Over the years Patria Post has issued a number of stamps depicting Amma, such as for her recent 60th birthday as well as for her 50th in 2003, but Finland has done it for real! During Amma's European tour stop in Helsinki, Jani Toivola, honourable Member of Finnish Parliament, officially released a stamp commemorating Amma’s 60th birthday. The stamp includes the message Syleillen Maailmaa ("Embracing the World" in Finnish) and a beautiful photo of Amma. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Jani Toivola expressed his happiness on being able to see Amma once again and expressed his deep appreciation for Amma’s work that creates opportunities and platforms for people, especially the youth, to feel empowered. This stamp is apparently a macro-national philatelic first. Not even India has issued an Amma stamp. Macro-nations (i.e. "real" countries) tend to avoid issuing stamps portraying living persons, unless it is the head of state, reigning monarch or a member of the royal family. The only living person who may be pictured on Canada Post stamps is the Queen.
