The First Seven

The Tsuru Project officially began in late January 2005 when the first seven cranes were sent to TPTB in Los Angeles. I had taken pictures of the initial package, but for the longest time I was not able to locate them until my Dad found them somewhere in the house. (Thanks, Dad.)

I have scanned a few of these pictures. Unfortunately, I didn't have digital camera at the time and had only a disposal camera. I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures. The project turned out magnificently, and I wish I had a better camera to truly capture the detail of the package. I can't take full credit for the craftmanship of the painted lions that flanked each side of the box. I have to thank my youngest sister for that.

The idea of the package was that of a box which contained hopes and dreams. It was a simple white box with two golden dragons that acted as guardians and were held together a red ribbon which secured the contents of the box. Inside, as you lifted the lid was a different story. There existed a fantastical world of 5 colorful, flying cranes and a lotus flower. Included with the package was as letter which introduced the campaign and its idea. Unfortunately, I don't have the exact transcript of the short letter I had written; it is in another computer. The letter was enclosed in a card with 2 cranes. Thus, the package had a total of 7 cranes. I had chosen seven being that it is a mythical number.

Here are a couple of pictures of the crane package. To see the rest, follow this link.

Soon

I will be sending the first set of cranes to TPTB in Los Angeles real soon. There are a few details that have to be settled. I will take pictures of the package that is being sent and they will be posted on here.

If you are not aware, Smallville had been renewed for a seventh season starting this fall. In addition, the writers/TPTB have already started working on Season 7.

For those who have been watching the final stretch episodes leading to the finale "Phantom" which aired last Thursday, you know what happened. To be honest with you, I don't know where this leaves our project. I won't claim to know whether our project's message will have any kind of impact on the writers, given the note the show left on. BUT, I hope that this doesn't deter anyone from finishing up this project. I would like to finish this project regardless of outcome or impact. At this point, there is nothing to lose. I'll take any chance, no matter how remote.

M.I.A.

I apologize for being M.I.A.

I have been preoccupied with writing papers and preparing for presentations. Nevertheless, I will be finishing up school next Friday, so after that, I'll have more free time to complete the Smallville phase of the Project. As it was stated originally, the deadline for this campaign is around June/July and the campaign is still on track to meet it. I will address some new developments that I've been monitoring, in terms of castmembers (possibly) leaving, and where that leaves the campaign.

Things being quiet on the campaign front does not mean that the campaign is giving up. Not in the least. I do have ideas I want to throw around. Despite what is transpiring onscreen and that sense of doubt on whether this campaign will matter in the end, I hope all of you are still on board and will see this through. More than ever, the Tsuru Project needs your support and participation.

Trisha

In Memoriam

I will dedicate 33 of the peace cranes in memoriam of those killed in Monday's shootings at Virginia Tech. These cranes will be in the school's colors of maroon and orange.

Though not needed, you can offer a message or prayer to attached to these cranes. They can be posted on this thread or via e-mail.

I hope that we begin to move more proactively about improving campus security and preparedness and safety procedures to forestall or mitigate such incidents. And also, how faculty and students can effectively address issues of mental health on campus.

Thanks.

CDRF PSA feat. Erica Durance

The clip of the PSA for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, which features Lois Lane portrayer Erica Durance, is now available online. Visit t.e.m.k.(4)CDRF to view it.

My deepest and utmost condolescences...

To the families and friends of the 33 slain in today's deadly shooting on the Virginia Tech campus and the 37 killed and hundreds wounded by last week's bombing of the Iraqi Parliament.

It is because of these incidents that we start to question whether we will ever find lasting security, stability, and ultimately peace in this world. Peace isn't simply the absence of violence. The causes of violence, conflict, and war involve far more complex issues than just a matter of religious/cultural differences, right or wrong, good vs. evil, north vs. south. It is neither black nor white, but varying shades of grey. We need to look into the dualism of our human natures, into the matrix where the patterns of darkness and light are commingled and entangled. I think there we can begin searching for answers and understanding why it is difficult to find and sustain peace despite the presence of institutions and articulation of political commitments to facilitate security and peace.

Peace is...

How would you describe in one word or phrase, "peace"?

Post your response below.

*****
Make the pledge for peace today. Manifest 2000.

Options!

Anyway, it has been a little slow getting wishes from people, so here are some options for fans to get their input into this campaign. I hope to see you participate!

• You can include with your responses your name or online alias and location.
• Please note that you don't have to do all options, nor do you have to do Clois AND Lexana. You can do either!

1. In one word (or phrase), how would you describe T.E.M.K., Clois and/or Lexana?
2. Post screen cap(s) of favorite moment - Clois and/or Lexana. The screencaps will be printed in B&W and attached to the cranes.
3. Express your T.E.M.K., Clois or Lexana love in fan art.
4. Post your favorite quotations or segment of dialogue between Clois and/or Lexana.

