Red Cross Convention Is Signed
The Red Cross Convention, formally known as the Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded on the Field of Battle, was signed on August 22, 1864, in Geneva, Switzerland. This pivotal agreement arose from the vision of Jean Henri Dunant, who, after witnessing the aftermath of a battle in Italy in 1859, sought to ensure that wounded soldiers received humane treatment irrespective of their nationality. The convention established principles of neutrality and respect for medical personnel and set forth a distinctive emblem for identification, leading to the formation of the International Red Cross.
Initially focused on the care of injured soldiers, the Red Cross has evolved to engage in a broad spectrum of humanitarian efforts, including disaster relief, health care, and community support initiatives. The convention has grown to encompass over 160 nations, with each contributing to the global mission of humanitarianism. Additionally, the establishment of the Red Crescent recognized the need for culturally sensitive symbols in Muslim-majority countries. The legacy of Dunant's work continues to resonate today, influencing international humanitarian law and earning him a Nobel Peace Prize. The Red Cross remains a vital force in promoting human dignity in times of crisis, guided by the principle of "tutti fratelli" or "all men are brothers."
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Red Cross Convention Is Signed
Red Cross Convention Is Signed
The Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded on the Field of Battle, often known simply as the Red Cross Convention, was signed on August 22, 1864, in Geneva, Switzerland. It was part of the effort by the Swiss businessman Jean Henri Dunant and his supporters to establish an effective international body for the treatment of wounded soldiers, one that would be neutral during conflicts and therefore permitted by all sides to treat soldiers without any hindrance.
Dunant conceived the idea for what would become the International Red Cross while on a business trip in northern Italy in 1859. He happened to be in the town of Castiglione on the day of a battle between the victorious French and the Austrians at nearby Solferino, where 40,000 soldiers would be left lying dead or wounded on the battlefield. Horrified by the sight, Dunant mobilized the townspeople to treat the injured soldiers and provide other forms of relief. After three days of this work he returned to Switzerland determined that the kind of inhumanity he witnessed in Italy should not recur.
Dunant wrote Un souvenir de Solferino (A memory of Solferino) based on his own observations, the eyewitness accounts of others, and research he collected about the facts of the battle. The book concludes with a call for trained volunteers and cooperation among all nations for the good of humankind, a notion that would become the basis for the founding of the Red Cross. It is also in Dunant's book that the expression tutti fratelli (all men are brothers) appears, words that would become synonymous with the Red Cross mission in the coming years.
When A Memory of Solferino was printed in October 1862, Dunant mailed copies to several individuals he thought might be in a position to influence heads of state and humanitarian organizations. One of these individuals, Gustav Moynier, the chairman of the Geneva Society for Public Welfare, spoke about Dunant and his book to his organization, which formed a five-man committee to examine Dunant's ideas. The committee was headed by Switzerland's General Dufour, Dunant was secretary, and Moynier and the physicians Dr. Appeia and Dr. Maunoir were also members. The men then called an international conference, which met in Geneva on October 26, 1863, and was attended by representatives of 14 European nations. It was followed by the Geneva Convention on August 8, 1864, at which delegates from 16 European governments gathered, along with observers from the United States, to agree on terms and principles inspired by Dunant's work.
The agreement signed on August 22 provided for the neutrality and respectful treatment of persons aiding wounded soldiers and established the distinctive Red Cross emblem on a white background. Sometimes referred to as a Greek cross, it is the reverse of the colors of the Swiss flag and was chosen for its ability to stand out on a battlefield. It was first worn by Dr. Appier during the Prussian-Danish War of 1864. In later years a sister organization known as Red Crescent was established for Muslim nations where the Christian cross would have been offensive. The convention was signed by Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and, because Germany was not yet unified, the German states of Baden, Hesse, Prussia, and Württemberg. It permitted other nations to join, such as the United States, which became a party to the agreement in 1882.
The International Red Cross is headquartered in Geneva and over 160 nations now belong to the Red Cross Convention, most with their own national Red Cross organizations in order to take care of their respective duties under the agreement. Over the years the International Red Cross has expanded far beyond its original mission of treating wounded soldiers. Both it and the national societies routinely participate in many humanitarian endeavors, including famine relief, assistance during natural disasters, AIDS treatment, blood donor drives, and so forth.
For his efforts in establishing the Red Cross, Dunant earned one of the first two Nobel Peace Prizes, in 1901, and the International Red Cross Committee and League of Red Cross Societies received the same honor in 1963.