WHITE NOISE: A strategy game for Diplomats in a new era of competition
WHITE NOISE is a revolutionary strategy game designed to equip diplomats and foreign service personnel with the skills they need to succeed in today’s complex and challenging 21st century world.
This innovative game goes beyond traditional war games to include a critical information operations component. Players will gain knowledge of how:
• Identify and combat disinformation,
• Develop effective diplomatic strategies,
• Navigate the „gray area” of international relations,
• Use diplomatic and information tools,
• Promote a consistent narrative in the international arena.
WHITE NOISE is not just a game, but a comprehensive training program that includes:
• Real world scenarios based on contemporary events,
• Detailed educational materials on diplomatic protocol,
• Practical exercises to improve key skills,
• Scenarios for working dinners and official diplomatic ceremonies.
WHITE NOISE is an extremely valuable source for:
• Students of international relations.
• Diplomats who want to improve themselves in the profession.
• Diplomatic training institutions.
• Anyone who wants to develop their diplomatic skills.
Don’t fall behind in light of 21st century challenges. Develop your interpersonal and negotiation skills. Learn how to build a team based on effective performance. Develop your strategic thinking skills and make effective decisions.
(…) the game calls upon players to exercise diplomatic and informational instruments of power, both unilaterally and through intergovernmental organisations, such as the ONZ, NATO and the EU.
Byron HARPER – Ph.D., Deputy, Partnership Division
NATO Special Operations Headquarters
The very well written Poland based Scenario can easily be adopted to the needs and political structures of other countries.
Sönke MARAHRENS – Colonel (GS), Director COI Strategy and Defense
The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats
Żakowska, Drab and Klasa highlight the key insight that aggressor nations around the world are employing information-centric warfare and information operations to overwhelm intelligence analysis, sub- vert national decision-making processes, and clutter international venues for dispute resolution.
James G. BRECKENRIDGE – Provost U.S. Army War College
ABSTRACT
WHITE NOISE Strategic Decision Game is a monograph dedicated for methodology of conducting and evaluating decision games with role-play elements for modern diplomats, focusing on series of games conducted for War Studies University’s Global Affairs and Diplomacy Postgraduate Studies. While it can also serve as a handbook for both players participating in the game and academic staff conducting the game, the publication provides comprehensive information on decision games as a teaching tool. The publication contains assumptions and limitations associated with utilization of gaming for teaching, criteria of evaluating performance of the participants and carefully selected examples of modern diplomacy modus operandi – from organizing press conferences and giving media statements, to diplomatic protocol to dress codes. The monograph also includes appendix on providing help for refugees in Poland after full-scale Russian invasion on Ukraine began in February 2022, with example on how self-organized help conducted mainly by citizens, begun to take more centralized approach, when regional and central authorities getting progressively more involved and initial mobilization of Polish citizens begin to decline. Data in this appendix is important both from research standpoint and as an information for participants of the WHITE NOISE Strategic Decision Game, as one of the crucial parts of international crisis described in scenario of the game is migrant influx caused by hybrid conflict which can turn into classic full-scale war at any time.
Keywords: strategic game, diplomacy, hybrid conflict, wargaming, gaming
AUTHORS
Marzena ŻAKOWSKA is an Associate Professor and lecturer at the Faculty of National Security at the War Studies University. She holds a Ph.D. in Security Science from the National Defence University, Warsaw, Poland.Currently, she is Director of the Global Affairs and Diplomacy Studies and Chair of War Studies Working Group at the International Society of Military Sciences. Professional associations include the Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding, and the United States Institute of Peace in Washington D.C. She cooperate as the Research Fellow with the Royal Military College of Canada and US Army War College. As editor and author, she has published books and articles on armed conflict, hybrid threats, Balkan’s security, and social security issues.
Lech DRAB, Associate Professor at the Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa with practical international experience in the security and defence areas. He is graduated from the NATO Defense College in Rome (Italy), the Geneva Center for Security Policy and the Wrocław University of Technology. He completed a number of specialist courses in the Nether-lands, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. Former Associate Professor of the National Security Department at War Studies University in Warsaw and Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce. Director of the Department of Military Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of National Defense, military advisor to the Permanent Representative of Poland to the EU and the Polish Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee in Brussels (Belgium). As a member of the Athena training team, he lectured in Brussels, Helsinki, Potsdam, Florence and Montpellier. He chaired the Athena Special Committee during the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Author and editor of monographs, book chapters and articles. He specializes in defense diplomacy, international security, NATO and EU security policy and peace operations.
Marek KLASA is a senior lecturer at War Studies University in Warsaw in the Institute of State Security. He holds a Ph.D in Security Sciences. Since 2007 volunteer in pro-defence non-governmental organizations, including Związek Strzelecki “Strzelec” Organizacja Społeczno-Wychowawcza and Jednostka Strzelecka 1313, which are referring to tradition of the polish pre-war “Strzelec” [Rifleman] movement. His research interests include a wide array of subjects including defensive preparations of the territory, security infrastructure, classic military strategy and history of warfare. Co-author of a handful of decision games scenarios.
