Issued by India

Issued on Dec 10, 2008

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp on Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 1.0 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

About : 

• On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration is recognition of the fact that the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family are the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world and reaffirmation of faith, of the peoples of United Nations in the Fundamental human rights.
  
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, states in clear and simple terms the rights which belong equally to every person. It inter alia envisages that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and are entitled to enjoy all rights and freedoms set forth in the declaration without distinction of any kind. Everyone has right to life, liberty and security of person, equality before law and equal protection of law and freedom of thought, conscience, religion, opinion and expression. The declaration enunciates various civil, economic, social and cultural rights.
  
• The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.
  
• Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. Disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.
  
• It is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law. It is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations. The people of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom. Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms. A common understanding of these right and freedoms is of the greatest important for the full realization of this pledge.
  
• The theme for 2008. “Dignity and justice for all of us” reinforces the vision of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a commitment to universal dignity and justice. It is not a luxury or a wish-list. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its core values, inherent human dignity, non-discrimination, equality, fairness and universality, apply to everyone, everywhere and always. The declaration is universal, enduring and vibrant, and it concerns us all.
  
• The National Human Rights Commission of India is a fully compliant internationally accepted Paris Principles for independent and autonomous National Human Rights Institution. The National Human Rights Commission of India was constituted under the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993 for better protection and promotion of human rights. Its functions include enquiring suo motu or on petitions into complaints of violations of human rights, review safeguard provided under the Constitution or any law and study laws, treaties and other international instruments of human rights and make recommendations for their effective implementations, undertake and promote research on human rights issues. Spread human rights awareness and encourage efforts of non-governmental organizations working in the field of human rights. During last 15 years, the Commission has endeavoured to promote a culture of human rights. It has earned the trust and confidence of the people in substantial measure.
  
• Text : Based on material given by the proponent.

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Issued by United States of America

Issued on Oct 16, 1984

Design : Well-known stamp designer Bradbury Thompson of Riverside, Connecticut designed the 20¢ commemorative stamp saluting America as a nation of readers.

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Denomination : 20 cents

About : 

• According to a recent survey done by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., America is truly a nation of readers. Despite the competition of the electronic media, we are reading more than ever. The majority of Americans are regular readers of books and one out of three qualifies as a heavy reader, finishing 26 or more books in a six-month period. It is estimated that the average daily reading time for adults is somewhere between 1½ and 3 hours, including newspapers, magazines and books. Most of that time is spent reading for pleasure.
• Americans get their books through retail bookstores, public, private, institutional and industrial libraries and by mail through book clubs. Libraries report that their circulation has increased at twice the rate of population growth for the last four decades. Also, Americans are buying nearly twice as many books today as they did just ten years ago. They are also ordering magazines and newspapers at the rate of 20 million subscriptions each year.
• One of the reasons for the reading boom is the computerization of typesetting, which permits publishers to issue books on timely subjects in a few days. Another contributor is the increased number of book outlets in public meeting places such as railroad stations and airports, hotels and shopping malls. Yet another factor is the proliferation of general and special interest book clubs.
• Americans read works of fiction and non-fiction dealing with nearly every imaginable subject. Some 50,000 new titles were published in 1983, an increase of 20% over 1978. While most were designed for recreational reading, some are textbooks for school and business.
• The increased diversity and complexity of industry and the sciences have resulted in a communications explosion. In addition to books, there are more than 2,500 business, technical and scientific periodicals now being published in the United States.

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Issued by India

Issued on Apr 15, 1965

Issued for : 15^th April 1965 marked the one hundredth anniversary of the death of Abraham Lincoln and on this occasion the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department takes the opportunity of paying homage to the memory of one of the world’s greatest humanitarians and champions of liberty.

Type : Block of 4 Stamps, Mint Condition

Colour : Buff & Dark Brown 

Denomination : 0.15

Overall Size : 3.91 X 2.90 cms.

Printing Size : 3.63 X 2.62 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Watermark : All over multiple ‘Lion Capital of Asoka’

Number printed : 3 million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Designed and Printed at : India Security Press

Name : Abraham Lincoln

Born on Feb 12, 1809 at Hodgenville, Kentucky, United States

Died on Apr 15, 1865 at Washington, D.C., United States

About : 

• On 15^th April 1965 the Indian Posts & Telegraphs Department brought out a commemorative stamp on Abraham Lincoln, the great American statesman.
• It is a fact of history that nations produce men who are equal to the times. India had Mahatma Gandhi to guide her in her struggle for freedom. To the United States of America came Abraham Lincoln in her hour of tribulation. The deals for which Abraham Lincoln stood have a special significance for us in India since they were so akin to those of the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Separated as they were by space and time, these two great leaders were motivated by two basic convictions – belief in the common man and belief in the ultimate triumph of truth. As it happened, both of them laid down their lives for the cause which was dearest to their hearts.
• Lincoln, the 16^th President of the United States of America, was called to the helm of affairs in 1861 at a time when that country was on the verge of a civil war over the question of the abolition of Negro slavery. The civil war which lasted for four long years ended in victory for the northern States, thanks to Lincoln‘s stewardship. His leadership and indomitable courage were a bulwark against the forces of reaction and outmoded beliefs.
• He earned the gratitude of his countrymen by preserving the Union of the States of America and of millions of Negros by abolishing slavery.
• His creed was simple – “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.“
• He had faith in people, in the basic goodness of men and in democracy. ‘God must like the common people‘, he said, ‘or he would not have made so many of them‘. He believed that ‘no man is good enough to govern another man without that other man’s consent‘. Democracy meant to him ‘the government of the people, by the people, for the people‘. These basic tenets have inspired liberators and humanitarians for generations after Lincoln.
• By his precept and example, Abraham Lincoln served the cause of the downtrodden and the oppressed not only in his own country but all over the world. In the words of our late Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, he was ‘….one of those very select great men who have become part of the world’s consciousness as embodying certain ideals which the world treasures….‘

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