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news.am, Armenia
Aug 6 2011
Yerevan, Hiroshima may become sister cities
August 06, 2011 | 11:58
YEREVAN. - Yerevan and Hiroshima may become sister cities, head of
Hikari center Karine Piliposyan told Armenian-News-NEWS.am
correspondent.
The process kicked off back in 2009 but progress is slow, she said
adding that efforts are needed. Japanese side is interested in the
initiative, now it is up to the Armenian side.
`I think if development of relations with Japan is one of the
priorities of our country, we should also be able to present the
achievements, moves which have been made,' she said.
For several years, students of Hikari center, which is focused on
promotion of origami, made and sent traditional Japanese lanterns and
cranes on the occasion of the anniversary of Hiroshima tragedy. This
year Armenian children sent 66 lanterns on the occasion of 66th
anniversary.
`The idea emerged several years ago. I told children story of Sadako
and saw tears in their eyes. I realized we had to do something to
express our attitude to this tragic story,' said Karine Piliposyan
adding that not only children but adults as well participate in the
initiative to make a contribution to establishing peace in the planet.
Sadako Sasaki was two years old when an atomic bomb was dropped in
1943. When she was eleven Sadako was diagnosed with leukemia and given
only a year to live.
Her best friend told her about an old Japanese legend which says that
anyone who will fold thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish.
Some say she managed to fold 1,000 and continued doing it, others
claim the number of cranes reached 644. Sadako died in 1955 at the age
of 12.
Every year on August 6 in 8:15, a minute, when atomic bomb was
dropped, people come to Peace Memorial to honor the memory of innocent
victims.
`We are honored that people are taking our children's hand-made
lanterns, even stand in line to float them on the water. And I dream
about the day when a small group of Armenian children will be able to
float hand-made lanterns to Japan and call on the world presidents to
stop the war. I think their voices will be heard from there. Armenian
children also know what the war is. There are still some people,
including children, who are blown up on mines in bordering regions,'
she said.
Karine Piliposyan stressed that Sadako cranes, although being fragile,
have become a powerful weapon against war.
In 1958, the statue holding a Sadako crane was erected in the Peace
Park in Hiroshima. A plaque on the monument reads: `This is our cry.
This is our prayer. Peace on Earth.'
Aug 6 2011
Yerevan, Hiroshima may become sister cities
August 06, 2011 | 11:58
YEREVAN. - Yerevan and Hiroshima may become sister cities, head of
Hikari center Karine Piliposyan told Armenian-News-NEWS.am
correspondent.
The process kicked off back in 2009 but progress is slow, she said
adding that efforts are needed. Japanese side is interested in the
initiative, now it is up to the Armenian side.
`I think if development of relations with Japan is one of the
priorities of our country, we should also be able to present the
achievements, moves which have been made,' she said.
For several years, students of Hikari center, which is focused on
promotion of origami, made and sent traditional Japanese lanterns and
cranes on the occasion of the anniversary of Hiroshima tragedy. This
year Armenian children sent 66 lanterns on the occasion of 66th
anniversary.
`The idea emerged several years ago. I told children story of Sadako
and saw tears in their eyes. I realized we had to do something to
express our attitude to this tragic story,' said Karine Piliposyan
adding that not only children but adults as well participate in the
initiative to make a contribution to establishing peace in the planet.
Sadako Sasaki was two years old when an atomic bomb was dropped in
1943. When she was eleven Sadako was diagnosed with leukemia and given
only a year to live.
Her best friend told her about an old Japanese legend which says that
anyone who will fold thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish.
Some say she managed to fold 1,000 and continued doing it, others
claim the number of cranes reached 644. Sadako died in 1955 at the age
of 12.
Every year on August 6 in 8:15, a minute, when atomic bomb was
dropped, people come to Peace Memorial to honor the memory of innocent
victims.
`We are honored that people are taking our children's hand-made
lanterns, even stand in line to float them on the water. And I dream
about the day when a small group of Armenian children will be able to
float hand-made lanterns to Japan and call on the world presidents to
stop the war. I think their voices will be heard from there. Armenian
children also know what the war is. There are still some people,
including children, who are blown up on mines in bordering regions,'
she said.
Karine Piliposyan stressed that Sadako cranes, although being fragile,
have become a powerful weapon against war.
In 1958, the statue holding a Sadako crane was erected in the Peace
Park in Hiroshima. A plaque on the monument reads: `This is our cry.
This is our prayer. Peace on Earth.'