Soliloquy of a Postage Stamp, # 66: The International Human Rights Year, 1968 / Fouad Kronfol

This week I conclude the series of thematic articles related to the International Human Rights Year in 1968, (IHRY) which was also the 20th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights that the UN General Assembly promulgated in 1948. It should be noted, however, that both the UNPA and various countries continued to issue philatelic materials related to Human Rights and the commemoration of different anniversaries as they occured. It is interesting that there is now a global debate on whether "Human Rights" comes before "Development", or vice-versa..... It will be fascinating to witness how these two schools of thought will evolve in the near future and how they will influence or direct UN and UNICEF work .

My first item is this unusually designed stamp from the small West African country of Gambia.It commemorates the International Human Rights Year of 1968 by showing a pair of handcuffs or ankle cuffs which have been opened, together with the IHRY logo of the Eternal Flame.

From the Repuiblic of Ghana we have this stamp issued for IHRY with the face of Dr. Martin Luther King and the Iogo. The national flag is shown on the bottom of the stamp.

India issued this stamp for IHRY showing a world globe with humans holding hands around it and with the logo in the top left hand corner.

An interesting stamp was issued by the British Colony of Dominica which commemorates the IHRY. The design features three sections; one with the IHRY logo; the middle one with the face of Cecil Rawle (1891-1938) a Dominican human rights crusader; and the insignia of Queen Elizabeth II. This stamp is from a series issued for the IHRY with other stamps showing President John F. Kennedy;Pope John XXIII; Florence Nightingale and Dr. Albert Schweitzer.

From the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan we have this stamp issued for the IHRY. The design features the official logo mainly with inscriptions about the Year.

In a rare horizontal design this stamp from Ethiopia commemorates the IHRY with the official logo placed within a ray of light.The inscriptions related to IHRY are in English and Amharic.

Another series showing notable personalities was issued by the Republic of Togo for the IHRY. These two stamps show the faces of Dr. Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy,, the latter an air mail stamp. Two other stamps of the series show Professor Rene Cassin, one of the authors of the Universal Declaration, and Pope John XXIII.

The Syrian Arab Republic issued this two stamp set for the twentieth Anniversary of the Human Rights Declaration, 1948-1968. The design shows an elongated globe with a number of humanoid figures raising and holding their hands with each other.The IHRY logo is in both stamps which are also air mail ones.

From the Republic of Zambia we have this stamp issued for the IHRY in 1968. It shows the logo and a series of five human profiles.

Here is a stamp from Pakistan issued for IHRY with a simple design of the official logo and the numeral 1968.

Another stamp from Spain was issued for IHRY with a similar design to the stamp above...showing the official logo emanating from the UN Emblem.

One more simple design is this stamp from Hungary issued for the IHRY showing the logo and the year 1968. The color of the stamp is an unusual plum, not often seen on postage stamps.

Here again we have the simple design of the official logo and the year 1968 on this stamp issued by the Federal Republic of Germany. The post mark shows it was mailed from Wildbad in the Black Forest.

These two stamps are from the Republic of Cyprus, issued to commemorate the IHRY in 1968. The 50 M. stamps shows the official logo on top of the stars depicting the European Union, while the 90M. stamp shows the logo on top of the UN Emblem.

This souvenir sheet is also from Cyprus..it shows a scroll of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its first Article:" All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights...".

This concludes the series of stamps that I have featured for the 1968 International Human Rights Year.

Here I have a Souvenir card issued by the UN Postal Administration to commemorate 25 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The card shows the ten set series of stamps issued for Human Rights by the UN. The card is signed by Secretary General Kurt Waldheim.

I end this week's column with a very attractive stamp issued by France in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It is a large stamp showing the world globe and four human faces from different ethnicities with the dates 1948 and 1998.

Fouad Kronfol can be reached via fouadkronfol@videotron.ca