Two soldiers from your unit have been charged with the crime of stealing bread. If found guilty, they will be shot. The problem is that they are innocent.

The Tribunal is a short, intense participatory scenario about the mechanics of oppression, inspired by Orwell, Krylov and Buchner. The scenario takes place in a space of waiting, just before the first one of you is called to testify in front of the military tribunal. Each of you will face the judges alone, not knowing what the others will say. So if you want to make a difference, or be sure you survive, you need to discuss and deal now.

A participatory scenario written by J. Tuomas Harviainen about the mechanics of oppression, inspired by Orwell, Krylov, Büchner, Linna and the classic dilemma exercises.

The premise is simple: two soldiers from your unit – private Magpie and corporal Badger – have been charged with the crime of stealing bread. This is serious. You are all hungry, there is a food shortage. So if found guilty, they will be shot. The problem is that they are innocent – they were with all of you when the crime took place. It’s probably been a major Pig, who has a tendency to steal and sell stuff from the barracks. Yet no one wants to hear about that – most of the officers here are corrupt or afraid. The scapegoats will be found guilty and executed, unless enough people testify to their innocence. To say so, however, is extremely dangerous, and may land you as the next person in line to get shot. What will you do, and how many others would you need to stand up for honesty along with you, should you choose to defend the innocent?