For children, one important international symbol of peace and disarmament is the paper crane.
The paper crane has become a symbol in recent years as a result of its connection to the story of a young Japanese girl named Sadako Sasaki, who was born in 1943.
Sadako was two years old when the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. As she grew up, Sadako was a strong, courageous and athletic girl. In 1955, at age 11, while practicing for a big race, she became dizzy and fell to the ground. Sadako was diagnosed with leukaemia, "the atom bomb" disease.
Sadako's best friend told her of an old Japanese legend which said that anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes would be granted a wish. Sadako hoped that the gods would grant her a wish to get well so that she could run again. She started to work on the paper cranes and completed over 1000 before dying on 25 October 1955 at the age of twelve.
In spite of her poor health, she never gave up. She continued to make paper cranes until she died.
Inspired by her courage and strength, Sadako's friends and classmates put together a book of her letters and published it. They began to dream of building a monument to Sadako and all of the children killed by the atom bomb. Young people all over Japan helped collect money for the project.
In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in Hiroshima Peace Park. The children also made a wish that is inscribed at the bottom of the statue and reads:
"This is our cry, this is our prayer, Peace in the world".
Today, people all over the world fold paper cranes and send them to Sadako's monument in Hiroshima. (as told here)
Following on from yesterday's post ...the symbol of the purple paper crane has become a recognisable one for us as" The Cure For Life Foundation" headed up by the very wonderful and extremely talented DR Teo played a huge part in our journey with Taylor.
