Photo: Rikon
Date: 11-13 October 2024
Location: Exportdrvo, Rijeka, Croatia
Organised by: Rikon, Rijeka
On 12 October 2024, representatives of the GEMS project successfully participated in the "Gaming and Extremism" panel at Rikon 2024, held in Rijeka, Croatia. Rikon, which took place from 11 to 13 October at the Exportdrvo venue, is the largest fantasy and science fiction convention in Croatia and the region. It attracted fans of fantasy, science fiction, and gaming from across Croatia and beyond, offering a diverse programme of panels, lectures, competitions, and interactive zones.
The "Gaming and Extremism" panel, a key element of Project GEMS, was held on 12 October from 14:45 to 15:30 at the Program Stage of the Exportdrvo venue. The panel speakers were Bledar Feta, Ioanna Giakoumopoulou (South-East Europe Programme/ELIAMEP), Darren Martin (An Garda SÃochána), and Neven Vukić (Trinity College Dublin).
The discussion explored the connection between video games and extremist ideologies, focusing on recent developments in academic research, regulatory measures, and security-related frameworks. The panel also examined the role of online gaming communities in radicalization and how games can be used to counter extremist narratives. The main objective was to engage with the gaming community and raise awareness about the exploitation of gaming ecosystems by extremist groups, highlighting the importance of protecting gamers from these threats.
The participation of GEMS partners in gaming conventions and summits is a key component of the project's strategy to reach one of its most important target audiences—gamers. By engaging directly with this community, GEMS aims to disseminate its objectives and outcomes effectively.
Moderated by Ioanna Giakoumopoulou, the panel saw a lively exchange of ideas on recent developments in academia, policy, and security. The session was well-received by the audience, many of whom expressed a strong interest in learning more about the topic. Gamers, players, and developers in the audience were particularly keen to understand how they could protect themselves from extremist threats and were eager to learn about the tools and methods the EU has in place for this purpose.
The feedback from the audience provided a valuable insight: the gaming communities were, and are both aware of the risks posed by extremists, but are likely also interested in remaining a part of the solution. This reinforces the importance of similar projects engaging in public-facing activities that directly connect with the gaming community.
Comments