Procedure

This task consists of two parts and is intended as a kind of mini simulation game on the topic of election campaigns.

In the first part, participants form small groups and either found their own fictional climate protection party or work as journalists in an independent press association.

The parties The groups choose one of the postcards (working material 1) as a thematic starting point, which will serve as a discussion prompt. The postcard that resonates most with the group should be used as the starting point for research, the election program, and ultimately the founding of the party. The election program should be based in particular on content derived from the postcard in order to generate a variety of demands among the groups at the end. At the end of this process, each group designs (at least) one poster of their own, which includes the following points:

• Name of the party
• Possibly a logo
• A slogan that succinctly summarizes the party’s vision of digitalization and sustainability.
• The three most important concrete measures that the party would like to implement.

The journalists get together and consider how they will cover the party formation process in the media and in what formats the parties can meet in the second part. Since the parties are still in the process of finding and defining their content, the journalists should initially concentrate on the format(s) in which they will ultimately bring the parties together. As time progresses, the parties can be asked about their content and present their initial ideas. Journalists can and should, of course, probe as controversially as possible. It is helpful if journalists take a rather opposing stance to the parties. For example, “Why can’t everything stay the way it is?”, “We are much more effective with digital technology” or “Green electricity is the answer to everything” are tenable but also contradictory positions on the party landscape. During the task, journalists can be given a great deal of freedom in their approach – the press group can act as a unified whole or be diversified by individual members.

Below are a few suggestions for formats the press can use to approach the plenary:

• The parties can be interviewed about the content of their program. Afterwards, texts can be posted or the interview can take place live and in color.
• During an intermission, one person can act as a news anchor and present the rough content of the parties’ programs in a concise evening news format.
• In the meantime, journalists can pass around or post news tickers.
• The parties can create posts on a social media flipchart and journalists can write comments.
• At the end, a talk show can be staged in which the leading candidates meet. Meanwhile, (fictional) members of a population group can join in and ask questions from the audience.

In the second part, the parties are invited to a joint format staged by the independent press association and can introduce themselves. They should respond to questions and engage in a discussion. The posters remain in the seminar room so that participants can cast their votes during breaks. Sticky dots can be used for this purpose. At the end of the day, one party can be declared the winner.

Preparation

• The postcards must be printed out and posters and craft/painting materials prepared.

Notes on moderation

• It is worth printing out the postcards on both sides. There is useful information on the back.
• In this in-depth task, it makes sense to focus on the content. To ensure this, it may be useful to research further topics on the website nachhaltige-digitalisierung.de/. There you will find many infographics and explanatory videos that participants can use to start their internet research.
• The sections described in the procedure, which take place with the help of flipcharts, could also be supported with the help of shared documents, pads, or a digital board (e.g., with HackMD, Miro Board, Padlet, etc.). More tool ideas can be found in Module 2 of the curriculum, on pages 66-67.
• Depending on the time available, the task can also be carried out by dividing the participants into small groups to form climate protection parties. In this case, the role of the journalists would be omitted.