The International Movement of Red Cross and Red Crescent, is the bigest Voluntary Organization on the planet, counting more than 250.000.000 Volunteers providing various humanitarian action.

The core of the Movement's Humanitarian work is based on the Seven Basic Principals

HUMANITY

IMPARTIALITY

NEUTRALITY

INDEPENDΕNCE

VOLUNTARY SERVICE

UNITY

UNIVERSALITY

The history of the Movement actually begins in 1859 as a result of the shockig experience tht Henry Dunant had as he witnessed the results of the Solferino Battle. Not only he stayed to provided assistant to the numerus survivors of the battle, mobilizing the women of the nearby villages, but in addition returning to Geneva, he pupliced the book "Memories from Solferino", a book that shocked Europe.

In his book, Dunant suggested the radical ideaof the creation of an "army" made by Volunteers. Those Volunteers should be considered as Neutral in the battlefield, marked by a universal identity emblem. Additionaly Dunant argued in the following concept that is the birth of the Inrnational Humanitarian Law: "The injured or patient in the battlefiled must be concidered as neutral and no combatant and medical assistace must be provided regardless from which side he is coming from. The armies should engulf Health Services that will provide their service based on the principales described previously. Also the Army Health Services must be considered as neutral by the opponent."

Dunats' suggestions found huge appeal among the European community. Supported by the General Goustav Guigiom Dufour, Dr. Louis Apia, Dr. Theodor Monoua and the Swiss aristocrat Goustav Mouanie, the Diplomatic Convention that gave birth to the Red Cross took place in Geneva in 29 of Octomber 1863 with 16 countries participating. One year later, in August of 1864, the Geneva Convension is being signed by 12 countries and the emblem of Red Cross is aprooved as the distinctive emblem of the new born organization. The emblem is the reversal of the Swiss flag, honouring Henry Dunant.

This is the begining of the Movement that altered the history of humanity and was honoured four timel with the Nobel Price of Peace. The International Movement of Red Cross and Red Crescent gave hope to billions that were and are in need either due to armed conflicts and disasters or due to the daily humanitarian dramas that take place next door.

copyright: Rescuers and Samaritans Corps Administration of Hellenic Red Cross - Training Depatment