Anti-Nuclear Campaigners from Rochdale attend Mayors For Peace reception at Lord Mayor's parlour

The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Naeem Ul Hassan, welcomed dignitaries and anti-nuclear campaigners to Manchester Town Hall on Wednesday (13 November 2013) as part of his role as Vice-President of Mayors for Peace.

Councillor Naeem Ul Hassan presented campaigners Pat Sanchez and  Rae Street from Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group with paper cranes which were sent to Manchester from Japan by Gensuikyo, the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs.

The folding of paper cranes is a traditional symbol in Japan used to commemorate the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki since the 1950's. The paper crane has become synonymous with peace in Japan just like the CND symbol here in the West.

The paper cranes were made by children and peace campaigners from across Japan and were gathered during the 201 3 Peace March. The 1,000+ peace marchers started off from Tokyo and finished in Hiroshima in time for the memorial events surrounding the 68^th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on the city in 1945. Millions of cranes were collected during the Peace March and they have been sent out across the world to the cities represented at the 2013 World Conference Against A & H Bombs which took place in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August.

Rae, Pat and others  will use the cranes in Rochdale by sending them out to schools and faith groups along with instructions on how to make their own paper cranes. The hope is that young people will spend time thinking about and discussing  the meaning of peace.