Federico Hewson, international performance artist, has turned social entrepreneur to market and brand flowers as tools for peace.

He started the “Valentine Peace Project” five years ago in the USA to generate a bigger hearted love for Valentine’s Day. Federico collected dozens of love & peace poems in different languages from around the world – working with US flower companies, students in Los Angeles and volunteers.

Then, the “Valentine Peace Project” moved  to Amsterdam and began working with Fairtrade . On February 14,  through the streets and canals of Amsterdam, thousands of donated Fairtrade roses were given out with poems in a huge sweep!  Federico is collaborating now with the Dutch Flower Industry to cultivate and market tulips dedicated to peace.They are both working with schools and communities to construct peace poetry gardens for the International Day of Peace in September.

For Federico, the Flower Industry could be more dynamic in flower design and more involve in fair-trade.

The “Valentine Peace Project” wants to connect our common global humanity through the appreciation of flowers and poems, which are reflections of inner peace. Flowers have also a political dimension since ever.They have been symbols for many revolutions up to the current Tunisian Jasmine revolution – part of the Arab Spring.”

“Flowers continue to be symbols of enlightenment and revolution as well as means of urban regeneration, and now items of Fairtrade and global development.” By branding flowers as tools for peace Federico plans to push forward this conversation.

www.valentinepeaceproject.org