Colourful crane display for World Peace Day

Whangārei librarians Jannie Preesman and Robyn Kay with some of origami cranes on display. Photo/John Stone

A colourful display of more than 1000 origami cranes is hanging from Whangārei central library's staircase to mark World Peace Day.

Some cranes are plain, some are patterned, others fluorescent. Some are made from wrapping paper, leaflets or discarded book pages.

All have been carefully folded by Whangārei residents over the past few months.

In July, Whangārei Library put a call out for people to help fold 1000 paper cranes, to mark World Peace Day, also called International Day of Peace, tomorrow. Whangārei librarians Jannie Preesman and Robyn Kay have given out instructions, sheets of paper and held workshops to encourage people to get folding.

"It's something the community can get involved in with little cost and they enjoy it," Kay said.

"We've got about, I'm guessing 1400 or 1500, well past the goal of 1000," Preesman said.

The final boxful of cranes still had to be threaded and added to the display, which the pair would have finished in time for World Peace Day.

The display is expected to stay in place for a couple of months.

The paper crane became a symbol of peace following the story of Japanese girl Sadako Sasaki who lived in Hiroshima during the atomic bombing.

After being diagnosed with leukaemia from the radiation she began folding origami cranes, motivated by the Japanese legend that granted a wish if you made 1000 cranes.

The United Nations General Assembly has declared International Day of Peace as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.