Hiroshima, Nagasaki: 70 years on...

@masspeaceaction: “70 years: Never Again! #Hiroshima and #Nagasaki week in Mass.”

@MinesActionCan: “70 years is enough. Ban nuclear weapons now!”

@bojacobs: “This Day in #Nuclear History: 1000s of children work crews located around #Hiroshima. Map shows where 1000s would die.”

Thousand Origami Cranes or Senbazuru is a collection of one thousand origami paper cranes connected by strings. According to an ancient Japanese legend, anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, which is considered a mystical creature in Japan. The thousand origami cranes were popularized by Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who was 24 months old when she was exposed to radiation from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II. Sasaki soon developed leukemia. At the age 12 after spending a significant amount of time in a nursing home, began making origami cranes with the goal of making one thousand, inspired by the senbazuru legend. According to the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, she folded only 644 before she became too weak to fold anymore, and died on 25 of October 1955. The paper cranes have since, become symbols of hope for peace.

@UKUnit75: “Placing our cranes at the Children’s memorial @ukcontingent #Hiroshima #japan2015”

Compiled by Evangeline Elsa/ Community Solutions Editor