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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Maxwell Dlamini

  • Swaziland
  • Political

Maxwell Dlamini is a Swazi activist and student leader. Maxwell helped to organize pro-democracy student groups in opposition to Swaziland’s strict monarchical control. Since 2011, he has been in and out of jail for his political activism. Dlamini has suffered a stroke as a result of his treatment and torture by the Swazi government. In recognition of his efforts, Dlamini has been nominated for several student peace awards and was the recipient of the All-Africa Students’ Union’s Student Activist Award in 2013.

Swaziland

  • Population
    
1,308,053
  • Capital
    
Lobamba (royal/legislative), Mbabane (administrative)
  • GDP (PPP)
    
$9,782
  • September 6, 1968
  • Total Area
    17,364 km2 (157th)
  • Demonym
    Swazi
  • Government
    Unitary parliamentary absolute monarchy

Artwork

Swazi art is known for it’s various and vibrant handicrafts, with rich traditions in grass, basket, and hair weaving, jewelry making, batiks, as well as, wood and stone carving. Maxwell Dlamini’s portrait begins with the warm, bright colors and sharp patterns of these tactile crafts and interprets them in a state of slight deconstruction and disarray from their typical sound geometry.

  • Illustration by
    JP Chirdon