Bewritings

Whilst growing up in a Ugandan refugee camp, Lual Mayen wished for a computer. His mother saved for over three years to make this a reality. Today, Lual Mayen’s video game activism highlights the relationship between digital media and social justice.

Many people share the opinion that video games cause violent behavior. There are thousands of games centered around violence and warfare on the internet and most gaming platforms. Although the link between video games and aggression is unclear, the social impact of gaming is undeniable. There are approximately 3 billion gamers globally, more than 38% of the population.

This staggering market is the target audience of Lual Mayen’s video game activism. After receiving his computer, Mayen began playing Grand Theft Auto, a game notorious for conflict and violence. Mayen’s gameplay prompted him to consider the relationship between digital media and children’s development. In an interview with the Guardian, he said,

“In South Sudan, most of the population is under 30. They were born in war, raised in war. I saw conflict every day in the refugee camp. I realized that if more kids in the camp play Grand Theft Auto, they might think that’s how things are done.”

This assessment of the immense influence of video games sparked Lual Mayen’s video game activism journey.

The Beginning: Junub Games

In Uganda, Mayen taught himself to code and develop games promoting peace. After receiving recognition for his admirable work, he moved to the United States in 2017. Lual Mayen spent the first 22 years of his life in a refugee camp.

After moving, Mayen founded Junub Games. With Mayen acting as CEO, Junub Games has since created a range of games to counteract violence. Mayen clearly keeps his own experiences in a refugee camp at the heart of his company, as the games are made accessible to IDPs (internally displaced persons) and refugees. This decision increases digital literacy, morale and positive behavior in impoverished areas.

However, this is only the beginning of Lual Mayen’s video game activism within Junub Games. Junub Games’ first product, Salaam, was launched in 2020 on Facebook Instant Games.

In Salaam, players play as a refugee fleeing their war-torn community. Salaam, an Arabic word, translates to peace, the game’s very aim. The company urges players to find peace for the virtual character and current refugees. Mayen based the game’s plot on his parents’ escape from the Sudanese civil war in the 1990s.

The game is free to download, but players can make in-app purchases. These purchases are essential to Lual Mayen’s video game activism, as buying resources in-game sends supplies to real-world refugees.

Maximizing Impact: The Lual Mayen Foundation

Lual Mayen continues to support impoverished refugees through the Lual Mayen Foundation. Mayen developed the organization to teach refugees animation skills. Subsequently, the foundation provides career prospects to refugees through digital literacy.

Mayen’s nonprofit partnered with Unity Technologies, a software company, in 2021 to fund the Ugandan tech center. Mayen developed the center for the very refugee camp he grew up in. Unity supplied a staggering $50,000 for the project.

The center focuses on providing refugees with skills to make STEM-related careers accessible. The organization’s goal is to make the program a permanent fixture.

Spreading the Message: Public Events

The year 2023 marks six years since Mayen lived in a refugee camp. However, Lual Mayen’s video game activism continues to spread. In July 2023, Mayen attended the Games for Change 2023 Festival and spoke at the Games and SDG Summit. The summit is uniquely innovative, combining the games industry with the U.N. to discuss the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs are the 17 core aims of the U.N. to achieve “peace and prosperity for people and the planet.”These goals include eradicating poverty, hunger and gender inequality. Moreover, these goals 
strive toward sustainability, access to clean water and educational opportunities for all. The Games and SDG Summit discussed how digital media industries can support these goals, with Mayen’s activism being a perfect example.

Immersive media, such as video games, hold a wide audience that has only continued to grow in recent years. Luan Mayen’s video game activism illustrates how tapping into this large industry can put a spotlight on issues such as poverty and displaced people.

Mayen’s story is one of hardship and, more importantly, hope. As a former refugee turned video game mogul, Luan Mayen embodies human determination. “Talent is evenly distributed but opportunity is not,” according to Mayen.

This article was published on The Borgen Project’s website, which can be found here.