This presentation provides a quick overview to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Focuses on activities of the ICRC, the Federation and the National Societies, as well as a brief history of the Movement and the Fundamental Principles. Also discusses the American Red Cross, current Movement activities around the world, and career options. Presented to graduate students at Tulane University.

1. International Red Cross and
Red Crescent Movement
Jessica H. Ports
International Humanitarian Law Instructor, American Red Cross
PhD Student, Payson Center for International Development, Tulane University

2. The International Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement
National
ICRC Societies
Federation

3. The Fundamental Principles of the
International Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement

4. The International Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement
National
ICRC Societies
Federation

5. ICRC Activities
The ICRC works on a neutral and impartial basis to protect and assist people
affected by conflict by:
 Visiting prisoners of war and security detainees
 Searching for missing persons
 Transmitting messages between
separated family members
 Reuniting dispersed families
 Providing safe water, food and medical assistance to those in
need
 Disseminating International Humanitarian Law (IHL):
promotes respect, monitors compliance and contributes to
development

6. Current ICRC Activities in Libya
(Regional Delegation in Tunis)
– Supporting local medical teams and working closely with the Libyan Red
Crescent to alleviate the plight of civilians affected by the conflict.
– Visiting detainees in Benghazi and seeking access to other regions of
Libya, in particular the western part of the country
– Issued a statement on 19 March calling upon all parties – the international
forces, the Libyan government forces, and the armed opposition – to
abide strictly by the rules and principles of international humanitarian law.
– Launched appeal for 24 million CHF to
provide basic supplies and services
for around 110,000 people inside
Libya and 100,000 crossing over
the border into Tunisia.

7. Current ICRC Activities in Côte d’Ivoire
(Regional Delegation in Abidjan)
– First-aid workers have attended to nearly 200 wounded & evacuated 70
serious cases to medical facilities.
– Provided medicines for the hospitals in the western cities of Bloléquin and
Toulepleu.
– Refugees in border communities have made over 350 free phone calls and
send Red Cross messages to their loved ones in Côte d'Ivoire. This brings
the total of restored contacts to over 750 since mid-December 2010.
– Made 6 visits to places of detention to monitor the conditions & treatment
of detainees.
– Provided food aid for 1,020 detainees
in 10 prisons.
– 1,370 wells were disinfected and
chlorinated, and over 1,000 people
received training in basic hygiene.

8. International Federation of Red Cross & Red
Crescent Societies
Programs on behalf of victims of natural disasters,
socio-economic crises and health emergencies;
refugees, and member national societies include
•Promoting humanitarian values
•Disaster response
•Disaster preparedness
•Health and community care
•Capacity building

9. Examples of Current Federation Activities
• Central African Republic (Floods, August 2010)
– 145,252 CHF allocated from the DREF to support the CARCS in delivering
assistance to some 330 families (1,650 beneficiaries).
– Essential non-food items were distributed to the targeted families, including
cooking utensils, mats and blankets to assist with day to day living. Distribution
of bed nets reduced risks of malaria infections. Improved sanitation conditions
through construction and rehabilitation of almost 500 latrines, coupled with
hygiene promotion to 6,144 helped protect against an outbreak of water born
diseases.
• Japan (Earthquake & tsunami, March 2011)
– Supporting the JRCS in deployments of 85 medical teams operating out of
hospitals & mobile clinics, Each team includes a trained psychosocial nurse,
who allows survivors to voice their grief and anxieties, & discuss practical
concerns. JRC has 2,400 trained psychosocial nurses and an eight-member
specialist psychosocial team.
– 439,337 people are being housed in 2,457 evacuation centers, mostly schools
and other public buildings.
– 31 out of 47 JRCS branches have special equipment to deal with the nuclear
biological chemical disaster.
– JRCS and IFRC have set up a family link website.

11. National Society Activities
• Serve as independent national relief
organizations
• Support public authorities and mitigate human
suffering through prevention, disaster relief,
education, and health/social welfare programs
• Assist victims of armed conflicts and natural
disasters through the Red Cross/Red Crescent
Movement
• Disseminate and assist their governments in
disseminating IHL
• Work with governments to ensure respect for
IHL and to protect the emblem(s)
• Support the ICRC and the International
Federation

12. Movement Timeline
• 1959: Solferino, Italy – Henri Dunant witnesses the
aftermath of the Battle of Solferino
• 1863: Geneva, Switzerland – Dunant forms what will
become the ICRC, the red cross is selected as a
protective emblem.
• 1864: Twelve states sign the 1st
Geneva Convention - protection
of wounded enemy soldiers and
those caring for them.

13. Movement Timeline
• 1881: Clara Barton establishes the American Red
Cross, begins to include disaster relief in Red Cross
activities. (first activity: flooding in Johnstown, Ohio)
• 1896 & 1898 – Clara Barton & ARC assist Armenian
victims of Turkish oppression, provides supplies to
Cuban victims of the Spanish-American War.
• 1905: American Red Cross receives
Congressional Charter
• 1914-1918: World War I – ICRC expands
activities to include prisoners of war.

14. Movement Timeline
• 1919 – League of Red Cross Societies is formed
(precursor to the Federation)
• 1928 – Recognition of respective mandates for ICRC,
National Societies, and League (birth of the Standing
Commission).
• 1941: American Red Cross begins National Blood Donor
Service
• 1949: Geneva Conventions
– The wounded and sick in armed forces in the field
– Wounded, sick and shipwrecked members of armed forces at sea
– Prisoners of war
– Civilian persons

15. Movement Timeline
• 1965: Proclamation of the Fundamental Principles
• 1977: Additional Protocols to the 1949 Geneva
Conventions
– Protection of victims of international and non-
international armed conflicts
• 1991: Dissemination of IHL becomes a priority for
the Movement.
• 1997: The Seville Agreement is signed.
• 2005: Third Protocol relating to the
adoption of an additional emblem

16. The Movement Today
• There are 186 member Red
Cross and Red Crescent
Societies.
• Network of approximately 97
million members and
volunteers worldwide.
• Paid to Volunteer Staff Ratio of
1:20
• Provides assistance to some
233 million beneficiaries each
year.

17. Red Cross Employment
• ICRC
– Skills always in demand: hospital administration, water &
sanitation engineers, nurses, mechanics,
interpreters/translators.
– Recruitment of delegates is temporarily restricted to
Arabic, Russian, and Spanish speakers.
• Federation
– Food security, shelter, and logistics specialists in demand.
– Specialists in one of the 4 key areas: promotion of
fundamental principles and humanitarian values, disaster
response, disaster preparedness, health and care in the
community.
– Multilingual preferred (IFRC official languages are Arabic,
English, French, and Spanish

18. Additional Resources
• International Committee of the Red Cross:
www.icrc.org
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies: www.ifrc.org
• American Red Cross:
www.redcross.org
• Southeast Louisiana
Chapter: www.arcno.org
• Jessica’s Resources:
http://public.me.com/jessports
• Questions? Email: jports@tulane.edu