The United Nation Organization has just chosen the year 2001 as "The International Year of Volunteers" and will issue a set of six stamps on March 2001 for this memorable year, which is also the first year of the third millennium.

One of Vietnamese artists' paintings, Thanh Chuong, has been selected to be printed in these special stamps. It is the painting attended an international exhibition named "One heart, One world" hold at the UNO headquarter in New Year on April 2000.

In the letter dated 24-10-2000 sent to Thanh Chuong, Mr. Anthont Foracre, the head of the UNO Post, said: "In the exhibition, your works are highly estimated, because the painting itself specially conform with the volunteers' promises towards UNO and its agencies' efforts, we think that your paintings would be very suitable for the purpose of the stamp."

 The letter also added that Thanh Chuong, together with his painting chosen,
will join the circle of master artists like Vermeer, Leger, Henry Moore,
Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Andrew Wyeth, Hans Ermi, Leroy Neiman and Romero
Britto, whose works had been selected for the UNO stamps.

Mr. Anthony Fourarce also added that the chosen stamps will be printed with a slogan "Helping Hands, Loving Hearts" together with artist's name. The UNO post is the only organization in the world that issues stamps in three currencies as the US Dollars, the Swiss Franc and the Austrian Schilling.

The exhibition "One Hear, One World", was on show in Hanoi on August 2000. Starting from the idea by the Japanese Television, NHK, the organizer invite 100 famous artists to illustrate 100 selected poems from 100 disables from VN, USA, France, Japan, Australia, Brazin. Among them, Thanh Chuong's painting illustration of the poem "Connect the Bridge" by Tran Quoc Minh born in Hai Phong, North of VN, has been chosen for the stamp by the UNO.

Before receiving this great honour, The UHK also shoot a 60 minutes film portraying Thanh Chuong as a gratefulness for his contribution towards Vietnam as well as Asian Fine Art Scene.