A video made in Second Life, the virtual world, by a consortium of Italian universities has unleashed a heated debate on a mailing list for educators. Some said the video, which may be introduced into a secondary-school curriculum to promote conflict resolution among teenagers, was racist and promoted negative stereotypes of Muslims and Turks. Others defended it, arguing that the main message was about bullying.
The video, in its pilot phase, features a lonely boy, Martin, at a European school who is being blackmailed by a Turkish gang member named Ahmed. He demands that Martin regularly provide him with money and goods. Martin resorts to stealing things from his classmates.
The closing scene of the video shows Martin giving a stolen cellphone to an armed Ahmed, while the owner of the cellphone—another schoolboy—looks on from afar. “How can we resolve this situation?” the video asks.—Andrea L. Foster
