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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Leopoldo López

  • Venezuela
  • Political

Leopoldo López is a Venezuelan politician and founder of the Voluntad Popular party. In 2014 Lopez called for peaceful protests of the Venezuelan government’s failure to respond to high levels of urban violence, inflation, and chronic shortages of basic goods. Lopez was sentenced to 13 years in prison on trumped up politically motivated charges of arson and conspiracy. Lopez has received multiple awards from various NGOs for his activism. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for the release of those arrested in connection with the Venezuelan protests.

Venezuela

  • Population
    31,884,271 (44th)
  • Capital
    Caracas
  • GDP (PPP)
    
$15,891 per capita
  • July 5, 1811
  • Total Area
    
916,445 km2 (33rd)
  • Demonym
    Venezuelan
  • Government
    Federal Presidential Constitutional Republic

Artwork

Much of Venezuelan art was originally created for religious purposes, but the topics have expanded amidst political turmoil and revolution in a historically and culturally diverse country. In order to best represent López, a man of the people, it seemed appropriate to find inspiration from the people. Street art is used as a form of education and political expression, a continuation of the rich artistic history of Venezuela. Vibrant and bold colors paired with geometric patterns reflect much of the modern values and street art.

  • Illustration by
    Katie King Rumford