Children's day: Remembering the Lost Children in the fatal earthquake of Sichuan 2008

As today is children's day and the fatal power of earthquake has come to our painful remembrance in Haiti again, I would like to put the spotlight on the children that have lost their lives in the province of Sichuan that was hit by earthquake in 2008 and on a very brave Chinese artist that acts as their ambassador ever since.

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei almost lost his life remembering the thousands of children that had to die in the earthquake in the province Sichuan 2008 because their schools had been built neglecting the building code due to corrupt officials that cared more for their personal livelihood than for the lives of the children that went to study in these buildings every day.

After the government refused to issue a detailed report on the events and the names of children and adolescents who have died in the earthquake in Sichuan, Ai Weiwei has published with the help of volunteers such names on his blog.

Therefore Ai Weiwei got beaten down by government authorities for several hours in a hotel room in Sichuan. So hard that he had to under go emergency operation weeks later in Munich, Germany which was very last minute according to the doctors.

He has dedicated a huge installation called "Remembering" that was shown in Munich to the kids that lost their lives for no reason...



The arrangement of the 9000 children's backpacks, hanging on the museum's facade, resulting in Chinese characters the words "For seven years she lived happily in this world." The quotation is from the mother of a victims.

The colors in this table refer to the logo of the toy retailer "Toys R Us". Ai Weiwei has written them with backpacks, because after the earthquake in the area of school satchels, of many the buried children had been found. With his art, he puts the lost and buried in those days, the world public. In a colorful, cheerful colors change, he exposes the buried hope.

In an article I read that the journalist had asked Ai Weiwei in 2007 if he had any children and he said: "No, I have a kid inside myself." and when she asked him that same question again in 2009, he said: "Yes, now I have kids. The children of Sichuan."

This message and the whole concept of it reminded me so much of MJ's message: It's about saving the kids that have no voice, true commitment, freedom of speech and positive and hopeful energy at the same time...

Therefore I today dedicate "The Lost Children" to all children that have been harmed in earthquakes around the world. -> Make That Change!!!