Life Onboard LAST UPDATE  December 10, 2009
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November 5, 2009 QUITO DE PAPEL – Bringing more to the art of folding paper
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13 members of Quito de Papel joined the 67th voyage. Over 180 paper cranes were used to create this logo of Peace Boat’s Global Article 9 Campaign to Abolish War, promoting peace constitutions.
Sasaki Sadako lived 12 years as a typical, Japanese girl in the 1940s. It was the last few months of her life that propelled Sadako into iconic status as a symbol of the struggle for peace. Sadako was exposed to radiation from the Hiroshima nuclear bomb when she was two years old and diagnosed with leukemia at 11 years old. While in hospital, she received a young visitor who told her the belief that if she made 1000 orizuru (origami paper cranes) her health would be restored. Sadako got to work immediately. As she neared her goal, her failing health made it clear that paper cranes would not be enough to extend her life. Sadako gave up hope for herself but not for those she would leave behind. With greater creativity and diligence she folded paper cranes until her death with the hope that they would generate peace in the world.

Halfway around the world in Ecuador, Sadako’s story is still told in origami workshops organized by Quito de Papel. Founded in 2006, Quito de Papel is a group of Ecuadorean origami artists who specialize in creating complex figures from single sheets of paper. Lifelike insects, flowers, dragons and faces were just some of the samples on display for Peace Boat participants to enjoy. Quito de Papel joined the 67th voyage from Cuba to Ecuador and hosted a series of workshops on the art of origami.
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A rhinoceros, ornament and sailing ship are a few examples of the intricate figures folded from single sheets of paper by the Origamistas.
Origamista and Public Relations Officer for Quito de Papel, Veronica Echegaray came across the story of Sadako during her research into origami. For Ms Echegaray, origami was simply a hobby she shared with her friends and family. She said that when she read Sadako’s story, origami became more than just something to occupy her fingers. Traditionally, orizuru were given in Japan to express sympathy and well wishes to the ailing. Ms Echegaray says that understanding the philosophy behind the art form encourages members of Quito de Papel and people who participate in their workshops to appreciate their lives and loved ones.

The 67th voyage marks the first onboard collaboration between Peace Boat and Quito de Papel. A relationship quickly emerged in 2008 when four Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) on Peace Boat’s 63rd voyage visited Ecuador at the invitation of the government. The 63rd voyage hosted the inaugural “Global Voyage for a Nuclear-Free World” - and the launch of Peace Boat’s Hibakusha Project. Over 100 Hibakuska joined the voyage to share their testimonies of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ms Echagaray said Quito de Papel immediately identified with their message of peace and the use of paper cranes in promoting nuclear abolition. Quito de Papel approached the Hibakusha during their first visit and invited them to fold paper cranes with the local group.
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Quito de Papel Co-founder and Secretary, Santiago Ponce assists participants in one of several origami workshops organized by the group during their time onboard.
It was the appeal of a challenge that first attracted Co-founder and President of Quito de Papel. Daniel Mosquera to origami. While a paper crane comprises 20 steps, a lizard requires 180 folds and a dragon more than 200 folds. Quito de Papel provided a space where like minded people with the same hobby could get together and develop their craft. He said that while origami served as a focal point for the group, Quito de Papel had developed into a community; supporting its members through different stages of life.

Quito de Papel is based in Quito, Ecuador and hosts a series of national and international workshops each year. In August 2009, the group hosted “Folding for the Bicentennial” which celebrated 200 years of independence in Ecuador. One of the achievements that Quito de Papel is particularly proud of is the way in which the group has been able to use origami to connect with artists in other Latin American countries amidst challenging diplomatic situations. “Folding for the Bicentennial” saw participation from Colombian, Venezuelan and Chilean origami artistes.