KATHMANDU, Dec 29: For the first time in the history of Philatic and Postal Stamp Management, the Government of Nepal, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, issued 17 postal stamps portraying the SDGs on Mithila paintings on Wednesday.
Minister for Information and Communications Technology, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Secretary of Ministry of Communications and Information Technology Dr Baikuntha Aryal, Director General of the Department of Postal Service Indu Ghimire jointly marked the first day of the issuance of the postal stamps by launching the “SGDs in Mithila” along with 14 other stamps highlighting Nepal’s natural and cultural diversity. Robert Kasca, the UN Resident Coordinator a.i. participated in the event.
The expanding international image of Mithila Folk Art
“The SDG Postal Stamps reinforce Nepal’s commitment to achieving SDGs and enhance the awareness of Nepal's art sector,” a press statement issued by the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Nepal quoted Minister Karki as saying on the occasion.
The SDGs in Mithila original paintings, which are now issued as stamps, were created by local renowned women artists of Janakpur in 2018 as a collaborative effort between the UN in Nepal and the Janakpur Women’s Development Center.
“The issuance of the SDGs postal stamps not only highlights the UN’s effort to localize the SDGs in Nepal but symbolizes Nepal’s commitment and readiness to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The UN in Nepal lauds the efforts of the Government of Nepal to accelerate progress,” the statement quoted UN Resident Coordinator a.i. in Nepal Robert Kasca as saying.
With the intent of using indigenous art practices to make the SDGs accessible and understandable to all people, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office began localizing the 17 SDGs icons into local art forms. After the creation of the 17 SDGs icons as Mithila art, the paintings also travelled to ‘Art for SDGs: the Mithila Heritage’ exhibition organized by the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations in New York and the Mithila Festival at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in 2019.