For examples, click HERE.

You can post your entries on this thread or on DTS.

*****
In other news, new banners are on their way.

Oh, and BTW, those who come here and try to be "funny," (and people have), just so you know, (if you haven't figure out already) I have been and am watching. :D

Never give up

I know those who are spoiled are having a hard time wrapping our minds around what's being released in the media right now. I'll admit that I'm having difficulty myself, but this campaign is not going to give up.

If things come to be just like the slowly emerging details are portraying, then let's TPTB know that they dropped the ball on this one. I am speaking for Lexana here when I say that if this was planned for some time, did they have to do it in a way in which they had to painfully deconstruct Lexana in the process?

Is this a lost cause? It could very well be, but we're not going to sit back and take it. If I have to fight tooth and nail, then so be it. Am I delusional? Maybe. Time will only tell. LOL.

In the end, I understand if some of you choose to walk away. If you ever decide to come back, we'll still be here.

Those who are sticking around, let's give this one final chance, one final fight.

What's in a 1000?

"1000 cranes, 1000 wishes, 1000 words, 1000 dollars."

This, right here, is our campaign, The Tsuru Project. I want to thank Luke, who is always with ideas, for the tagline.

I hope this provides us a more concrete focus of what we are doing here with The Tsuru Project. At campaign's end, we will have sent 1000 cranes with 1000 implicit/explicit wishes in 1000s of words, and raised 1000 dollars to purchase 100+ tags from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Will our wishes be granted? I would like to think so. There's always a chance that it may not, but I hope that through the process of participating in this project that people will take something from it.

As I have mentioned before, I am considering to broaden the scope of The Tsuru Project in a couple of months, totally separate from the show and television. I hope all of you will be part of that process. Stay tuned for more details.

Full speed ahead!

I know my fellow spoiler junkies must have gotten the news by now. Regardless, this campaign will move one. Let's finish the cranes and wishes and send them to TPTB and Japan. We'll finish what was started.

In the near future, I have some plans to continue this project even when the show goes off air, and I hope some of you will stay on to help continue and expand the mission of this project. Because really, all of this goes beyond the show and television.

Let's go, Team T.E.M.K.!

Worth a thousand words...

Want to portray your wish visually? I know there are some people who would rather graphically express themselves, such as in a fan art, rather than in words. If you are one these people, be sure to stop by here in the next couple of days to see if how you can do so. Get those digital palettes fired up. :)

A mention.

Hello, just wanted to let you know that The Tsuru Project got a little mention on the CW Blog Source today. :)

Check it out.

Peace and Disarmament

“For there to be peace among nations, there must also be peace within them, among groups and individuals. The UN Charter says ‘Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defence of peace must be constructed.’ All of us, young and old, rich and poor, governments and civil society alike, must do our part. Let us now pool our efforts and make good on its great potential. The culture of peace can be ours.” -- Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General

I have been gathering web links relevant to peace and disarmament and posting them on the blog. I hope that people who visit this blog will find the time and explore these links.

I am currently studying nonproliferation, and I hope that my eventual work in this pertinent field will make a significant contribution towards achieving peace and disarmament. But as Annan said, everyone has a stake as part of the global solution to these world issues, irrespective of our divergent walks of life, and that any act, big or small, will amount to something, no matter how cynical or bleak the world seems at times.

Let's cultivate a Culture of Peace.

Trisha

To my fellow crane-makers...

In the past week, I have received notice of people interested in making cranes. If you are making cranes, please let me know that you are and the number of cranes you have made or plan to make. Either reply to this post or e-mail me at temk4good@yahoo.com. This is so I can include your cranes in the totals.

I am also in the process of getting addresses where we will send these cranes.

Trisha

GO FORWARD

The Tsuru Project is gearing for another phase of the campaign which involves raising money for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation through the purchase of Superman tags. Much thanks to Luke at DTS for the awesome idea.

Be sure to stop by here in the coming weeks for more details on how you can help out!

UPDATE: The blog for CDRF is now up!

Keep them coming...

Hello, everyone!

It's nice to see the wishes for the show trickling in.

I also want to remind you about lending your names for the peace cranes, and if you wish, you can post a brief note to accompany the cranes on the blog. The campaign has a dual purpose, and while the SV aspect of the campaign is an urgent matter, the peace aspect of it is just as vital and exigent. I hope this is a reminder that the spectre of WMD against the background of increasing world insecurity will only grow in the future. And that peace is not static or an end state, rather peace is to be actively achieved every day in every way in our lives. Hopefully, this small campaign will not only achieve a goal but also inspire.

If you want to make wish but not post it publicly, you also have the option of sending these wishes via e-mail. Send your wishes to temk4good@yahoo.com. Or you can PM people on the Devoted to Smallville or SV Fan Forum boards that have links/banners promoting the campaign.

