International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (pronunciation: /ɪnˈtɜːrnæʃənəl rɛd krɒs ænd rɛd ˈkrɛsənt ˈmuːvmənt/) is a global humanitarian network of 80 million people that helps those facing disaster, conflict, health and social problems. It consists of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Etymology

The name "Red Cross" is derived from the red cross on a white background, the inverse of the Swiss flag, in honor of its founder, Henry Dunant, a Swiss businessman. The "Red Crescent" was first used by the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War in 1876, as an equivalent to the Red Cross.

History

The movement began in 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland, when Henry Dunant founded the International Committee of the Red Cross. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies was established in 1919, in the aftermath of World War I. The National Societies, meanwhile, are individual humanitarian organizations that are recognized by their own governments and the international movement.

Principles

The movement operates on seven fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. These principles guide all activities and are binding on all members of the movement.

Related Terms

See Also

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski