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Play for Life N.Z. Incorporated
Play for Life N.Z. Incorporated (PFL) was a society of activists which advocated from 1986 to 2000 against the sale and marketing of war toys in New Zealand.

History
In 1979, the Swedish National Board for Consumer Policies and the Play Environment Council concluded an agreement with the toy trade to discontinue the sale of war toys which depicted modern warfare from 1914 onward. Finland reached a similar agreement in 1987 when an agreement was reached between the National Board of Social Welfare, the National Board of Commerce and Industry and the Entrepreneurs for Toy and Hobby Manufacturing in which the entrepreneurs pledged to "refrain from manufacturing importing and selling war toys that are detrimental for the development and well-being of children or ethically precarious. Playthings that imitate modern warfare are especially categorised as war toys."

The New England War Resisters League instituted a campaign against war toys in about 1986 following the release of the "Rambo" doll in 1985.

Play for Life UK??

SUMMARISE THIS:

''PEACE THROUGH PLAY is based on the ideas developed by PLAY FOR LIFE over the thirteen years of its work. The basic idea is that play is essentially part of human activity, and that play and creativity both spring from the same root deep in human consciousness. And, as creation is associated with life and living it is also associated with peace. It may be helpful to appreciate the importance of this simple philosophy if it is seen in the context of today's culture of violence. The PEACE THROUGH PLAY web site focuses on peace and its belief that play and creativity play an essential role in children's spiritual, social and psychological development. It believes that a key for transforming the culture of violence into a culture of peace may be found in this idea''

''Play for Life (PFL) came into being in the early 1980s, when 'war toys' suddenly flooded the boys' toy market. This event heralded the beginning of what has since become one of the most serious threats to childhood, i.e. the systematic targeting and exploitation of children by the toys, consumer goods and entertainments markets, using killing and horror, as well as semi-pornography, as the main subject. This has played a major role in producing the 'culture of violence' that is now evident in society, and I believe is also a large part of the cause of today's youth crime. Although the wider implications could not be foreseen at that time, it was evident that offering boys explicit replicas of sophisticated modern weaponry was introducing and stimulating ideas of killing and cruelty in their minds, especially as it was accompanied by the 'girlie' characteristics of 'toys for girls'.''

The issue of war toys soon became a contentious one amongst peace workers, parents and others concerned with children and peace. In 1982 this and related matters, such as the advertising and importing of these toys, came before the European Parliament which recognised the potential harm that such material posed to children. PFL sprang from the early beginnings of these concerns and from some personal participation in a campaign of lobbying members of the European Parliament which was undertaken, amongst others, by the Quaker Council for European Affairs, situated in Brussels.

A New Zealand campaign against war toys was born from the Quaker Peace and Service Committee's similar concerns over war toys in the mid-1980s. (REFERNCE PLAY FOR LIFE KEEP IT SIMPLE" NEWSLETTER NOV 1989 RIVER CITY PRESS 24 NOV 1989 ) A member of the Committee, Vivien Eyers began to recruit supporters (mentioned somewhere in an article?). Also active at the time was Palmerston North Heather Tanguay a toy safety campaigner SOURCE?

Political and economic regulatory changes in New Zealand known as Rogernomics saw an increase in the level and degree of violence in children's entertainment and the toys associated with it. Import duties on almost all children's toys were removed....SUMMARISE: ''domination of the market by imports from US manufacturers Milton Bradley (subsidiary of Hasbro), Kenner Parker (subsidiary of Coleco and General Mills) and Mattel. Looks at how economic changes have increased competition and marketing promotions, why tie-in television shows (for toys such as the Transformers) have so far been rejected by TVNZ, the rise in sales of action toys and toys for boys, controversy over violent toys such as Rambo dolls and guns, how Hasbro has made the Transformers the best selling toy range in the country and the introduction of the GI Joe range, how the latter reflects an American-centric worldview, and the problems with alternatives being produced by cheap Third World labour''.

