Mission Statement
Armed with the Arts Inc. promotes peace, empathy, and cross-cultural understanding through the arts. Our primary initiative, The Peace Crane Project, uses the universally accessible art of origami to connect people across borders through shared creative expression.
Participants are invited to fold an origami crane, write a message of peace on its wings, and exchange it through our program with another participant somewhere else in the world. While the Project primarily serves students and youth groups, participation is open to people of all ages and backgrounds.
To support this exchange, we provide educational materials, instructional videos, and guided learning resources, and we maintain a global network of schools, libraries, and community organizations eager to participate. Some participants choose to deepen these connections by exchanging letters, sharing videos, or meeting virtually, further enriching their understanding of one another and the wider world.
Through this experience, participants strengthen fine motor and writing skills, explore geography and world cultures, encounter new languages and traditions, and build meaningful global connections, often for the first time.
The result is a deeply human learning experience that transforms a simple act of making into a lasting understanding of peace, connection, and shared responsibility.
We look forward to having you join us on our mission to empower young people to make a difference.
Meet The Incoming Team, January 2026
Sue DiCicco is an artist, author, sculptor, and a former animator at Walt Disney Feature Animation. An author and illustrator of children’s books, she is also a sculptor, best known for her heroic bronze statue of John Denver, located at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. Sue launched the Peace Crane Project in 2012, after a dinner party conversation about the role the creative community can play in shaping the hearts and minds of the world. Since 2012, she has guided millions of students in more than 150 countries to fold and exchange origami peace cranes, building understanding and friendship across cultures.Sue is the co-author of The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki, written with Sadako’s brother, Masahiro Sasaki. In 2026, Sue was invited by the United States Postal Service to fold the origami crane featured on a new postage stamp celebrating peace.
Masahiro Sasaki, older brother of Sadako Sasaki, is a lifelong advocate for peace, nuclear abolition, and cross-cultural understanding. Since childhood, he has carried forward Sadako’s message of hope — not as a symbol or story alone, but as a lived family history that continues to inspire millions around the world.Born in Hiroshima before the bombing, Masahiro survived the atomic detonation of August 6, 1945, and witnessed firsthand the long-term effects of radiation on Sadako’s health and the lives of thousands of hibakusha. His experiences have shaped a lifetime of work dedicated to ensuring that future generations understand both the tragedy and the resilience woven into Sadako’s story.
He is the co-author, with Sue DiCicco Smith, of The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki, the first book written with full participation of the Sasaki family. Through this collaboration, Masahiro brings greater historical clarity and compassion to Sadako’s story, making it accessible to children, educators, and peace leaders worldwide.
Advisory Council
Clifton Truman Daniel is the oldest grandson of President Harry S. Truman and his wife, Bess. He is the son of author Margaret Truman and former New York Times Managing Editor E. Clifton Daniel Jr. Mr. Daniel is honorary chairman of the board of the Truman Library Institute, nonprofit partner of the Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, MO, board secretary of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, and vice president of the Society of Presidential Descendants. He is the author of Growing Up With My Grandfather: Memories of Harry S. Truman and Dear Harry, Love Bess: Bess Truman’s Letters to Harry Truman, 1919-1943. He is currently portraying his grandfather in the one-man stage show, Give ‘Em Hell Harry, as well as writing and lecturing on the Truman presidency.
Sumiyuki Sasaki, nephew of Sadako Sasaki, supports international outreach efforts related to the peace crane and the Sasaki family’s legacy. He works with educators, cultural leaders, and community groups to preserve the meaning behind Sadako’s message and to encourage global friendship.
Jennifer Kim is Director of The Peace School, an educational non-profit teaching practices for a peaceful life and world. The Peace School founded Peace Day in Chicago in 1978. Jennifer volunteered to help at that first Peace Day event and her involvement with Peace Day grew steadily over the years. In 2008 The Peace School created the Chicago Build the Peace Committee to collaborate more closely with community organizations in order to expand the reach of Peace Day Chicago. Jennifer has served as Chair of the Committee since 2008. One aspect of the Committee’s work is providing Peace Day materials annually to all Chicago Public Schools, encouraging students to engage in positive actions and activities for the International Day of Peace. The Peace Crane Project is a featured part of these materials.
