Page 252 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

red cross and red crescent movement 1553

organization that remains small and almost unchanged name in 1983 to the League of Red Cross and Crescent
since the late 1800s, is a nongovernmental organization Societies, to include Muslim nations unwilling to adopt
staffed almost entirely by citizens of Switzerland, a pol- the sign of the cross, and finally in 1991 became the
icy intended to safeguard the neutral political stance of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
the organization. These 800-plus “delegates” conduct Societies.
business for the Committee around the world. The
group’s main responsibility is to work as a neutral inter- The Red Cross Movement:
mediary in situations of armed conflict, protecting both Perspectives on the Future
military and civilian victims, as well as mobilizing and In the past 140 years, the Red Cross has grown from a
organizing the national societies to assist its work. Com- small group of visionary European men intent on less-
prising fifteen to twenty-five members who make policy ening the destruction caused by war to a worldwide
for the Committee, the ICRC is technically a private movement including and serving people on all conti-
Swiss company, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, nents. The Movement has been unusually successful in
where its archives and offices are located. educating states and individuals in its principles, princi-
ples it claims are universal: humanity, impartiality, neu-
The Federation and trality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and
the National Societies universality. The Red Cross symbol is perhaps the most
The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is aug- widely recognized symbol in the world, known to people
mented considerably by the work of the national soci- of all nations as a beacon of medical aid and relief. The
eties, self-governing organizations that today exist in success of the Red Cross mission is encouraging for those
over 178 countries (the societies in Taiwan and Israel are hoping to create an international society that has the
not recognized by the ICRC).These groups are funded by moral weight to influence the behavior of states and indi-
membership fees and popular subscriptions, although in vidual actors.
many countries, government subsidies provide much of
Caroline Reeves
their monies. Each national society has a unique charac-
ter and history, linked to the national history of the coun- See also Human Rights
try in which the society was founded. For example, the
American Red Cross Society was a latecomer to the Red
Cross organization. It was founded in 1881 by Clara Bar- Further Reading
ton and chartered by Congress in 1900, and modeled on Berry, N. O. (1997). War and the Red Cross:The unspoken mission. New
York: St. Martin’s.
the Japanese Red Cross Society, which was the preemi- Best, G. (1980). Humanity in warfare. New York: Columbia University
nent Red Cross society in the world at the time. Many Press.
Dunant, H. (1986). A memory of Solferino. Geneva, Switzerland: Inter-
national societies sponsor public health programs, as well
national Committee of the Red Cross.
as provide disaster relief and assist the ICRC in war relief. Hutchinson, J. F. (1996). Champions of charity:War and the rise of the Red
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cross. Boulder, CO: Westview.
Moorehead, C. (1998). Dunant’s dream:War, Switzerland, and the history
Crescent Societies, like the ICRC, is an international of the Red Cross. New York: Carroll & Graf.
group with headquarters in Geneva, representing the
national societies and coordinating their mutual help,
cooperation, and program development. Proposed after
World War I by American Red Cross War Committee
president Henry Davison, it was founded in 1919 as the
League of Red Cross Societies. The League changed its