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Children State-wide Make Peace Cranes for Portsmouth Peace Treaty Exhibit at Children's Museum





Portsmouth, NH (May 20, 2005) -- Children across the state joined the effort to make thousands of paper "peace cranes" for display in "PEACE! A Pictorial History of the Treaty of Portsmouth" at the Children's Museum of Portsmouth (www.childrens-museum.org).  The exhibit is part of the city's observation of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty 100th Anniversary.

The idea is an outgrowth of Northeast Cultural Coop's creation of a school curriculum that helps teachers present the history of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty to New Hampshire schoolchildren.  In Japan, cranes symbolize luck. Creating peace cranes, made from folded paper in the Japanese tradition of origami, stems from "Sadako's Paper Cranes," the story of a little girl in Hiroshima, and has now grown to an international initiative. Teachers around the state are invited to help their students make strings of paper cranes, and there's still time for individual children and children's teams, clubs and scout troops to contribute their cranes, as well. All of the cranes will be displayed in the Children's Museum "PEACE!" exhibit July 1st through September 5th, and then sent on to the International Peace Park in Hiroshima, Japan.               

Children are encouraged to use colorful paper -- either the origami paper available at most craft and art supply shops, or gift-wrapping paper cut into 6" x 6" squares. Groups of cranes should be strung together, 100 in a group, putting the string through the small hole at the bottom of the crane's body and up through the point at the top of the crane's back, so they nestle together vertically.  The finished cranes, with the names and ages of their creators (and a photo of the children, if desired) should be mailed by June 15th to:

PEACE CRANE EXHIBIT

Children's Museum of Portsmouth

280 Marcy Street

Portsmouth NH 03801

"The cranes will be displayed at the Museum and will be seen by hundreds of tourists from around the world," said Blanche Milligan, creator of the project and Portsmouth Peace Treaty school curriculum, and Executive Director of the Northeast Cultural Coop. "They will show visitors and residents Portsmouth's commitment to peace, 100 years  after we hosted the Peace Conference for the Russians and Japanese."    

For more information, including an animated paper crane folding demonstration, visit the Northeast Cultural Coop website: www.NortheastCulturalCoop.org. ###



For a month's view Calendar, click here.

The Japan-America Society is the 501c3 nonprofit that supports the efforts of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forum. To join, click here.

© Richard Haynes
Haynes Images

For information about ordering fine art prints of this Treaty Centennial symbol, and other commemorative items, click here.


For information about the Russia Society of New Hampshire, write to
PO Box 177
Concord NH 03302-0177

For a Russian-language description of the Treaty exhibit click here.

For the Russian-language Library of Congress description of the Treaty of Portsmouth, click here.

 

 News and Links

To learn nore, the following books are available:

Heroes & Friends: Behind the Scenes of the Treaty of Portsmouth by Michiko Nakanishi

There Are No Victors Here: A Local Perspective on the Treaty of Portsmouth by Peter E. Randall

Also available:

An Uncommon Commitment to Peace Exhibit Catalogue published by the Japan-America Society of NH

Blessed Are the Peacemakers: The Service of Thanksgiving for the Portsmouth Treaty, September 5, 1905 by Marina Grot Turkevich Naumann

Original 1905 newsreel footage on DVD

Treaty of Portsmouth 1905-2005 book of reproduction historical postcards.

The Portsmouth Peace Process: Guide for Teachers by Northeast Cultural Coop

Portsmouth Peace Treaty Trail

For hours, directions, details on the Portsmouth Historical Society museum where the Portsmouth Peace Treaty exhibit is displayed, click here.

For hours, directions, details on Strawbery Banke Museum and the Shapiro House, owned by one of the founders of Temple Israel who figured in the Treaty citizen diplomacy, click here.

For information about Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Building 86 where the formal negotiations were held. click here.

For more information about Wentworth By the Sea Hotel, where both delegations stayed, click here.

For more information about Green Acre Bahai School and Sarah Farmer's commitment to the peace process, click here.

The Portsmouth Public Library maintains an micorfilm archive of local newspapers and an index of the relevant Treaty reporting and other related materials. The archive of original newspapers, photographs and other documents is maintained by the Portsmouth Athenaeum.

 

 


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