Trisha

Banners

Promotional banners are now available for download. Please re-upload the banners on another server for posting on boards.

For all banners, go HERE. Link the banners back to the campaign blog.

Thanks!

Ready, set, GO!

Okay, guys, let's get going.

As I have mentioned in a couple of places, I am not sure if this will change TPTB's mind, but it doesn't hurt in trying. Remember, it's our show too, and we should be heard as well.

Advertising banners will be forthcoming in the next day or two. Start putting up this link anywhere you can. Mention this to all of your Clois and Lexana friends. Let's strive to collect 350 wishes. I know there are at least 350 of us out there with a little "fight" in them left. Bilingual wishes are also welcomed! It will be nice to give this campaign a bit of an international feel.

You can collect the wishes independently and pass them along to me, as long as the name and location are included in the wishes you collect. Also, ask people if they would like to lend their names for the peace cranes for the Peace Monument. Remember, we are also not sending a message to TPTB but to the world as well in terms of promoting world peace.

A Wish for Peace

In addition to sending cranes with our wishes to Smallville TPTB, we will be sending cranes to the Children's Peace Monument in Japan's Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The cranes will be accompanied with a dedication, a wish for peace.

The dedication:
A world without fear is a world in peace. Fear is an inescapable element of the human condition. Such as it is that one’s security becomes another’s insecurity and so go states seeking destructive armament in their bid for power and stature, to strike fear in the hearts and break the will of potential adversaries. Mutual insecurities and distrust of others may never be completely allayed, but it is our hope, our wish, our prayer that the will of human temperance and understanding always preside over the will to destroy.

Though today the prospects for peace seem to grow dim each day, no armament in the world can ever extinguish the wish in our hearts to strive for peace. These cranes are dedicated to the memory of Sadako and those who fell on and since that fateful day. They are also for the people who are arduously working for or have died in the pursuit of peace. This is our promise to fearlessly seek peace now, tomorrow, and thereafter.

The Peace Monument has received 1000s of cranes from all over the world every year. Individual names and organizations and groups that sent cranes are entered into a public database which can be found HERE. The cranes will be sent under a collective name. Tentatively, the group name will be TEMK. Suggestions for another name are always welcomed.

If you would like your name and location to be included on the cranes being sent to Japan, please reply here. If you could also like to include a small wish/note for peace, then also post it on this thread.

Thanks!

Your Smallville Wish

Please post HERE your 20-50-word wish for Gough & Millar. Topics are not limited to your 'shipper wishes and can address issues about a specific character or the stories in general. For example:

• What do you hope to see in the show in Season 7 with regard to Clark/Lois and/or Lex/Lana?
  
• What would you like fixed on the show? (e.g., character and story inconsistencies)
  

Be respectful in your comments.

Word count will not be strictly enforced. If you want to write a longer note, then by all means do it. If you wish to write a letter to accompany the cranes, you can e-mail it (as an attachment) to temk4good@yahoo.com.

In your wishes, please include your name and location.

The goal is to collect a total of 350 wishes but will strive realistically for at least 100. So get the word around!

The Tsuru Project Revisited

I started the Tsuru Project in 2005 in which the goal was to send 1000 paper cranes to TPTB. According to Japanese lore, when one makes 1000 paper cranes, his/her wish is granted. As a Lexana fan, naturally, my wish was to have TPTB give Lex and Lana their story. As of now, I have only sent Al and Miles 307 cranes, with 300 cranes sent to them in January 2006.

Lex and Lana finally came into fruition in the latter part of Season 5 for which many Lexana fans are very thankful. However, since Hydro things began to change. Lexana fans were already expecting that If TPTB listened to 250 letters and as a result propelled the abrupt 180s we are seeing right now, then I think it is time that TPTB hear our side of the story.

With renewed enthusiasm, I would like to expand the mission of the Tsuru Project to include the hopes and wishes of our fellow comrade-in-arms, the Clois fanbase. While the show has said time and time again that they will maintain the DC restrictions, the Clois fans would like to see the steady progression to Clark's destiny towards his future love Lois, instead of the back-and-forth and stagnation associated with Clana. In a few episodes this season, we have seen how Lana is truly an impediment to Clark's future of being the superhero of comic book lore.

Furthermore, I would like to use this project to be a gesture of peace and good will. About 700 paper cranes remain to be made to complete the total of 1000 cranes. Half of these cranes will be sent to TPTB and the other half will be sent to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan where the cranes will reside with other cranes that have been made by people from all over the world. This is to honor the memory of Sadako Sadaki who, with her 1000 paper cranes, moved the world with her story of hope and message of peace. The significance of Sadako's story has never been more relevant now given the growing concern of WMD proliferation/terrorism in the world today.

So, let your hopes and wishes take off and fly!