In October 1874, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) was founded in Bern, the capital of Switzerland. As the second-oldest international organization in the world and a specialized agency of the United Nations since 1948, the UPU commemorates its 150th anniversary on Oct. 9, 2024, in conjunction with the celebration of World Post Day.

Since 1971, as part of the World Post Day celebrations, the UPU has encouraged young writers aged 9 to 15 to participate in a letter-writing competition focused on a central theme, offering the opportunity to win exciting prizes. In 2024, participants are invited to reflect on the future of the world with the following theme: "At 150 years old, the UPU has served people around the world for more than eight generations. The world has changed enormously since then. Write a letter to future generations about the world you hope they inherit."

Children hold a unique and vital role in celebrating World Post Day, both symbolically and practically, for several reasons: Engaging children in World Post Day activities, such as essay and letter-writing competitions, helps cultivate an appreciation for the historical significance and ongoing relevance of the postal system. These initiatives introduce younger generations to the values of communication, connectivity and the pivotal role the postal service plays in global development. By participating in these activities, children are also introduced to the concept of global citizenship. They learn how postal services act as bridges between cultures, countries and communities, promoting international understanding and cooperation. The theme of "postal connections" shows them that exchanging letters and parcels transcends borders, fostering peace and solidarity.

Postal services have long been a platform for personal and creative expression. For children, writing letters, drawing and engaging in art-related competitions associated with World Post Day nurtures literacy and innovative thinking. It allows them to express themselves through words and art, building both confidence and communication skills. As digital natives, children are the future users and innovators of postal services. Their involvement in World Post Day fosters awareness of how the postal system evolves, especially through technological advances like e-commerce and digital correspondence that integrate with traditional mail. This participation may inspire future generations to innovate within the postal sector, ensuring its relevance in a digital age. Many postal organizations emphasize sustainability on World Post Day, showcasing green practices like eco-friendly deliveries and packaging. Teaching children about these initiatives helps instill a sense of environmental responsibility, encouraging them to contribute to sustainability efforts in the future.

World Post Day celebrates the enduring relevance of postal services in an ever-changing world. Involving children in this day not only honors the history of communication but also equips them with the values and skills necessary to carry forward the legacy of the postal system. By inspiring creativity, fostering global citizenship and encouraging innovation, their engagement ensures the future of postal services remains bright and dynamic.

Celebration or reflection

While efforts are made through the UPU to promote children’s participation in postal activities, concurrently, we are witnessing the daily suffering of Gazan children. The contrast couldn’t be starker! The war on Gaza is tragically and publicly turning Gaza into a "graveyard" for children. On the one hand, engaging children in letter writing as part of World Postal Day, while on the other hand, the grim figure of 16,500 murdered children in Gaza reveals a profound moral crisis. It just shows the tragic state humankind is in with the erosion of equal compassion for fundamental rights. The question is, how did we manage to get to the point of discriminating even when it is very basic human sensitivities? Pain, love, and respect are universal, yet we are split even when it comes to those sentiments.

We have witnessed compassion being expressed or felt for children, women, men and elderly only when it suits the interests of the powerful or concerns the powerful; yet when the oppressed cry out regardless of the level of tragedy and atrocities they suffer, we have witnessed the so-called influential circles going deaf, blind and numb while working tirelessly to defend and advocate for the oppressor.

It is this stark contrast that makes society question the whole world order. And it is this stark contrast that makes us question the meaningfulness of everything else that goes on when the countries that brag about their fine values, democracy and being distributors of human rights in many places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya not only manifestly remain deaf and blind to the sufferings of Gazan children but have been complicit in their sufferings!

To conclude, the babies, children, men and women of Gaza are enduring terror, brutality and unimaginable agony daily. This being the case, one can’t help but ask whether the UPU could have come up with a more relevant theme for World Postal Day that would promote children’s awareness about the fact that many children around the world are denied the right to live and be free from all sorts of harm let alone feeling the love conveyed through letters or simply sending or receiving one!

Similarly, in terms of raising children’s awareness about eco-friendliness, the level of destruction in Gaza, which includes post offices, hospitals, schools and homes not to mention the level of ammunition used, is a live example of promoting children’s awareness about how the circles who make the most noise about climate and environment are completely deaf and blind to the flattening of the Gaza!

In May 2022, the UPU passed a resolution, which was submitted by 38 UPU member countries, calling for additional support to rebuild the postal infrastructure in Ukraine amid the conflict. Yet, any form of solidarity with Palestine or Gaza was neither initiated by UPU member countries or the UPU despite the level of destruction! If U.N. institutions are falling short of showing equal compassion for all humankind or for all countries, then not much is really left to say!