Playing for a better understanding of One Health: a look back at the interactive activities on One Health Day 2024
At the One Health 2024 Day, the concept of "One Health" was at the heart of the speeches given by various guests. The presentation by Evelyne de Leeuw from the University of Montreal, a specialist in urban health and contributor to the WHO's Healthy Cities program, offered a fresh and striking perspective that challenged the way we think about health. This playful spirit continued with interactive, fun-filled round-table discussions, helping us to perceive more precisely what the One Health approach can mean in everyday actions.
Health in Cities: interactive brainstorming using the hexx.it platform
The Health in Cities virtual round table, organized by UNIC and moderated by Julian Irabor with the participation of Evelyne de Leeuw, kicked off with a fun brainstorming session using the hexx.it platform, an open-access online co-construction tool devised by a team from Liège. Participants from all over Europe were invited to associate words or concepts with One Health, by placing them in virtual hexagons. This interactive exercise linked ideas together and stimulated collective reflection on the links between human, animal and environmental health. Supported by hexx.it, participants were able to explore the complexity of the various links, creating a visual map of their shared understanding of One Health. This activity highlighted the initiatives undertaken by participants at their universities to promote One Health, notably through educational and awareness-raising projects. The success of this exercise illustrated the importance of collaboration and systems thinking in tackling health challenges in an integrative way.
Tipping Point and Wagyl: games for understanding sustainability
The Tipping Point game, designed by Julian Irabor, Nicolas Antoine-Moussiaux (Université de Liège) and Simon Ruegg (University of Zurich), offered a playful approach to raising awareness of sustainability issues within a One Health framework. This board game brings together four participants around an imaginary island where each must build houses to accumulate points. However, construction generates waste and forces players to negotiate to manage limited resources. Players must avoid reaching the social tipping point by limiting the amount of waste they accumulate.
Through the setbacks encountered in the game, participants are encouraged to rethink their strategies and consider the impact of their actions on the environment and other players. Tipping Point highlights how relationships between game elements induce necessary interactions between players, offering a simplifying and magnifying mirror of the reality of global change. Used in a variety of contexts (teaching sustainability, team building), this game has proven its effectiveness in promoting learning and awareness of the complex challenges of One Health.
At the same time, the table organized by CARE ESPRIst introduced the "Wagyl" game device, offering participants the chance to explore the links between human, animal and environmental health. Through a role-playing game, each participant, embodying different professional profiles, had to imagine solutions to challenges progressively introduced by fictitious events inspired by current events. Wagyl highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration in tackling the complex challenges of One Health, while encouraging participants to think about the impact of their decisions. It enabled players to imagine for themselves concrete ways of implementing One Health in different professional realities.
The importance of games as a learning tool
The fun activities on offer at One Health Day illustrated how interactive tools can make complex subjects accessible. Wagyl, hexx.it and Tipping Point helped to mobilize participants, stimulate collective thinking and explore the challenges of global issues.
By teaming up with experts and integrating participatory approaches, the University of Liège is demonstrating its commitment to promoting innovative methods for tackling the challenges faced by the One Health approach. These initiatives underline the importance of breaking down barriers between disciplines and fostering collaborative solutions for a healthier, more sustainable future.