Des Monaghan who was the head of the state-owned Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand resisted pressure from international toy companies to broadcast American television programmes for children on the basis that that were essentially long toy commercials and in his view "excessively violent". This viewpoint found little other public support and by 1989, TVNZ had been created as state-owned enterprise with restrictions lifted on advertising.

Activism was conducted informally for some years until Eyers and her supporters decided at a meeting on 22 May 1988 to adopt a more formal structure under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908. Play for Life NZ Inc was registered on 19 August 1988. The new organisation published its first newsletter in April 1986. (held at National Library).

CHECK CHRONOLOGY Efforts were focussed at both local and national levels. A key national goal was an attempt to establish a code practice either mandatory or voluntary

After several years of campaigning, the members agreed to dissolve the organisation and it was removed from the Societies Register on 13th September 2000. $1,000 of its remaining funds were transferred to EPOCH (End Physical Punishment of Children) New Zealand Trust Inc which was at the time actively campaigning for children to be raised in violence-free environments.

https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=rvWpBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT295&lpg=PT295&dq=vivien+eyers+wanganui&source=bl&ots=VLUubQez3g&sig=ACfU3U0Bctqw0TRurRv0WfBLVdYA_RL1-w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiTu6vEmqTkAhVgIbcHYpVAAUQ6AEwBXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=vivien%20eyers%20wanganui&f=false

Davies, Sonja Margaret Loveday Papers 1923 - 2005 93-208 -07/02

Objects
PFL objects as stated in its Trust Deed were:

"To promote and encourage as widely as possible in New Zealand and by whatever lawful means possible, the advertising, manufacture, distribution, sale and use of those children's toys and games which foster and engender creative, non-racist, non-sexist cooperative, non-aggressive and peaceful play behaviour and attitudes by and amongst children of all ages.

To discourage and oppose as widely as possible in New Zealand and by whatever lawful means possible, the advertising, manufacture, distribution, sale and use of those children's toys and games (including but not limited to those children's toys and games popularly called "war toys") which have the effect of causing or increasing uncooperative, aggressive, violent, anti-social, racist, sexist or un-peaceful play behaviour and attitudes by and amongst children of all ages."

REVIEW WIKIPEDIA ADVICE ON USING MANUSCRIPTS and Referencing
Naming Conventions for manuscripts

Structure
The organisation was loosely governed by its members who met annually for a conference. Groups of like-minded individuals established themselves around New Zealand. The first PFL local group was formed in Whanganui in 1988. By YEAR there were active groups of supporters in Auckland, Hamilton, Whanganui, Wellington, Christchurch and (Refer Minutes), Dunedin (group formed in 1988) and Gore. Vivien Eyers took on the voluntary role of national coordinator until about 1992 when Pat Penrose succeeded her. CITATION Decision were made by consensus and there was little dissent among the membership over strategy and tactics. The vast majority of active supporters in the organisation were women, including Vivien Eyers, Heather Tanguay, Pat Penrose, Beth Watson, Marilyn Head, Alison Stephenson, Jeanine Reid, Helen Pugh, Heinke Sommer-Matheson, Pat McNair, Janet Simes and Christine Richardson.

AUGUST 1992 Newsletter has list of contact addresses

Hillary Commission Play News Feb 1992 and August 1992 - the latter mentions AGM - Tapu Te Ranga 1992 Conference 2-4 October, Speakers included author Patrica Grace

Therapy

https://natlib.govt.nz/records/21731830?search%5Bil%5D%5Bcentury%5D=1900&search%5Bil%5D%5Bprimary_collection%5D=National+Library+of+New+Zealand+Catalogue&search%5Bpath%5D=items&search%5Btext%5D=Play+News

Research
Pat McNair carried out research refer April 1992 Newsletter

Another Survey - Vivien Eyers article: The Dominion 10 December 1987

http://wwat.nz/wp-content/uploads/1987-3.pdf

Submissions
A submission was made to the Broadcasting Standards Authority's study into Violence on Television DATE - (reference doesn't have a copy)

https://www.bsa.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/AnnualReports/00649e2989/Annual-Report-1992-Full.pdf

Petitions
Play for Life petitioned Parliament on two separate occasions and on two different issues.

