Japan Cloth Letters Art Installation Hits the Robert Lee YMCA

From July 8-20th the Robert Lee YMCA is pleased to showcase the Canada-Tohoku Kids to Kids Cloth Letters, created by Linda Ohama, YMCA Peace Medal recipient. Since 1987, the YMCA of Greater Vancouver has recognized individuals in our community who take initiative to promote peace both locally and internationally. During International Peace Week in November, the YMCA gives YMCA Peace Medals to individuals or groups who, without any special resources, demonstrate a commitment to strengthen our communities by promoting peaceful solutions to violence, conflict, discrimination and justice. Linda started the Canada-Tohoku Kids to Kids Cloth Letters project after being inspired by her granddaughters' responses to the March 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster in northern Japan. Linda began to make the first cloth letters and it grew from there. Young people across Canada made cloth letters, Tohoku youth responded by making their cloth letters and young Japanese people outside of the tsunami area began making their messages. After exhibiting in over 50 locations in Japan for over 20 months, this youth project that began in Vancouver in 2011 has come home again. We hope you enjoy the creative messages of thanks, hope and dreams for the world we share expressed in these cloth letters by young people across Canada, the destroyed coastal communities of Tohoku and throughout Japan. For further information about this project, please contact Linda Ohama at cindyohama@gmail.com.

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