Red Cross Knowledge Lesson 2

Founder of Red Cross

Jean Henri Dunant (8 May 1828- 30 October 1910)
- witnessed one of the fiercest battles of the nineteenth century- the battle of Solferino

Battle of Solferino

-24 June 1859
-Austria, France and Sardinia
-more than 15 hours
-more than 40,000 were wounded as a result of no medical aid

A Memory of Solferino (Un Sevenior de Solferino)

Published in 8 November 1962

Dunant was to forward his idea:
-To foster the creation in every country of a society for the relief of the military wounded and capable of helping the army medical services to carry out their task

Geneva Conventions

First Geneva Convention (22 August 1864)
-to save the wounded soldiers on battlefields

Second Geneva Convention (1906)
-to extend the principles of the First Convention to the victims of naval warfare including shipwrecked men

Third Geneva Convention (1929)
-to protect the welfare of prisoners-of-war and it contains elaborate and detailed rules for their treatment

Fourth Geneva Convention (1949)
-to ensure the safety of civilians to an occupied territory and those who happen to be in the enemy country during the war

The Additional Protocols (Founded on 8 June 1977)

Protocol I
- Concern international conflicts

Protocol II
- Concerns internal conflict or civil war in which government of a country find itself at grips with rebel forces

Red Cross Emblem and Red Crescent
Purpose: To ensure the protection of the war-wounded and of the person caring for them. Any abuse of these emblems endangers the entire system and constitutes a grave breach of international law.

Red Cross Emblem

· 5 red squares on a white background
· adopted in 1863
· Was obtained by reversing the colours of the Swiss Flag
· Not religious symbol

Red Crescent

· Red Crescent on a white background
· Adopted on 1929
· Turkey dissolved “Aid Society to the Wounded” and re-established it with the name and emblem of the red crescent

Red Lion and Sun

· Adopted in 1922
· Later revoked in 1980 and Red Crescent was used in place of Red Lion and Sun