Organized by UNESCO under the patronage of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, this initiative is part of the Global Media and Information Literacy Week (October 24–31) held under the theme: “Thinking before Artificial Intelligence – Media and Information Literacy in the Digital World.”
Gameathon FactiCITÉ 2025 brings together students from various Moroccan universities around the educational game “FactiCITÉ,” an original creation designed to strengthen critical thinking and resilience against misinformation.
Through a participatory and playful approach, participants are invited to take on fact-checking, image analysis, and source verification challenges while developing autonomy and digital responsibility.
On this occasion, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, emphasized that Gameathon FactiCITÉ fully aligns with Morocco’s efforts to develop an ecosystem for cultural and creative industries, particularly in video gaming and educational gamification.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by Nisrine Souissi, Director of the National Portal and Documentation at the Ministry, Mr. Bensaid noted that this event, combining creativity, innovation, and civic values, illustrates Morocco’s ability to turn gaming into a tool for education, culture, and social cohesion.
“Transparency and the reliability of information form the foundation of coexistence and civic trust,” he said, describing Gameathon FactiCITÉ as “a pioneering initiative to raise youth awareness of informational responsibility and digital vigilance.”
He added that Morocco promotes an inclusive and comprehensive model of development that combines economic growth, social cohesion, and civic participation. Within this vision, media, information, and digital education play a strategic role in strengthening a sovereign, ethical, and pluralistic media space.
For his part, Lim Ming Kuok, Advisor for the Communication and Information Sector at UNESCO’s Maghreb Office, highlighted that “in a world marked by disinformation, the spread of hate speech, and a growing erosion of trust in the media, it is essential to equip younger generations with the skills needed to face informational and digital challenges.”
UNESCO, he explained, is actively working to promote media and information literacy and to develop digital skills that help citizens understand information dynamics, think critically, and adopt responsible content consumption habits. He added that this education aims to strengthen young people’s ability to navigate online safely, distinguish between reliable information and fake news, understand the media’s role in society, and restore trust in the information ecosystem.
Through realistic scenarios, simulated debates, and fact-checking challenges, FactiCITÉ immerses participants interactively in the media world, helping them better understand the mechanisms and issues related to information flow.
Developed in three languages—French, English, and Arabic—FactiCITÉ has been tested with over 600 young participants since July 2024, both in Morocco and internationally, across various school, university, and community settings.
Editorial team/le7tv