COFFEE CHAIN GAME Age group: 14-100 Keywords: Critical Thinking, Debate, Group Work. Time required: 60 minutes Number of people: 15-25 Equipment, materials, and space needed: A bag of instant coffee, a copy of the role-card sheets for each group, and a copy of the grid, without the figures in the ‘Actual proportion’ column, drawn on to a whiteboard or large sheet of paper and displayed so that everyone can see. Activity explored and suggested by: Asociatia de Tineri din Ardeal - Romania.
Brief Summary: This method puts the participants in the position of people who are involved in the coffee trade, allowing them to reflect about questions like: Who benefits and who loses from trade? Is this fair? Aim of the method: To help participants to think about the actors in different parts of the coffee trade, to develop their understanding of world trade, and to encourage them to think about issues of global justice. Preparation: Separate the groups by sitting the participants on chairs, in 5 circles that are themselves in a large circle facing the flipchart.
DESCRIPTION INTRO The facilitator welcomes the participants to the World Congress of Coffee Traders, and asks them to distribute themselves in the 5 circles of chairs and sit down. CREATING COMFORT The facilitator asks the participants whether any of them drink coffee, and if so, why. Is it because they like the taste, or are there other reasons? Brainstorm the reasons why people might drink coffee. These could include the fact that it helps wake them up, the smell, social reasons (companionship, atmosphere of coffee bars). See if you can get participants to recognise that marketing, advertising, and image are powerful factors. GETTING INTO THE TOPIC The facilitator explains to the 5 groups that they are part of people who are involved in the process that brings coffee from a bush in Uganda to their breakfast table. Distribute the role cards (available next), so that the participants in each group all have the same one. Ask the group to read their cards. Give the groups 2 minutes to think about their role. How do they feel about it? What sort of problems do they think they might face? What strengths do they have as a group?
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