A Mobile Game that holds the potential to building ecological awareness among the younger generation of the Indian Ocean – That’s exactly what Eco-Warriors™ proposes to do. This social initiative by Panda & Wolf Holding has recently received the patronage of UNESCO and was launched in September in Madagascar, Reunion Island, Mauritius and Rodrigues Island.
In the era of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Robotics, it is becoming increasingly clear that digital technologies can play a crucial role in establishing a lasting impact on intergenerational consciousness. Looking at how our flora and fauna ecosystems are deteriorating at an alarmingly
high pace, Eco-warriors™ comes as a lasting sustainable solution to creating awareness among 6-11 year-olds regarding environmental issues like deforestation, waste pollution, overconsumption etc.
Eco-warriors ™: A sustainable initiative in line with the objectives of Maurice Ile Durable
In the recently presented 2019 – 2020 Financial budget, Pravind Jugnauth, Minister of Finance and Prime Minister of Mauritius, announced the launch of “Moris nou zoli pei”, a campaign aimed at promoting the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Waste. The latter also announced the establishment of a centralized committee to coordinate cleaning of public sites throughout Mauritian territories. Although these initiatives can have a significant impact on the environment, sustainability must be in place if we wish to challenge consciences and fight people’s indifference.
Aligned with the objectives of the “Maurice Île Durable” project, Eco-warriors™ brings innovative solutions to one of the main challenges highlighted by the Maurice Île Durable project: giving the means for citizens of all age groups to have access to the knowledge needed to develop a sense of civic responsibility. The game will focus on encouraging young players to learn more about their country’s geo-historical heritage as it is inspired from actual curricula in force in the Mauritian & French Educational System.
Users will need to help two young characters throughout their travels from Mauritius to Reunion Island, Rodrigues Island and Madagascar with picking up trash on beaches, cleaning the oceans and forests. Throughout their journey, the characters meet several endemic animals from the above mentioned island states. As they interact with these national emblems, they will have the opportunity to learn more about the environment, history and cultural legacies of each island.
“By using a mobile game, we can convey strong messages in favor of ecology and environmental preservation to the people across neighboring islands – especially now that digital technologies are an integral part of our lifestyles, says Panda & Wolf Holding’s Co-founder and Creative Director Brian Dean. “The MID report predicted that by 2015, we would have produced nearly 500,000 tonnes of waste in Mauritius alone. Awareness in a fun way is certainly the most effective approach to tackle an issue of global importance like this one”, he adds.
According to Christine UMUTONI (UN Resident Coordinator for Mauritius and Seychelles), “The Sustainable Development Goals require a concerted effort by all. And to ensure achievement of a better future, we need to engage the Youth. Through the brilliant combination of technology and entertainment, Eco-warriors bears the essence of the next-generation solutions that will globally impact our perspective on sustainable development. With a direct target on younger generations, this innovative eco-conscious game is a key to build a better future towards promoting the Cultural, Historical and Environmental Heritage in the islands of the Indian Ocean.”
Promoting Circular Economy through the second phase of the Eco-Warriors™ Project
This initiative goes even further by proposing a call-to-action in its second phase: The game will be accompanied by monthly comic books inspired by the journey of its young characters. In order to get their free monthly copy, young players will have to collect 5 kilos of household plastic waste. These will then be transformed into plastic construction bricks which will be sold to raise funds for other environmental initiatives. This second phase is in line with the circular economy project proposed by Business Mauritius. In addition to being launched under the patronage of UNESCO, Eco-warriors™ has received support from partners such as the France-Mauritius International Chamber of Commerce (CCIFM) and Quality Beverages Ltd. It is clear that by promoting the circular economy and green growth, Eco-warriors™ can be a key to Mauritius gaining international recognition.
