Villagers of Cakranegara, Mataram, learning law through board games.
New board game makes legal learning fun
Mataram, 13 September 2013. Someone was beaten up by a group of people on the street and you saw it. The police asked you to act as a witness in court, but you do not show up. Is this a criminal offence? This is just one of the questions asked in a board game being used by Indonesia’s Attorney-General’s Department (AGO) and the AIPJ to teach people about the law.
"I didn’t know learning about the law could be fun," said Solatiah celebrating her team’s win in a round of the board game. The game which is modelled on ‘Snakes and Ladders’, is part of Kenali Hukum, Jauhkan Hukuman (Know the law, avoid the penalty), an AGO campaign using new tools to help public learning. The game tests participants’ legal knowledge.
It’s a new approach for the AGO and the first step is to teach staff how to use these tools. In September 2013, AIPJ and the AGO’s Legal Information Center Team travelled to Mataram, NTB to show officials how the games could be used to engage the community. Solatiah was one of 72 officials who attended.
The AGO Division Head of Legal Information, Widoyoko stressed that the tools could help improve the public reputation of the AGO and its Prosecutorial Offices across Indonesia. So far Kenali Hukum, Jauhkan Hukuman has rolled out in Jambi, Banjarmasin, Kupang and Ternate with 781 people trained in the four locations.
“I’ve been to outreach programs before, but they usually only have a speech with Q&A. Today was the first time I didn’t get bored before it was over. The games and discussions were lively, making it easier for me to understand,” said Siti Miftayatun, Head of Mataram City Library.
“We hope that these outreach activities will increase public knowledge about anti-corruption and access to prosecution services,” said Widoyoko from the AGO Legal Information Center. "For the prosecutors, this is also a learning exercise as they have to prepare the questions and answers before each session," he added.
The Ministry of Education has expressed interest in the games and has introduced them to 3000 teachers about to take up posts in rural areas. They will continue the outreach program to procurement staff at three universities in Java and Sumatra. Some areas like Sumbawa Besar, Ternate, and Central Java are using the tools in remote villages.
“Public outreach is important from a number of angles. It educates the public and has the potential to reduce crime. Importantly it brings prosecutors and the public together, which builds accountability and encourages a culture of partnership between prosecutors and the community,” said Judhi Kristantini, AIPJ Senior Manager for Prosecutions and Anti-Corruption.
Please visit the links below to read more stories from field about the activities:
Infographic: Know the Law, Avoid the Penalty - Teaching Citizen about Their Rights
