Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza, a 22-year-old green-eyed brunette, was crowned Miss Universe 2008 in Vietnam. Venezuela is consider to be the superpower of beauty winners. Every year they have some great beauty participating in the contest.

A year and a half ago Dayana Mendoza was kidnapped in her native Venezuela and used a post-event press conference to issue a plea for world peace.

"It's something that happens in my country. You don't even have to have money to be kidnapped," she said. "That's why I wanted to raise my voice and tell the world that violence is not the answer."

She plans to spend the coming year touring the world lecturing on humanitarian issues