In the second instance of cooperation between HayPost and the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, Armenia’s national postal operator has issued a new postage stamp. The presentation took place on June 4, 2018.
The stamp features Doctor Tom Catena, a Catholic missionary from Amsterdam, New York, who was named as Aurora Prize Laureate on May 28, 2017. Doctor Catena has saved thousands of lives as the sole surgeon permanently based in Sudan’s war-ravaged Nuba Mountains where humanitarian aid is restricted. The Aurora Prize, granted by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, is created on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors.
The presentation was also attended by Arman Jilavian, CEO of Aurora, Richard M. Mills, the US Ambassador to Armenia, and Juan Pablo Gechidjian, Managing Director of HayPost Trust Management, who together with Doctor Tom Catena canceled and signed the first few stamps during the ceremony.
Doctor Tom Catena has expressed his gratitude and thanked the HayPost and the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative for this honor. “When I was a kid, I was a huge stamp collector. I had a nice big stamp collection. And I never would have thought then that I’ll have one of my own. This is really something amazing. This is a huge honor for me,” said the 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate.
“The work Tom does, the values of compassion and caring that he’s brought to the people of Sudan aren’t uniquely American. Those are Armenian values, those are Chinese values, those are the values around the world, and Tom is living them every day,” said Ambassador Mills.
“We at HayPost are proud and honored to support the Aurora humanitarian movement. We are also proud to present Armenian history and culture on these small ‘ambassadors’ that will arrive everywhere in the world,” added Mr. Gechidjian.
The Aurora stamp is also a fundraising stamp. Attached to the first-class stamp, valued at 350 AMD, is a donation coupon for 150 AMD. Together, the 500 AMD is equal to approximately US $1.00. HayPost will transfer the 150 AMD donation value to the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. This enables anyone to donate easily to the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative.
“I would like to use this chance to ask all people in Armenia to start sending more letters and buying these particular stamps because by doing so all the people who buy that stamp will support Aurora and become members of the Aurora movement,” noted Mr. Jilavian.
In 2017 the first Aurora-themed postage stamp featuring the inaugural Aurora Prize Laureate Marguerite Barankitse was issued by HayPost, setting a tradition of featuring Aurora Prize laureates on Armenia’s international stamps.