Origami Peace Cranes in Brookline

Last year, children and adults from all over Brookline came together to fold origami paper cranes as a statement of peace, tolerance, and humanity. We folded over one thousand of them and brought them to Washington D.C. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to make a statement about these values that our community shares and that must remain the foundation of our society. We spoke with our hands and our hearts, with a simple, peaceful action that we hoped others would hear, share, and value.

In Washington we met dozens of people from all over the country who were deeply moved by what we had done. As we stood at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial on a chilly January 16th, children spelled PEACE with strands of cranes while people of all ages held others up, took pictures, learned to fold, and brought paper home with them. At the end of the day we gave the cranes to organizations that work with disadvantaged children, along with paper so they could fold more themselves.

All the while, we spoke about the meaning of the cranes. Some knew the story of Sadako, the victim of Hiroshima who was inspired by the Japanese tradition that folding one thousand cranes would grant the folder a wish; others knew that the crane symbolizes healing, peace, and the innocent victims of war; and others were simply inspired by the beauty of the cranes and the message they carried.

When we told the story of what happened in Washington to the children who had folded the cranes, many of them asked “can we do this every year?” With all that continues to happen in our world, and with the recent turmoil in our own community, many of the Brookline schools are coming together to begin folding cranes in a town-wide day of unity on Friday, December 15th. From here families can fold cranes throughout the holidays so that we can bring them to Washington for Martin Luther King Jr. Day again this year.

The act of folding cranes is itself peaceful and meditative, it is something that anyone can learn, and once someone knows how to fold they can quickly teach others. We saw many children and adults learn to fold cranes, often struggling at first, but always laughing as they worked side-by-side, and soon beaming with pride once they could really do it and teach their friends! In the process of folding we can not only meditate on peace and tolerance, but in the act of teaching we can share those values and imbue our actions with shared meaning. This was perhaps the most profound aspect of the project: the way it brought us all together, from kindergarten to the senior center, each pair of hands working to express universal, vital values.

While there is much that can be done to address problems in our world and in our own community, we believe that coming together with this simple, peaceful action; that taking our time and putting our energy into the world beyond ourselves; that creating something beautiful, together, is meaningful, important, and necessary.

Folding cranes is easy. Working together with humility and patience is hard, but that is what our challenges require of us, if we wish for a healthy and thriving community. We can all work together, young and old, and connect through this simple act that allows us to share and to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We invite all of you to practice unity as we take a moment to connect through this powerful message. Please join us!

Benjamin Kelley
Valerie Stillman

How to fold a Paper Crane:
https://youtu.be/FyC7pkT-dE0
How to fold a dove, which is good for younger children:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6ciLmiEfg0

How to get involved:

-Reach out to your PTO to learn about local school events

-Brookline Teen Center (Middle School event)-December 18th

-Brookline Main Library- 2-3pm Every Day during Vacation

-Host your own event!

-Check out our Facebook page for more details on upcoming events www.peacecranes.net

-Email us us with any questions or to get involved!