EDUCATION TO STOP THE MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF WAR TOYS AND WAR GAMES

BASED ON THE PREMISE AND NOTING that the seeds of war are formed in the human mind, it becomes important not to plant such seeds in the minds of children by providing them with war toys and war games;

NOTING that toy soldiers, guns and tanks and all war games make children think of war as an acceptable part of life and a way of settling conflicts;

When children play with war toys and engage in war games, they only see the fun and excitement. They do not see the horror. In real life the dead do not get up again, and

NOTING FURTHER that it is impossible to assess the permanent, psychological, preconditioning effect of such activities on the future adult,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

Steps be taken to halt the manufacture, sale and distribution of war toys and war games by,

1. Educating the toy industry.
   (There exists an enormous alternative market for toys creatively promoting peaceful approaches to conflict.)
   
   
2. Educating the local community by working with the school system and other appropriate agencies.

Submitted by: National Service Conference
Sponsored by: New York Society for Ethical Culture
Endorsed by: International Humanist and Ethical Union - February 1989
Adopted by: American Ethical Union in New York City - April 1990

Source: AEU 81st Annual Assembly - a single separate page from Resolutions Memo [job24scan]
NOTE: this page is marked #10 in the upper right corner -- a style often used to designate individual pages in the annual Resolutions Memo. However, the 81st Assembly memo contains only four "Approved" Resolutions.

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