Meet the Soldier

Two soldiers will meet in Virtual Reality and see through their rival’s eyes in order to create an understanding of their enemy’s situation. Will a change of perspective also change their minds?

The purpose of Meet The Soldier is not only to improve the lives and social relations of the ones affected in the documentary, but also to cause positive change for those who watch it. Our intention before creating this documentary was to be a source of inspiration – a push into a new direction. Our aim is to restructure the way viewers think about opponents in war and life in general.

Getting to know the other person and understand what drives them is crucial in any society. We believe that the concept of Meet the Soldier can and should be extended by bringing many more people together. We have witnessed that Meet the Soldier positively impacts many people in different ways.

In a time where peace treaties are at stake, fugitives on the run and walls are being build we need a lot of understanding leading to empathy.

Additional

Meet the Soldier is best viewed using Virtual Reality goggles. In the next months we plan to release Meet the Soldier on the Oculus platform as well.

Meet the Soldier is an innovative and groundbreaking initiative that takes peace and reconciliation efforts to the next level. Two tribe leaders introduce themselves, their family and friends in Virtual Reality. Both tribe leaders will for the first time get to know their opponent in a way they have never though possible. In the safety of Virtual Reality they will walk on each-others territory.

The idea behind Meet the Soldier is based on research that currently is being done on possible uses of Virtual Reality in the medical and psychological area. Studies show that by creating or simulating experiences a viewer could form empathy in a much powerful way than normally would be possible when bound to traditional means.

In Karamoja, North East Uganda, decades of violence have prevented any chance of peace. The violence is a result of the dry climate in the region: inhabitants rely heavily on their cattle, making the lack, or abundance of, these animals the difference between life or death. Lack of cattle not only means a lack of food; social contracts may also force young men into robbing cattle from rival communities, as cattle is often used as a wedding gift. This results in violent, long-lasting conflicts through which too many lives are being lost.

To remedy the situation, the Ugandan government provides disarmament programmes; community-based social and religious support are also being offered. Although the use of firearms and the number of robberies are decreasing, our project 'Meet the Soldier' aims to reduce the tension by increasing empathy and awareness amongst the violent actors involved in the conflict.