International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization with more than 97 million members including 20 million active volunteers and has an estimated collective turnover of over $25 billion. The high humanitarian ideals which it serves have become accepted almost worldwide and there are to date (2013) National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in 192 countries.
The idea of establishing the Red Cross belongs to Swiss businessman Henry Dunant, who was shocked to discover in 1859 that thousands of wounded soldiers on both sides after the battle of Solferino were left to die alone and without medical care on the battlefield. His proposal for setting up national relief teams of trained volunteers to provide assistance to all in need in time of war became accepted, and in 1863 a committee was established in Geneva, which in the next year led to the establishment of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
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Henry Dunant |
In 1864 the Red Cross adopted its emblem, a Red Cross in a white background (the opposite of the Swiss flag). Later the emblem of the Red Crescent was adopted and, since 2005, a third one, that of the Red Crystal.
From 1864 to 1949 four Geneva Conventions were signed specifying the status of medical services and of the wounded on the battlefields, covering all activities of the Red Cross, both in time of war and in time of peace. Since then the Red Cross has developed into the largest humanitarian organization in the world, providing assistance to millions of people all over the world through its two basic international organizations and 186 national societies.
The mandate of the International Committee of the Red Cross is to protect the life and dignity of people and to provide assistance to the victims of war and civil strife all over the world, while the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has as its mandate the improvement of the life of vulnerable people worldwide by mobilizing the power of humanity.
Links
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement www.redcross.int
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) www.icrc.org
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) www.ifrc.org
Platform for European Red Cross Cooperation on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Migrants (PERCO) www.ifrc.org/perco
Family Links Network of the Movement www.familylinks.icrc.org
The Cyprus Red Cross Society (C.R.C.S.) is not responsible for the content of the selected web pages.
