Centenary of the International Red Cross
The International Red Cross (IRC) was founded in 1863, four years after the famous Battle of Solferino, in Italy, where thousands of soldiers died due to lack of care.
Henry Dunant, a Swiss citizen, improvised relief on site with the help of local civilian populations. Following this disaster, the idea of creating the International Red Cross emerged, in order to protect soldiers and civilians from the horrors of war.
A century later and while countless battles and wars have followed that of Solferino, the CRI has established itself through its humanitarian action on the international scene by intervening in most of the major crises of the last 140 years.
The continued efforts of this organization, which aims to be impartial, neutral and independent, earned it the Nobel Peace Prize awarded in 1963 jointly to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
This league was created by Henry Davison, president of the War Council of the American Red Cross in 1917. At the end of World War I, he proposed grouping the Red Cross societies into a federation which was established in 1919 as the League of Red Cross Societies.
Henry Dunant, a Swiss citizen, improvised relief on site with the help of local civilian populations. Following this disaster, the idea of creating the International Red Cross emerged, in order to protect soldiers and civilians from the horrors of war.
A century later and while countless battles and wars have followed that of Solferino, the CRI has established itself through its humanitarian action on the international scene by intervening in most of the major crises of the last 140 years.
The continued efforts of this organization, which aims to be impartial, neutral and independent, earned it the Nobel Peace Prize awarded in 1963 jointly to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
This league was created by Henry Davison, president of the War Council of the American Red Cross in 1917. At the end of World War I, he proposed grouping the Red Cross societies into a federation which was established in 1919 as the League of Red Cross Societies.