WAR IS NOT A GAME

Playing with war toys and violent videos numbs people to the terrible truth: War means death and suffering, not fun and games.

Playing violent video games has been directly linked to increased aggressive behavior.  A Harvard School of Public Health study found significant amounts of violence even in video games rated as suitable for all ages.  The Army has spent two years and $8 million developing a realistic video game that can be downloaded for free -- making war entertaining so youth will want to join up and fight.  The Army reports that on any given weekend, more than 400,000 players join in.  The military can track who scores well.  It is more than just good marketing.  It is a tool for indoctrinating and recruiting young people.


Resources for working to stop war toys:

The Granny Peace Brigade's No More War Toys, No More War campaign is designed as an informational and educational outreach to bring the issue of militarization of youth through toys and games of war to those buying gifts for the holidays.
For more info see their website at http://www.grannypeacebrigade.org/toys.html

Wear a "Don't Buy War Toys" button, send postcards, display anti-war toys posters in your home, in classrooms, places of worship or wherever people gather. See www.donnellycolt.com for resources.

Code Pink has a Say No to War Toys page at http://www.codepink4peace.org/article.php?list=type&type=96


TRUCE (Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment) TRUCE LogoTeachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment is a national group of educators deeply concerned about how children's entertainment and toys are affecting the play and behavior of children in our classrooms.  http://www.truceteachers.org/

CEASE (Concerned Educators Allied for a Safe Environment) offers a number of resources on its Take Action Page at http://www.peaceeducators.org/takeaction_home.html

Deep Dish TV offers the video, No More War Toys, produced by Amy Melnick.  The video is a TV teach-in on the campaign to stop war toys and the televised glorification of violence. For more information, go to www.deepdishtv.org

Canada's Promoting Cultures of Peace for Children offers Acts of Transformation: from War Toys to Peace Art, which asks children and youth to surrender their war toys so that they may be transformed into works of art. http://wartoystopeaceart.com/