Africa-Press – Botswana. Eighty years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities, Gaborone became the scene for remembrance and reflection as the Kagiso (Peace) Exhibition unfolded for an encounter with history, art and the timeless appeal for peace.
At the heart of the Kagiso (Peace) Exhibition at BotswanaCraft in Gaborone was an installation of origami paper cranes, each folded by volunteers, children, and friends across Botswana.
The gesture was inspired by a Japanese tradition: the belief that folding a thousand cranes makes a dream come true. For organiser Mikael Kai Nomura (Thuso), a Japanese volunteer with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JAICA), those cranes carried one shared dream – peace.
Remembering the horror
“In Japan we have the story that when you fold 1000 paper cranes, your dream will come true,” Nomura said in an interview. “We asked friends and Japanese volunteers around Botswana to submit cranes. Together they became a symbol of hope, reminding us that peace begins in small, deliberate acts.”
The exhibition marked 80 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 – the first and only time that nuclear weapons were used in war. With one strike, Hiroshima lost 140,000 lives. Three days later, Nagasaki suffered the same fate.
Posters curated in collaboration with JAICA Hiroshima offered visitors sobering details of the devastation. What stood out was the haunting reminder from Nomura: “The sad thing is that those bombs still exist today, only more powerful because of technological advancement,” he said.
Peace across borders
Beyond history, the exhibition urged reflection on the wars of today – in Ukraine, Russia, Palestine, Israel, and other places. Visitors were invited to step into a virtual tour of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, connecting with survivors’ voices through Zoom.
It was an effort to make history breathe in the present, reminding us that peace is not an abstract dream but an urgent necessity.
The day also opened space for creativity as a form of protest and prayer. Music from Amazing Vibez, Caitlyn, and Kai, and poetry by the Serurubele Poetry Academy, wove a local response into a global story.
Art as a language of healing
Each performance echoed the same message: peace is a choice that humanity must keep making.
The Kagiso (Peace) Exhibition was less about commemoration and more about responsibility. It reminded Gaborone and the world that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not just Japanese tragedies but human tragedies.
As the paper cranes swayed gently, they seemed to whisper the same plea: remember, reflect, and choose peace.
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