“Our Community!”: Online simulation game on representing interests at the local level with scholars from Poland on 8th and 9th October 2021

On 8^th and 09^th October 2021, scholars of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation from Poland took part in the online simulation game "Our Community". The aim of the simulation was to familiarise the participants with decision-making at the municipal level and to give them an impression of the different interests of individual actors and parties. In addition to the formation of a city council, the central issue was the use of a property located in the city centre.

At the beginning of the simulation game, the participants took on the roles of members of different parties who were entrusted with forming a coalition in a fictitious city. In addition, roles were filled by the environmental interest group and small businesses, which had the task of convincing the parties of their concept for the property in the city centre. In doing so, the individual actors were confronted with the difficulty of bringing together different interests and involving different actors in their plans.

During the discussions it turned out that the negotiating skills of the individual actors among themselves played an important role. The participants quickly adapted to the smaller group size and contributed with lively exchanges and detailed proposals. Topics were also taken up and discussed constructively outside the property issue. The commitment of the participants thus led to an entertaining and instructive simulation game.

The event took place in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Warsaw.