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The Red Cross
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The Red Cross
In 1859 Henri Dunant, son of a prominent Genevan family, set off to appeal to Napoleon III of France on a personal matter.
Dunant caught up with Napoleon the day after the Battle of Solferino, where he saw more than 40,000 wounded men desperately
in need of care and attention.
Dunant returned to Geneva and wrote a moving book, Souvenir of Solferino, in which he proposed the establishment of a body
of volunteer male nurses to impartially care for the wounded in wartime. He further suggested that these men be recognized
through an international agreement. Three friends added their support, the book was published and the International Committee
of Help for the Wounded in Case of War (Comité Internationale de Secours aux Blessées en Cas de Guerre) was set up.
In 1864, the First Convention of Geneva was accepted and signed by 16 nations; a revised version of its standards of treatment
for prisoners of war is still in effect today. An easily recognizable logo for the new movement was needed, and a reverse
version of the Swiss flag was used; a red cross on a white background, rather than a white cross on a red background, and
a symbol known the world over.
The Red Cross, present in more than 50 countries throughout the world, works hand in hand with the Red Crescent, an identical
body functioning in Muslim and other non-Christian countries. Henri Dunant was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.
The Red Cross functions at both international and national levels. The international headquarters are in Geneva, and it is
from here that major humanitarian relief work is coordinated. Each participating country has its own national committee that
deals with day-to-day work in that particular country. The Red Cross is still manned largely by volunteers, who cover everything
from terrorist attacks and natural disasters to organizing collections for war victims and refugees, as well as training the
public in emergency aid procedures.
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