This year, the New York Office of the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung is joining thousands around the world to spread a message of peace and hope for a nuclear-free future as part of the global campaign “Cranes For Our Future.” On the 79th anniversary of the American bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we add our voice to demand that world leaders put an end to the existential threat of nuclear war.
Not since the early days of the Cold War has the planet faced such a risk of nuclear annihilation. Today, the trend seems to be toward a world with more nuclear arms rather than fewer. The Russian war in Ukraine and the threat by Israeli officials of using nukes on the devastated population of Gaza have made the possibility of a nuclear bomb being used for the third time palpable. Billions of dollars are being spent on modernizing and increasing nuclear arsenals. Even if restraint from using these weapons in warfare prevails, an accident involving any of the estimated 13,400 nuclear bombs that exist today could bring the horror of a nuclear explosion and radiation contamination to reality for many.
The Campaign
#CranesForOurFuture, a global initiative established by the Hiroshima Prefecture, the Nagasaki Prefecture, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, and the Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace, is now in its fourth iteration. The campaign is supported by a broad coalition of institutions and public figures dedicated to creating a safer future for all in a world free of nuclear weapons. Previous editions have included participation from UN and governmental officials, artists, celebrities, influencers, and thousands of individuals who shared their messages online.
Why A Crane?
Sadako Sasaki was two years old when an American bomber airplane dropped Little Boy, the first atomic bomb used in warfare, over her city of Hiroshima. The immediate victims are estimated to number up to 140,000 people. Three days later, the U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb over the city of Nagasaki, resulting in at least 40,000 immediate deaths.
Sadako, along with her mother and brother, survived the radioactive black rain and the fires that broke out all over the city after the blast. But like many others who experienced the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Sadako’s family faced years of health problems, poverty, and food scarcity. Exposure to radiation affected the health of thousands for generations, and the soil, water, and air were contaminated for years to come.
At the age of twelve, Sadako was diagnosed with leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells. While at the hospital, she learned about the Japanese legend that endows the crane with a meaning of longevity and hope. In this tradition, folding one thousand origami cranes (senbazuru) can bring one thousand years of life. Sadako folded cranes and wished to survive. Sadly, her illness advanced, and she died in 1955. However, her message of hope endured and was uplifted by her family and friends, who raised money for a monument dedicated to Sadako and all the child victims of these horrific weapons. The sculpture still stands at the Children’s Peace Monument in Peace Park in Hiroshima with the inscription, “This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.”
How Can You Participate?
Everyone can take action and join others to spread a message of peace and hope during the anniversary of the atomic bombings from August 6 to 9. Share a photo of your origami crane, post your demands on social media, write letters, call your representatives, and share this message with everyone you know.
The campaign has prepared a useful social media kit with ideas and resources to help you create your own message. Join us in creating a powerful campaign to reach all corners of the world and add your voice to the thousands demanding a future free of nuclear weapons.
#CranesForOurFuture – Fold a Crane for Our Future
Visit the campaign website: cranesforourfuture.org