Dream for Peace
The world is not black or white, it is a world full of color.
Why did I make this booklet?
I made this origami peace booklet for all the children in the world who suffer from violence, illness, hunger, thirst, loneliness, and sadness. I hope and wish that this booklet will inspire you and that you will share my love for origami and peace.
My name is Manna Ori (Marten Sale Brouwer).
I am an origami and peace artist, originally from the Netherlands, and I have been living in Osaka, Japan since 2010. In 1990, due to back problems, I ended up bedridden and folded origami for the first time. Now, 25 years later, I have created more than 5,000 original origami designs, ranging from very simple to very complex. One of my designs is 1,000 cranes folded from a single sheet of paper without cutting. I made two of them and donated them to the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 1,000 red cranes from one piece of paper for the city of Hiroshima.
(Paper size: 15 cm by 150 meters). On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima: 78,000 people lost their lives. On August 9, 1945, the second atomic bomb fell on Nagasaki: 39,000 people lost their lives. Like Sadako Sasaki, an additional 210,000 people became ill and passed away. I have visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki several times, spoken with survivors, and seen the consequences of the atomic bomb in the museum. War is terrible, and that’s why I say NO TO WAR.
And YES TO PEACE. I also made 1000 white cranes from one piece of paper for the city of Nagasaki. It now hangs in the Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki.
Sadako Sasaki
Sadako Sasaki was 2 years old when the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima. She was fortunately unharmed, and as she grew older, she went to school like normal.
She loved learning and running and wanted to become a nurse when she grew up
so she could help sick people. At the age of eleven, Sadako became seriously ill herself.
In the hospital, she learned the story of the crane and that if you fold 1,000 of them, you can make a wish. Sadako then folded 1,000 little cranes with the wish for “world peace.”
Sadako Sasaki was 12 years old when she passed away on October 25, 1955.
The crane
The crane symbolizes Love, Peace, and Health. When you fold an origami crane and give it to someone, you wish them Love, Peace, and Health. If you fold 1,000 cranes, you can make a wish. Sadako Sasaki’s wish was world peace—let us follow her example.
Cranes by the window
Do you have a wish for peace? Then make cranes and hang them by the window.
This shows that you stand for peace. Peace in your home and peace for the world.
Make 1,000 cranes with your school
In this booklet, you’ve read about Sadako and her wish for world peace. Share this story with your class. And make 1,000 cranes with your class.
How to make 1,000 cranes.
You will need:
- 1,000 pieces of paper, 7.5 cm x 7.5 cm.
- 25 strings, 75 cm each.
- A needle.
- Fold all the cranes with your class.
- Tie a double knot in the string.
- Thread 40 cranes onto the string.
- Add a loop and hang it on a small nail.
- Once all 25 are done, thread a string through all the loops, tie a knot,
and you’re finished.
How to create the designs from this booklet with your school.
How can you more easily fold cranes with a larger group? First make a few designs from the booklet at home and show them to the children as examples. Divide the class into groups of 6 to 8 children. Give each child several pieces of paper in different sizes.
While folding, keep the pace of the slowest child, who folds 2 or 3 cranes, while the others fold more. Fold the first step for all the papers, then the next step for all the papers. Continue this until all the cranes are folded. Then the children can glue the cranes together.
Origami and glue are friends
Before you start gluing, first make all the cranes you need for the design. Then look closely at the design and how it should be glued. Apply glue to the entire surface that needs it. Don’t rush this—take your time, and your design will turn out neater and more beautiful.
Why peace?
I have a desire to contribute to peace, both on a large and small scale. I believe it’s necessary in this world to make children and adults more aware of themselves and each other, to together create a better world.
“Whoever wants the world to know peace must teach it to the children.”
Why origami is beautiful, good, and important.
It trains your memory and patience. It develops the fingers of both hands. You learn to work precisely and observe care fully. By combining different colors and sizes of paper,
you’ll create beautiful little artworks that you can take pride in with joy and wonder.
The family
Most children are born out of love. Every father and mother wants their child to be healthy. Every father and mother wants their child to be happy. Every father and mother wants their child to grow up in prosperity. Sometimes your father and mother forget that.
So make this design to remind them what’s important.
It doesn’t matter where you were born. Whether you were born in the Netherlands,
Japan, Europe, Africa, America, Russia, China, or Australia, every child, every man, every woman needs:
Oxygen—you can go 3 minutes without it.
Water—you can go 3 days without it.
Food—you can go 3 weeks without it.
Love—you can give and share it.
We all have 2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 mouth, 2 legs, 2 arms. Let’s use them for good. You have the power to make a difference.
Grandpa and Grandma
Grandpa and Grandma look forward to seeing you again. So make a beautiful peace artwork for your grandpa and grandma. When you visit them, give them your handmade gift. I’m sure they’ll be very happy.
What is origami used for?
In the past, origami was used to decorate temples. You can fold almost any animal or insect. Now, origami is used in many ways. Origami is used in the packaging industry.
In the car industry with airbags. In the robotics industry with small foldable robots.
In space travel with foldable solar panels. Origami is becoming increasingly important for finding solutions in today’s world.
Thank you
“If you want the world to change for the better, start with yourself. Imagine a world without war, a world full of peace. That begins in your own life. Help each other, support each other, make friends – because life is too short. The only thing you truly have control over is your own path. You have to make something of your life yourself. Do you have a dream? Chase it with everything you’ve got. Create a peace corner in your own home, and encourage others to do the same – in every house, in every school – so that the spirit of peace gradually spreads across the world.
I wish you love, peace, and health.
Manna