On 4 November 1986, a petition was handed to Dr Russell Marshall who was then the Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control for presentation to Margaret Shields MP. Shields was at that time Minister of Customs and Consumer Affairs and the Minister of Women's Affairs. (REFERENCE??) Voluntary Code of Practice on the advertising and packaging of toys which promote violence

DATE A hearing was held with the Commerce and Marketing Committee (SELECT COMMITTEE Report??) attended by Stephanie du Fresne, RIchard Dingwall, Vivien Eyers and Peter Arnold on behalf of Play for Life. (Source: Newsletter July 1987). Petition of Vivien Eyers ADD SOME WORDS what was being sought  Relates to advertising and packaging of toys. The panel was made up of industry representatives who outnumbered the Play for Life members.

Another petition presented on 19 February 1991 or was it 29 May 1991 (see May 1991 Newsletter) for debate on a voluntary code of practice for toys that promote violence.

Davies, Sonja Margaret Loveday Papers 1923 - 2005 93-208 -07/02

Questions were asked in Parliament about the proposed voluntary Code of Practice but the government of the day declined to take any action.

War Toy Amnesties
A number of groups around the country held war toy amnesties at which children could surrender their war toys in exchange for an alternative plaything. These events were usually advertised in the local press and they helped to gain attention for the organisation's campaigns.

TV Advertisements 1989
A series of Play for Life advertisements were shown during daytime programmes in the last week of November and the first few days of December 1989 although no record of the contents of these exists other than that they included images of Lego blocks.

Voluntary retailer action
Kirkcaldie and Staines

Diane Levin tour in 1995
In 1992, Play for Life members drew up plans to invite an overseas expert for a speaking tour in an attempt to give the issue more profile nationally. Initial contact was made with Nancy Carlsson-Paige who at that time was a professor at Lesley College, Cambridge Massachussets, USA (INSERT REFERENCE TO MANUSCRIPT PAPERS ONCE DEPOSITED AT NAT LIBRARY. Carlsson-Paige was unavailable so in March 1995, Diane Levin (at the time an Associate Professor of Education Wheelock College, Boston) visited New Zealand and led workshops, seminars, public meetings and gave lectures in Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Takaka, Westport, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Hamilton. Levin was interviewed on National Radio by Kim Hill. The tour was partly funded by  the JR McKenzie Trust, the J.Illot Trust, the Womens Division of Federated Farmers and  the Cathy Pelly Trust

QUESTIONS

Using abbreviations??

Citing unpublished manuscripts/minutes??

Finding a source of historical information where none exists on a relevant web page

Other
Promotion of cooperative play and games in the early childhood education sector, attendances at Baby and Toddlers Expo 230 June 199X Lower Hutt

Funding
Funds were received from a variety of sources for a various projects:

1986:


 * $600 from UN International Year of Peace for "Anti-War Toys Publicity"  (Papers: National Library 87-039-07/08  Play for life and papers re war toys UN International Year of Peace: Aotaraoa Committee records Tapuhi IRN : 789412
 * $3,300 from the Winston Churchill Trust FOR WHAT PURPOSE? Proposed Seminar? Source?? ("Own archive") REFERENCE

1989


 * Peace and Disarmament Education Trust (PADET)
 * Community Health Initiatives Funds, for the production of resource material.

YEAR


 * Hillary Commission Funding for travel to enable the national committee to develop plans.

Achievements
Playcentres and other organisations within the early childhood education sector banned war toys from their premises. Some retailers such as Kirkcaldie and Staines took a supportive position...

PFL's activities ensured that for a period of years there was public debate about the sale and marketing of war toys but the organisation was ultimately unsuccessful in persuading any government to introduce a compulsory code of practice for toy wholesalers, retailers and advertisers.