Peace Boat Executive Committee Member; Peace & Disarmament Educator Akira Kawasaki is a leading voice in international peace and nuclear disarmament. As an Executive Committee Member of Peace Boat, he has spent more than two decades advancing peace education and global civil society dialogue. Akira has also served in leadership roles with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), recipient of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. He brings deep expertise in peace education, humanitarian advocacy, and international cooperation.
Dr. Hanka Pospíšilová is a cardiologist and peace educator based in the Czech Republic. Alongside her medical career, she founded Pomoc dětem na útěku (“Help Children on the Run”) and has spent years supporting young refugee children on Lesvos, working both as a doctor in the refugee camps and as an advocate for human care. In addition, Dr. Hanka has championed peace education by securing permission to translate The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki into Czech, expanding access to this history throughout Central Europe. 
Yuji Sasaki, nephew of Sadako Sasaki, is a musician and advocate for peace education. His original song “Inori for Peace” has touched audiences worldwide, carrying forward the message of Sadako’s story through music and cultural outreach. Yuji supports global efforts to inspire children through the universal symbol of the paper crane.Board of Directors
Hanako Wakatsuki-Chong is an award-winning museum professional and public historian whose work centers on community storytelling, cultural preservation, and inclusive education. She has held key leadership roles in cultural institutions across the United States, developing exhibitions, programs, and digital initiatives that uplift underrepresented histories and foster cross-cultural understanding.Hanako has collaborated widely on projects that bridge communities, including supporting the rollout of the Nisei Soldier Congressional Gold Medal stamp and producing multimedia resources that help educators share this important history with students.
Marge is a retired Human Resources executive of the Polaroid Corporation with 24 years’ experience in their US and international operations. In addition, she has served on the boards of three non-profit organizations devoted to personal and community growth.
Masooma Rahmaty is a policy analyst, climate justice advocate, and global peacebuilder whose life and work embody the resilience and hope at the heart of the Peace Crane Project. Coming alone to the US from Afghanistan at the age of 15, Masooma now holds a master’s degree in Environmental Management from Yale, and brings a unique lens to the Peace Crane Project. Rooted in both the realities of conflict and the possibilities of hope, Masooma serves as a powerful role model for young people — especially girls — demonstrating that courage, education, and global citizenship can transform lives and shape the future.
Alisher Khassengaliyev is a youth advocate and educator from Kazakhstan, known for his leadership within the Steppe Organization for Peace (STOP), a Qazaq youth initiative focused on nuclear justice and community empowerment. He has represented young voices in international dialogues, including as a guest educator aboard Peace Boat’s global voyages, where he collaborated with hibakusha, activists, and peace educators from around the world.Alisher brings a powerful commitment to youth engagement, cross-cultural dialogue, and creative peacebuilding. His work reflects a belief that young people are uniquely positioned to imagine—and shape—a more just and peaceful future.
Louis Henry Mitchell is a nationally respected creative leader known for advancing empathy, inclusion, and positive social impact. As Creative Director of Character Design at Sesame Workshop, he oversees the visual development of beloved characters that help children around the world feel seen, supported, and empowered. Louis has taught character design at the School of Visual Arts and spoken globally about the power of storytelling in shaping culture. He also currently serves on the Board of Trustees at the Norman Rockwell Museum and the Bronx Children’s Museum. Louis brings decades of creative leadership to our board, along with a lifelong dedication to using imagination and design to inspire hope, belonging, and positive change.
Educated in Europe and with deep teaching experience in both China and Japan, Noël represents a new breed of educator. He has practical classroom experience, a broad range of global experience, and a keen eye for opportunities to introduce students to new ideas and approaches to art and life. Noël is currently designing a new system to teach origami and is actively participating in the Peace Crane Project with his students.