Postcard and stamp commemorate the Czech Decade presidency

The Czech Trade and Industry Ministry has issued a commemorative postcard for the “International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures / International Roma Day” that comes pre-stamped with a commemorative stamp. The postcard is part of the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015 and the Czech presidency of that initiative.

The Decade is a commitment by 12 European states to improve the lives of the Roma in the areas of education, housing, health and employment through the active participation of Roma in policy creation. The Czech presidency will last from 1 July 2010 – 30 June 2011. The Czech Republic has selected five priorities: Achieving measurable progress in the field of inclusive education, improving Romani children’s lives and enjoyment of their rights, defining the nature of Romani women’s participation in the creation of integration policy, taking responsibility for integration at the local government level, and correctly grasping the role of the media in creating a positive image of the Roma.

The commemorative stamp portrays Milena Hubschmannová, the pioneer who founded Czech Roma studies. Thanks to her deep knowledge of the Romani language, culture, and people she is often misidentified as having been Roma herself. The image on the postcard depicts a caravan being lifted into the sky by doves pulling it on ropes.

The designer of the postcard is the graphic artist Laďa Gažiová, a longtime collaborator of the ROMEA association. She is currently designing comic strips for the journal Romano voďori. The color offset postcard was produced by Poštovní tiskárna cenin Praha, a.s. (Postal Stamp Printing Prague). A hologram beneath the Czech Post logo guarantees authenticity. The postcard has been available since 23 June at a price of CZK 15 and will remain on sale until discontinued.