a selman project

It’s no secret that every nation has its own unique culture, demographics, and associated social issues. Unfortunately, sometimes our perception of many countries is shaped most by the negative issues which bubble up in the media. Worse still, is that many countries go both unheard of and unheard by the larger world.

Thankfully, every nation equally produces individuals who devote and sacrifice themselves to the principles of peace, freedom, and equality. The Peace Post project began as a means to shine a light on individuals from around the globe who are champions of peace.

As a starting point, we determined that every sovereign nation should be represented in the project with a few key disputed states entered at our discretion. As a referential guide for each illustration, we profiled each country with a keen eye on the progression of traditional and contemporary visual styles associated with the art and culture.

In choosing which individual to profile for each country, we first referenced Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, notable omissions, and various other international peace awards looking for potential candidates. In several cases when a nation was not represented by a winner of a major peace award, we used our own research to find an individual who represented associated ideals and actions of peace advocacy.

We elected to represent the chosen individuals as a series of stamps for several reasons. Stamps have a long history of commemorating important people and events. Stamps are collectible and shareable. Perhaps most importantly, stamps represent a vehicle of correspondence and dialogue.

Our goal was to learn more about these countries, the positive people there, and share their stories with you.

For more information please contact:
chris@selmandesign.com
peacepost on instagram:
@projectpeacepost
Copyright and disclaimer
The content of this web site contains information, photographs, and media intended solely for educational purposes.

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Stanley Rensch

  • Suriname
  • Human Rights

Stanley Rensch is a Surinamese human rights activist and teacher. Rensch formed the human rights group Moiwana ‘86 as a response to the government-led massacre of 35 women and children in the Maroon village of Moiwana in east Suriname. The group demands justice for the killings and Rensch along with other members have been targets of both military surveillance and assassination attempts. After fleeing to the Netherlands for a short time, Stanley returned to his work in Suriname saying “Everyone interested in justice here must take risks”.

Suriname

  • Population
    
548,479
  • Capital
    
Paramaribo
  • GDP (PPP)
    
$16,623
  • December 15, 1954
  • Total Area
    163,821 km2 (92nd)
  • Demonym
    Surinamese
  • Government
    Unitary parliamentary republic

Artwork

Surinamese art is a blend of styles reflective of Suriname’s diverse cultural and ethnic make-up. The true diversity of Surinamese art has come to light more in modern times as prior to independence works that adhered to western cultural standards were most prominent. The art of Suriname is often incorporated directly into the Surinamese culture, this is especially true for one of the largest ethnic groups, the Maroons. Surinamese art is known for its bright color palette and depictions of everyday life.

  • Illustration by
    Johnny Selman