HULU A hh [ |__| ia RAE FEATURE The story of a child’s peace button It began as a spur-of-the-moment peace project, intended to show an eight-year-old, frightened by a classroom discussion about nuclear war, that even children can do something to offset that awful threat. But in a brief few weeks, it has reached an audience far beyond what was expected — and has reaffirmed a hundredfold the message it was intended to convey. Six weeks ago, eight-year-old Liam Griffin — the son of Tribune editor Sean Griffin and his wife, Libby — came home from school, unusually quiet and with- drawn. It was only later, returning home from a music lesson, that he opened up, confiding to his mother that he was “scared half to death” after the afternoon’s class- room lesson which had focused on Rememibrance Day. As part of the discussion about the past war, his Grade 3 teacher had touched on the subject of nuclear war, asking students to consider what might happen “if the Rus- sians dropped a bomb in the middle of Vancouver.” What discussion later took place he didn’t recall, as he anxiously pon- dered the confusing and frightening possi- bilities the question had raised. A subsequent conference between his parents and the teacher suggested that the subject had been poorly handled and she had not taken advantage of a special teach- ing guide on peace prepared by the B.C. Teachers’ Federation. But it was the lack of any positive action to follow up the discussion that was most disturbing — and it was on that basis that Libby decided to do-something about it herself. “I was worried sick that he was so frightened about nuclear war, especially since ours is a family that has always peg ebceeseeesceccetoteselesesote, For peace and full employment in 1987 Mid-Island Disarmament Assoc. Nanaimo, B.C. wees es eseSosesesesetotosescsetosososotososotototototototctcte hc cbebes cheb chet cbetcbodctcbedcnebototetototetctetctedete Annual Christmas Peace Appeal Peace to Everyone on Earth Stressed the peace movement,” she says. “I really wanted to do something to help.” She had seen various reports and studies showing that if kids do something positive, such as sending letters to Ottawa, it can have a significant effect in offsetting their fears about nuclear war. One study in par- ticular, done by researchers from Harvard University three years ago, found that fears about nuclear war were universally held by children from both the Soviet Union and the United States. But while only some 65 per cent of American children felt that war could be prevented, nearly all — 93 per cent — of the Soviet children were hopeful that a war could be averted. The difference was the involvement of parents and children in the peace movement and peace activities. Liam had taken part in Vancouver’s Walk for Peace, but it was still a bit remote from the fears he had felt during the Remembrance Day discussion in school. He couldn’t really see the influence it was having on other people. It was then that the idea of the button came. Looking over a Christmas catalogue, both Libby and Liam were shocked by the pages and pages of Rambo, GI Joe, Chuck Norris and Defence Force Combat Toys, all vividly displayed for Christnias giving. In one case — GI Joe — the offerings even included a table-sized carrier equipped with F-16 fighter jets and helicopter gunships. It was a chance comment that Liam made to his three-year-old sister that the idea for the slogan popped up: ‘Santa doesn’t like war toys.” “I suggested that we make up a button with those words on it and make it our Christmas peace project,” Libby relates, adding that once the suggestion was made, “Liam couldn’t wait to get started on it.” With Liam’s hand-lettered words and a Santa clipped from a Christmas craft book, it was sent off to the printer and 500 buttons ordered. They hoped that they could sell enough to cover the cost and make a mod- est donation to the peace movement from the proceeds. But even that was not the main purpose — the. idea was to demon- strate that value of taking of taking part in some peace activity. ‘We wanted to show Liam that you can do something to get people to think about’ peace — that you can help to influence public opinion, even in a small way,” says Libby. If the response was any indication, a lot of people were thinking. Within a week, nearly half of the buttons were gone —a dozen to a Red Cross worker who saw Liam wearing one at his music school and sold several to her co- workers; more than a hundred to peace - activists on Vancouver Island; half a dozen to a longshoreman neighbor who brought orders back from his fellow dockers; and so on. The story was repeated over several days. Inside three weeks, the 500 buttons were all gone, having made their way to lapels all over the province,.and even beyond — a Vancouver doctor bought several to send to family members in Britain. What was gratifying — even startling — for. Liam Fraser Valley Peace Council 531-1009 was not only to see strangers wearing his pin, but to see it appear on the evening news from Victoria. Activists from various peace groups there staged a demonstration out- side the Eaton’s store Nov. 29 — Inter- national Day Against War Toys — and all of them wore the button while several oth- ers carried placards with the same words. _ Certainly the button itself is only a foot- note in the campaign against war toys that is again gathering momentum. Groups such as the Voice of Women, the Gabriola Peace Association and its umbrella oragnization, the Vancouver Island Network for Disar- mament, have campaigned for some time to keep war toys off the retail shelves. The campaign has been given a new urgency over the last couple of years with the new upsurge in militarism in the U.S., and the manufacturers’ disturbing emphasis on mil- itary toys and toys equipped with a wide LIAM (I) LIBBY GRIFFIN ... doing something to offset a child’s fear of im A nuclear war. array of high-tech weapons of destruction. The Santa button gave the campaign a simple appeal with a message that could be understood at all levels. The effect was most compelling for those who knew its back- ground. Was it useful in countering the effect of the first classroom discussion? “I think so.” says Liam. “I don’t worry about it any more. I just think about all the people that are Wearing my pin.” But even with his words being echoed by people all over the province, Liam has some hearts and minds to win over, it seems. Ironically, although several girls in his Grade 3 class spurn war toys and some wear his pin, most of the boys are still dubious. i They’re not yet ready to give up GI Joe and il Rambo. And undoubtedly there’s a lesson in that as well. Best Wishes for the Holiday Séason to all our friends MAKE SPACE FOR PEACE IN 1987 EE) B.C. Peace Council Room 712, 207 W. Hastings Telephone: 685-9958 _ Christmas Greetings _. from End the Arms Race s This year give the most meaningful gift PEACE! Send donations to End the Arms Race, 1708 West 16th Avenue. | Vancouver, B.C. V6J 2M1 Peace greeting cards also available. Phone: 736-2366 PACIFIC TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 17, 1986 e 9