A Conversation with Victor Prince Dickson, developer of Nigeria’s first registered card game (II)

The cards are each marked with a conceptual term like “justice” or “peace” or ”war” and those playing the game have to explain how the card they put down relates to the last card played. Playing the game led us to philosophical discussions about life, world history, and ethics. Last week Victor explained how he […]

The cards are each marked with a conceptual term like “justice” or “peace” or ”war” and those playing the game have to explain how the card they put down relates to the last card played. Playing the game led us to philosophical discussions about life, world history, and ethics. Last week Victor explained how he came up with the idea for the game and how to play it. This week he tells me about how it has been received and his goals for the future, and poet Onotu David Onimisi shares a poem he wrote about the game.

Could you tell me about how Kommon Sense has been received?
One of the beautiful parts of the game has been the ability to cut through classes. We have been able to use it in secondary schools. We’ve used it universities. Not too long ago a nursery-primary school adopted it for teachers.
We have some proprietors who are adapting it for use in their secondary schools. They feel that this would be good for their students, especially for their learning skills, because the whole thing has to do with mental stimulation, inspiring them to use their brain, to think on the spot, which is different from assignments where you tell them to go and come back. We are trying to think of spontaneity, the ability to think at once and create a solution to a problem.
We have an advanced format, and that is called micro-reality. That one is training for institutions that have to do with conflict resolution, conflict management, and confidence building value reorientation. Not too long ago, the National Reorientation Agency, Plateau State endorsed the game. It is going to be one of their working tools.
It sounds like a lot of schools and organizations are using it. Do you have any people just playing it for fun?
Yes. That is the difference between Kommon Sense as a game and micro reality. Micro reality is the training arm of it, that’s why we call it the advanced format. Then those who play it for fun are those who want to sit together at a table with friends, sometimes with families, just sit down and just discuss issues of life using the cards.
Right now, it’s in English. Do you have any plans to develop it in other languages?
Definitely. Especially, the first one I am thinking is French, and the second one is Chinese.
Ok, why not Hausa or Yoruba or Igbo?
Don’t forget we have a lot of languages in Nigeria. So which language are you going to adapt? We’ll probably discuss with linguistics professionals and other researchers, then we will agree how best to deal with them. We’re still researching that.
For the French and Chinese, you hope to spread it to China?
In Africa we have French-speaking countries, so we are trying to get across to them. Nigerians are interested in learning French, so we’re trying to use this to create a dialogue experience for those learning French. Imagine you are playing this in a French school, and you are discussing in French. It will aid your understanding of the language. Also Chinese is one of the emerging global languages, as a means of exchange for corporate bodies and industries, so we want to cash in on that
Lagos has adopted Chinese as one of the languages in their curriculum. So, it’s going to spread. It is futuristic, but don’t forget, most of the products that are being consumed here are also being written in Chinese. So whether we like it or not, that’s the way of development.
I have not heard of any other card games being developed in Nigeria…
Honestly, there is none. I did the research on it. In fact, at a point, I went to register the trademark with the Ministry of Trade and Investment. This is one of the first times they’ve had something in this category registered. There’s not been anything like this.
I’m hoping that now we will be able to let other guys know that you can use a card game as a form of training, as an educational tool. There is also going to be a training manual for young budding writers, because it helps a lot in story composition. Even in the film industry, Nollywood, one of our weaknesses has been they’ve not had convincing dialogue. So at the point you play it, you hear people express themselves. Different personalities use different words to make their words clear. So this could also be a tool for scriptwriting. The strongest part of the card is the diary model. For each connection you make while playing the card, you write it down, and after a while, you realize you have a book.
What does the name of the game mean?
Kommon Sense for us is very simple. It is traditional wisdom. We believe in everybody is inherent some form of traditional wisdom that could guide you. It is not necessary to be a doctoral holder or a very advanced professional to know what is right is right, what is wrong is wrong. Kommon Sense is that part of our conscience that dictates to us that what is not fair, don’t do it to the next person. It is about humanity. Kommon Sense dictates our value in humanity. It helps us to know what we should do. There are certain universal values. Values that whether you are in China, whether you are in France, whether you are in the United States pain is pain, death is death, injustice is injustice. Kommon Sense teaches you that link. You don’t have to go to school to know this.
And I guess if you have two people from different cultures, you might see how you have different ideas about the same words?
Yeah, you might have different ideas, but the bottom line is that there are universal things that are common. Things like justice. Whatever the culture is, justice is justice. Respect for human dignity is still respect. And that is what Kommon Sense does. It identifies all these basics of humanity.
So the word Kommon Sense means the common sense that people have but it also mean you have a common…
You have a common agreement. Yeah. A common value.
Postscript
Jos ANA secretary Onotu David Onimisi wrote a poem demonstrating the relevance of the game to life, which he allowed me to publish as a complement to the interview with Victor Dickson:

KOMMON SENSE? 
If you watch your pot your food will not burn
It is common sense or so it seems
That, kindness, commitment peace, unity
Truth, justice and patience are uncommon virtues
With which every child, woman and man need be schooled
‘Life cancels death’
A wise man once said
How may we then live, live with ourselves?
Our petty foolishness, pride, betrayal,
Punishments, ignorance and war
Considering that the neighbor’s field is easier to hoe
Common sense cancels common sense
My senses insists
Beware of the man of one book
He is yet to be free from religion without faith
The earth is upon my head, I wish to understand
That, clothes put on while running comes off while running
Is there sense
In the things I see, hear, smell, touch and taste?
Why is it that a too modest man goes hungry?
Does this make any sense?
Nonsense!!!
A fool they say, is a wise man’s ladder
So let me put my argument side by side
To sharpen your senses, understanding and
Perhaps reason with action
Issues like, honour, destiny, marriage,
Purpose, divorce, greed, religion, lies,
Family, education, harmony, commitment,
Changes, time, jealousy, hunger and finally death!

See, the elders refuse going to school twice
They say age has caught up with them
You do not understand?
Okay, listen, I will make my point sensible this time
Brother, I have married a woman,
Brother, I have birth a son
Brother I have built a house
Brother, a man seeks my daughter for marriage
Friend, my brother has turned enemy
Friend why have you betrayed me?
Ah!
Indeed I am playing by myself
Playing my life
This is an uncommon game
    POETIC ORACLE