Background
The Children Born of War (CBOW) Project is the result of an unusual, but successful collaboration between two digital game designers and a researcher that started with the mobile game project called “My Child Lebensborn”. As part of the development, creative producer Elin Festøy (Teknopilot AS) and Professor Dr. Ingvill Constanze Ødegaard (formerly Mochmann), the global leading researcher on Children Born of War and Founder of the “International Network for Interdisciplinary Research on Children Born of War,” met and started a collaboration for greater visibility and better rights for Children Born of War. Together with lead game designer Catharina Due Bøhler (Sarepta Studio AS) and the help of the Norwegian Lebensborn children, the result is a mobile game that is representative for the suffering of the CBOW-children in Norway from World War II.
Prejudice is the root cause of the suffering for CBOW and creating awareness and knowledge is necessary. With the research and network from Dr. Ødegaard, together with the game’s ability to communicate the topic, this determined trio felt they had a strong starting point to create a platform for international awareness for CBOW. They also concluded that there is a need for a new organization working solely for the rights of these children.
“My Child Lebensborn” has so far sold over 1 million copies and has won the prestigious BAFTA award for “Games Beyond Entertainment.” Teknopilot AS and Sarepta AS are donating part of the proceeds from the game to found The Children Born of War Project so that the engagement of millions of players worldwide can be transformed into actual help for the CBOW of today.
The Children Born of War Project is founded on the belief that awareness and empathy is the best antidote for prejudice and that we through insight and information can help these children to be seen and protected for what they are – innocent children.
Approach
The purpose of the foundation is to promote and safeguard the needs and rights of children born of war, defined as Children Born of War (CBOW), children where the mother is a local native and the father usually belongs to a foreign military, armed group, or e.g. a peacekeeping force. Aims of the foundation include:
- Work for increased awareness, knowledge and available information about CBOW
- Work to secure and promote the rights of CBOW worldwide
- Support teaching and training projects aimed at combating stigma and excluding CBOW
- Support research initiatives aimed at knowledge building and documentation of living conditions and treatment of CBOW worldwide
- Direct assistance to organizations and individuals working on projects related to the foundation’s purpose