Today is the World Red Cross Day and though most of us are familiar with the word Red Cross, yet we are unaware of lesser known stories about the Red Cross, even as many a time we look forward to the Red Cross to provide relief, be it in distress and desolation during war, natural or manmade calamities, famine, epidemics, healthcare, ambulance service, and other relief work.
Perhaps we do not know many facts about the genesis of this great and largest humanitarian organization serving over 190 countries across the globe in the name of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement with National Societies in respective countries to carry forward the principles of Red Cross and service to mankind.
The World Red Cross and Crescent Day is an annual event being celebrated on May 8 in all countries of the world to mark the birth anniversary of a great soul Sir Jean Henri Dunant, born in Geneva, Switzerland on May 8, 1828. He was the founder of Red Cross and first recipient of Nobel Peace prize in 1901. In 1859 he conceived the idea of the Red Cross. Earlier to this his initiatives included participation in the creation of the Young Man’s Christian Association (YMCA) in 1852 and the World Alliance of YMCA in 1855. He was so appalled by the ghastly scenes of battle of Solferino in 1859 that he decided to do something for the wounded in the battle field. It changed the entire concept of relief vis -a- vis humanitarian service which led to the founding of the Red Cross on the October 29, 1863. It became a milestone in the history of mankind.
Five Geneva men including Henri Dunant set up an International Committee, as private body in 1863, for relief to the wounded which was later to become the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Its emblem was a Red Cross on white background, the reverse of the Swiss flag. The Muslim countries did not accept the Cross as the emblem for their National Societies. Instead they opted for Crescent as the emblem. In 1919, after the end of the First World War, representatives of the National Societies of Britain, France, Italy, Japan and the USA met together in Paris to found the league of Red Cross (lORC) whose stated goal was to “strengthen and unite, for health activities, already existing in Red Cross Societies and to promote creation of new societies”. lORC was renamed as International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society IFRC in 1991. Incidentally the Indian Red Cross Society was established by an Act of Parliament in 1920 after the passage of the Bill on the 17th March, 1920.
The Red Cross was a major contribution to peace after the First World War introduced by the International Commission at the 14th International Conference of Red Cross. Significantly relief was given in 1922 by the Red Cross volunteers to people affected by the First World War. The principles of Red Cross Truce was presented and approved in the 15th International Conference held in Tokyo in the year 1934 and became applicable all across the world. It was the first step for peace and humanitarian service in conflict areas. The ICRC General Assembly proposed to the league of Red Cross Societies (lORCS) regarding the possibilities of annual celebration of Red Cross Day in 1946. Two years later, the proposal was accepted and the first Red Cross Day was celebrated on May 8, 1948 which was later officially renamed as the World Red Cross Day and Red Crescent Day in the year 1984. The World Red Cross Day is celebrated at international level to ameliorate sufferings of people on the basis of fundamental principles of humanity, independence, impartiality, neutrality, universality, voluntary service and unity with a special theme for the concerned year and also to make people aware of its importance to attract more private or Government participation. The celebration aims to enhance humanitarian activities, facilitate and imbibe a spirit of voluntarism to protect own life and take care of the dignity of people in distress. The World Red Cross Day has thus become an important calendar day of events for the mankind.
Around 97 million members and volunteers and new members of Red Cross and Red Crescent are honoured and welcomed on this day being a part of the largest humanitarian network of relief worldwide. National Societies of Red Cross act as the auxiliary to a Government in humanitarian activities like natural disaster relief, medical services and other health and social programmes. let us celebrate the Red Cross Day with dignity it deserves and uphold the fundamental principles of the Red Cross movement.
(Dr Mohanty and Dashsharma are life members of Indian Red Cross Society, Odisha branch, Bhubaneswar)