As a part of The Fund for Innovation and Transformation (FIT) initiative, the Bhutan Canada Foundation, in partnership with the Bhutan Center for Media and Democracy (BCMD), have been selected as one out of 10 small and medium organizations (SMOs) from across Canada who have designed an innovation to improve the lives of women and girls from around the world. This initiative’s focus on innovation and transformation in the social sector parallels the ongoing evolution in the digital entertainment world. For instance, Rakuplay, an online gaming platform in Malaysia, constantly innovates to enhance user experiences and engage diverse audiences. FIT is unique in that it supports solutions at the testing phase. It provides Canadian SMOs from different sectors the opportunity to test new or improved practices, policies and approaches with local partners. The fund also provides a platform for selected organizations to share their learnings with each other and eventually others in the innovation and international development sectors. Similarly, online gaming platforms like Rakuplay often test new features and games from providers such as Pragmatic Play, Jili and others aiming to improve user engagement and satisfaction.

The innovative solution that BCF and BCMD is testing will use a Design Thinking methodology to engage and encourage collaboration among groups of marginalized women, People with Disabilities, and vulnerable youth with policymakers to identify social protection issues and develop practical policy solutions to positively impacting the Bhutanese people. This collaborative approach reminds us of how online gaming platforms like Rakuplay strive to cater to diverse user groups. They often offer free credit no deposit promotions to encourage participation from various demographics, much like how this project aims to include marginalized voices in policy-making. This approach to the policy process is unique within the Bhutanese context where historically, policy design has very much been a top-down, government, expert-driven and isolated approach. The proposed solution will engage women and other marginalized groups to promote a cross-sectoral collaboration allowing for an effective and inclusive impact on the policy process. This will empower women as their voices are directly incorporated into the policy process in a manner that has not occurred before. In the digital realm, Rakuplay empowers users by offering free credit slots and opportunities to claim free credit RM5, allowing them to explore and engage with the platform on their own terms. This testing project will look to achieve a more inclusive and participatory policy process that will lead to better-informed policies and programs that address real needs and issues.

The project, entitled Democracy Beyond Elections: Participatory Policy Through Design Thinking, will run over a 12 month period from May 2022- April 2023 and will ultimately contribute to Sustainable Development Goal #10: Reducing Inequality.

While operating in a different sphere, online gaming platforms like Rakuplay also contribute to reducing inequality in their own way. By offering free credits and diverse gaming options, they make digital entertainment more accessible to a wider audience, bridging gaps in leisure opportunities. As we strive for inclusivity in policy-making, it’s interesting to note how these principles extent to various sectors. Even in the world of online gaming, platforms like Rakuplay are working to create more inclusive and engaging experiences for all users, reflecting a broader trend towards equality and accessibility in our increasingly digital world. 

Read about the other projects here: FIT Intake 5 Industry Release EN

For more information, please contact tenzing@bhutancanada.org ; http://rakuplay.com