documentary, World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements.

For more on teaching peace: I had the pleasure of interviewing Alp Özerdem, dean of the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

I never miss an opportunity to explain why Norton Juster’s classic The Phantom Tollbooth is my favorite book.

Theme music by Sean Balick; “UpUpUp and Over” by The Balloonist, via Blue Dot Sessions.

You can subscribe to Choose to Be Curious on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.