Mission Statement

At Armed with the Arts Inc., we promote peace and understanding through the arts. Our primary activity is The Peace Crane Project. We invite everyone in the world to fold an origami crane, write messages of peace on its wings, and then, through us, exchange their crane with another participant somewhere in the world. To facilitate this program, we provide a newsletter and learning materials, including instructional videos and guides, and manage a list of community groups and schools interested in participating. While we primarily serve students and youth groups, everyone in the world is invited to participate.

Each participant strengthens their hand-eye coordination, practices their writing and penmanship skills, gains a better understanding of geography and another country, makes global connections, is exposed to new languages and customs, and comes away with a broader understanding of the world. 

We look forward to having you join us on our mission to empower young people to make a difference. Please sign up here.

Meet The Board

Sue DiCicco Smith
Sue DiCicco SmithFounder and President
Sue is a former Disney animator and longtime author/illustrator of books for children. You can read more about Sue here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sue_DiCicco
Contact Sue: suepeacecrane@gmail.com
Masahiro Sasaki
Masahiro Sasaki Esteemed Advisor
Masahiro, older brother of Sadako Sasaki and survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima is an active advocate for peace and founder of the Sadako Legacy NPO.
Marge MacDonald
Marge MacDonaldSecretary
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.
Doug MacDonald
Doug MacDonaldTreasurer
Doug is a former CPA and retired financial executive from the high-tech sector. He is a US Army veteran and has Degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Public Accounting. Doug has also served as treasurer and executive director of several non-profit organizations, including the Windstar Foundation. He also formerly served on the Financial Advisory Board of his hometown in Colorado.
Noël Southall
Noël SouthallEducator Representative
Noël represents a new breed of educator, with practical daily experience in the classroom, a broad range of global experience, and a keen eye for the opportunity to expose students to new ideas and approaches.
Contact Noël: noelpeacecrane@gmail.com