Jammu, May 08: Today it was the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, an annual observance that falls on 8 May every year, the birthday of the movement’s founder, Henry Dunant. The day is celebrated not only for Dunant but also the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s seven fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality and this Friday marked the 67th year of the celebration, which was first officially celebrated in 1948.
The theme of this year’s Red Cross Day was “Power of Humanity: The Fundamental Principles in Action” as the main aim of the movement is to help the ailing and suffering people all over the world and has services in almost 189 countries.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human suffering.
The movement consists of several distinct organizations that are legally independent from each other, but are united within the movement through common basic principles, objectives, symbols, statutes and governing organisations.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a humanitarian institution founded in 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland, by Henry Dunant and Gustave Moynier.
Its 25-member committee has a unique authority under international humanitarian law to protect the life and dignity of the victims of international and internal armed conflicts. The ICRC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on three occasions (in 1917, 1944 and 1963).
Until the middle of the 19th century, there were no organized or well-established army nursing systems for casualties and no safe and protected institutions to accommodate and treat those who were wounded on the battlefield.
In June 1859, the Swiss businessman Jean-Henri Dunant traveled to Italy to meet French emperor Napoléon III with the intention of discussing difficulties in conducting business in Algeria, at that time occupied by France. When he arrived in the small town of Solferino on the evening of June 24, he toured the field of the Battle of Solferino, an engagement in the Austro-Sardinian War. In a single day, about 40,000 soldiers on both sides died or were left wounded on the field. Jean-Henri Dunant was shocked by the terrible aftermath of the battle, the suffering of the wounded soldiers, and the near-total lack of medical attendance and basic care. He completely abandoned the original intent of his trip and for several days he devoted himself to helping with the treatment and care for the wounded. He succeeded in organizing an overwhelming level of relief assistance by motivating the local villagers to aid without discrimination.
He later wrote a book about the experience. That book contained the concept for the Red Cross, a series of national volunteer groups that would care for people injured in war. Dunant worked with the Geneva Society for Public Welfare and other European leaders to hold a conference in October 1863. The next year, 12 countries signed the Geneva Convention. They decided on a universal symbol — a red cross on a white background — so people everywhere could recognize the aid workers as medical personnel. Countries were later allowed to use a red crescent or red crystal.
Dunant later became bankrupt and ill, but in 1901 he won the first Nobel Peace Prize. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies came together in 1919 and are now present in 189 countries.
According to ICRC annual report, American Red Cross and U.S. News and World Report, the international Red Cross movement collected more than $3.2 billion after the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. It has more than 97 million staff, members and volunteers. It has won three Nobel Peace Prizes, in 1917, 1944 and 1963. In 2013, it treated more than 8.2 million patients and fed more than 6.7 million people. The American Red Cross provides about half of the United States’ blood supply. The American Red Cross holds more than 120,000 blood drives a year.