COVER N. 321 - FRANCE - EUROPEAN COUNCIL

Postmark: Conseil de L'Europe Premier Jour - 67 Strasbourg - 08.09.2023

Posted on the 8th September; received on the 26th September 2023

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Ukraine... these days, if you turn on the TV, it might seem that there is nothing happening there with all the mediatic attention shifted towards the other atrocity arena in Palestine.... but yes, the same brutality that obliterates innocent lives in Gaza after the coward, vile and  and absolutely unjustifiable hamas terrorist attack in Israel still rages strong in Eastern Europe.

Hatred is a very productive sentiment.... the bad news is that it generally generates but.... an enhanced replication chain of itself...

"...

When will they ever learn?

When will we ever learn.....?

"

Europe has been standing behind the Ukraine, even if voices of dissent have been making their way amidst the initial general consensus. And so it should, until the day when either by attrition of by sheer force the conflict finally subsides to reason, 

And come that day, all will have lost, for there is no victory in war, even if there might be victors.

Hatred, on the other hand....

Thank you so Much Pierre for a great addition to my cover collection!

On 11SEP2023, La Poste issued a 1.80 2€ service stamp for the European Council at Strasbourg, illustrated with a detail of a street art painting by artist C215 (Christian Guemy) who has done several interventions on buildings in war torn Ukraine cities, like Kyiv, Lviv and Jytomyr.

The painting on the stamp, though, graces an apartment block in Paris13th arrondissement.

The postmark on the stamp and on what I believe is an official European Council Envelope, dates of the 8th, so that's probably the date of advance selling of the stamp for philatelists.

COVER N.43 - France - Conseil de l'Europe

Postmark: Conseil de l'Europe Strasbourg  10OCT21
Posted on the 10th October; received on the 6th October
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Freedom of Speech! Undoubtly one of the most dear rights of the Rule of Law.

The one that has cost, and continues to cost so much to so many... On the day I write this, the Nobel Peace Prize has just been announced: Maria Ressa and Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov. Two journalists who chose the hard, non-compromising way, for the benefit of us all, for the advancement of democracy,  for a better and freer future for present and coming  generations. I salute them and all that fight for a world where opinion and voicing it are as normal as the sunrise and the sunset.

Freedom of Expression! Article 11 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights:

Freedom of expression and information 

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. 

2. The freedom and pluralism of the media shall be respected

Until the day before yesterday, I didn't know the European Council issued its own stamps, as "Timbres de Service", issued by la Poste, so I was really surprised to see this amazing cover that Mr Postman dropped on my letterbox. The more so since it was completely unexpected. Thank you so much Pierre!

It seems that Conseil de l'Europe stamps began to be issued in 1958 with one or two stamps being issued on what is now a yearly basis. A far as I could find on the internet, the stamp on the cover Pierre send me is the first and probably only issue for the year. 

One thing I noticed that I found odd, when trying to get some information on the stamp, was that the stamps sheets mentioned article 10 of the CEDH on one of their margins, not article 11, which I believe is really the one that relates to Freedom of Expression... But we are talking freedom of expression so if someone says the right article is n. 10, we can disagree, but we must respect. 😀

Image Credit: La Poste

The First day cancellation is very simple but effective, in that it is built around the European logo,  with information about the date and place of issuance, which, of course, could only be the beautiful city of Strasbourg.