2016-12-29 Thu

Mother countries issued stamps for its colonies with a common design. Stamp agents started producing such issues for their client countries in 1the 950s. Common-design issues for events and anniversaries of the British royal family were released in large numbers at that time.

In 2001, the largest number of common-design issues was produced by different countries called the Year of Dialogue among Civilizations. Many of the countries were neither colonies nor represented by a central stamp agent. The colours and size of the common-design issues were the same as well.

President Mohammad Khatami of Iran proposed the idea a dialogue among civilisations in 1998 and the United Nations General Assembly declared 2001 as the Year of Dialogue among Civilizations.

An international stamp design competition was proposed by Iran to the Universal Postal Union in August 1999. 28 countries participated out of which Iran, India, Poland and Slovenia were selected as finalists at the UPU headquarters in Switzerland.

In October 2000, Urska Golob from Slovenia was chosen as the winner by the World Association for the Development of Philately at the Espana 2000 world philatelic exhibition in Madrid, Spain.

The stamp features a children’s drawing of children of four races encircling the Earth with a letter, telephone, parcel and computer keyboard between them. A blue sky with white clouds is featured in the background.

Out of more than 60 countries which participated in the contest, many released the stamps around 9th October 2001, World Post Day.