Flags, Dove and Cross Culture Unity

Flags, Dove and Cross Culture Unity

While going through my Flag Stamp collections, I found there are a number of Flag stamps which besides other symbols conspicuously have Dove - the International Symbol of Peace.  As you know, the terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat as synonyms. In ornithological parlance, there is a tendency for "dove" to be used for smaller species and "pigeon" for larger ones, but this is in no way always applied.  This bird family occurs worldwide and the whole world is their home.                                

Interestingly, most of the ‘Flag and Dove stamp' have more than one flag and  have been issued to commemorate various  International Peace Movements, Signing of Treaty,  expressing solidarity with other nations on matter of common interests/causes – political, social and/or cultural, and many other myriad subjects.

Amongst many Peace Symbols used in various cultures and contexts, one of the most ancient being Dove. The symbols of the Dove and Olive branch as Peace Symbol was used by early Christians and was later adopted as a secular symbol.
  Wall painting from the early Christian Catacombs of Marcellinus and Peter in Rome, showing Noah, in the Orante attitude of prayer, the dove and an olive branch.(Wikipedia) .

Interestingly, the dove was a symbol of peace and long life to the ancient Orientals. The ancient Egyptians held the dove to symbolize  innocence. There are a number of other references across a number of other cultures having reference

to ‘Dove’ as symbol of peace and tranquility and many of them  go further back than the use by the Western civilizations.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) – Dove of Peace (A magnet collected from The Peace Palace (Vredespaleis), The Hague, the Netherlands).

 In the modern days It was popularized by Pablo Picasso in 1949 and became widely used in the post-World War II peace movements.

South Korea is the first foreign country to bring out stamps depicting the Indian National Flag. India sent an Army Medical Mission for the “UN Peace Keeping Force" in the Korean War in 1951.

 First anniversary of the “Six Nation Delhi Initiative for Peace and Disarmament – 1985”. 

 Unfortunately, at least three National Flags ; India, Tanzania and Mexico, have been shown “Up-side down” in this Greek Stamp issued on 28 May 1989, in commemoration of the fourth anniversary of the “Six Nation Delhi Initiative for Peace and Disarmament – 1985”. 

 

 50^th Anniversary of the United Nations Organisation 1945- 1995

 In some stamps the National Flags appear in the form of ‘Doves’

 Few more interesting Flag-Dove stamps