FIRST OF THREE UNITED NATIONS STAMPS FOR INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THANKSGIVING, 2000, TO BE UNVEILED AT HEADQUARTERS
Press Release
FIRST OF THREE UNITED NATIONS STAMPS FOR INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THANKSGIVING, 2000, TO BE UNVEILED AT HEADQUARTERS
19991210Depiction of Glory Window in Chapel at Dallas, Texas, Prompted by Initiative of Center for World Thanksgiving
A commemorative postage stamp to mark the International Year of Thanksgiving, 2000, is to be unveiled by the President of the General Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab (Namibia), at a ceremony at United Nations Headquarters on Monday (13 December).
The stamp is one of a set of three commemorating the International Year to be issued by the United Nations Postal Administration on 1 January 2000. It depicts the Glory Window in the Chapel of Thanksgiving at Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas, Texas.
The unveiling ceremony will take place in front of the Norman Rockwell mosaic, "Do Unto Others", located on the third floor, starting at 12:30 p.m. It was the Thanks-Giving Square Foundation that arranged and financed the creation of "The Golden Rule" mosaic by Rockwell, which was a gift from the United States to the United Nations on the occasion of its fortieth anniversary, in 1985. "The Golden Rule" was reproduced on the 50-cent definitive stamp issued on 11 September 1991.
Presiding over the ceremony will be the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh, Anwarul Karim Chowdhury. Speakers will include the Permanent Representative of Argentina, Fernando Petrella, and Peter Stewart, Chairman of the Center for World Thanksgiving, who will present the Assembly President with a copy of the "2000 Preparation and Harvest Thanksgiving Report". Anthony Fouracre, Chief of the United Nations Postal Administration, will be present and describe the commemorative stamp, which will then be unveiled. The ceremony will end with the reading of the Declaration of World Thanksgiving.
It was the Center for World Thanksgiving which spearheaded the designation of the International Year of Thanksgiving, and Argentina which proposed its observance by the United Nations. It was approved by all Member States in 1997.
- 2 - Note No. 5595 10 December 1999
The commemorative stamp comes in denominations of 33 cents, F.S 0,90 and S 7/0,51 Euro, and measures 1.19" x 1.58" (30mm x 40mm). The inscription consists of the United Nations emblem with the text "United Nations" above the emblem and the year "2000" below it.
For more information, please contact Peter Stewart, Center for World Thanksgiving at (214) 363-3141, or the United Nations Postal Administration at (212) 963-0932.
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