''A postal sector resolutely looking towards the future'' - this is the theme chosen by the Director General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), Edouard Dayan, for World Post Day in 2008, which marks the date of the UPU's establishment.
As in past years, today's commemorative ceremony is taking place at FPC - Fundação Portuguesa das Comunicações (Portuguese Communications Foundation) in the presence of the Secretary of State for Public Works and Communications as well as representatives of the three Founders of FPC, the vice-chairman of the ANACOM, the chairman of CTT - Correios de Portugal and the chairman of Portugal Telecom SGPS.
The event encompasses several initiatives, including the inauguration and visit to the exhibition ''Caligrafias - Uma realidade inquieta'' which will be open to the public until January 15, 2009, and the launch of the works ''II Volume das Fontes documentais coligidas por Godofredo Ferreira'', ''As comunicações na Idade Contemporânea - Tempos digitais'' and ''Caligrafias - A nascente dos nomes''.
In addition to launching the 2009 letter writing competition, on the theme ''Write a letter to someone to explain how decent working conditions can lead to a better life'', the prizes for the 2008 competition, on the theme ''Write a letter to someone to tell them why the world needs tolerance'', will be awarded. The winners of the 2008 edition of the competition, which was formally closed today, were as follows: 1st Category (9-11 years), Mónica Albino, from Funchal, Madeira, who represented Portugal in the international letter writing competition, winning bronze medal, and Beatriz Teixeira Pinto from Oliveira do Hospital in the 2nd Category (12-15 years). Honourable mentions were awarded to the compositions of Maria Santos Fialho and Joana Marques Cruz.
The international letter writing competition was won by Moïse Luther Hoza, a competitor from the Central African Republic, aged 15, with the second prize awarded to Romane Shikhline of Belarus. Third prize was won, as mentioned, by Portugal's Mónica Albino from Funchal.
These competitions are organised worldwide by the UPU, a specialist organisation of the United Nations and promoted in Portugal by ANACOM and by CTT, as members of the UPU.
Message from the Director General of the UPUhttp://www.upu.int/world_post_day/en/dg_message_world_post_day_2008_en.pdf
Winning entry to the international letter writing competition of the UPUhttp://www.upu.int/letter_writing/en/lwc-2008_1st_prize_letter_en.pdf
Further information:
UPU - Universal Postal Unionhttp://www.upu.int/world_post_day/en/index.shtml
FPC - World Post Day Celebrationshttp://www.fpc.pt/FPCWeb/displayconteudo.do2?numero=21083 (FPC - Comemorações do Dia Mundial dos Correios)
Related information on ANACOM's website:
Results of 2008 letter writing competitionhttps://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=579116
