Hundreds of cranes will be folded this coming week at the foot of the Grote or Sint Bavokerk, on the Oude Groenmarkt. Students in Haarlem are also joining in. Ultimately, a thousand birds should be ready to hand out on the Grote Markt on Thursday on the International Day of Peace.
National Peace Week started today. Dozens of Dutch cities are organizing various activities in the coming months to get people to think about the word ‘peace’. In Haarlem, for example, the Stadsklooster participates. That organization has chosen Senbazuru, or the Japanese word for folding a thousand cranes. Today was the first ‘folding session’:
Read more after the video.
Next Thursday the birds will be handed out on the Grote Markt, between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM. Next Tuesday and Wednesday (both between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM) folding enthusiasts can still help with folding at the Stadsklooster.
Peace activities in the city
But there are many more peace activities in Haarlem. For example, a rainbow celebration will take place in the Slaughterhouse on Sunday afternoon (at 3 p.m.). ‘An exciting, experimental meeting focusing on questions about religion and LGBTIQ+’, is how it is described in the peace week agenda.
At the same time, artist Hans Bosmann is working on the living work of art ‘Sta Silence For Peace’ on the Grote Markt. Everyone can participate and bring a peace symbol. On Wednesday, a ‘action by Lutheran youth’ is on the agenda, which will provide a fun activity and meal with and for refugees.
The week will end next Sunday with a closing celebration at Mennonite Haarlem on Frankestraat. Pastors from six different Haarlem churches will lead this together.
Look here for the complete program of the Peace Week celebrations in Haarlem.