International holidays - World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day

May 8 is the International Day of the Red Cross and Red Crescent - an independent humanitarian organization founded in 1863 by Henri Dunant (Switzerland) to help victims of armed conflicts, terror and violence The purpose of the committee is to protect the life, health and dignity of people who have become victims of hostilities The background to the creation of the ICRC was the events of 1859 in southern Italy In the suburb of Solferino, a bloody battle took place between the Austrians and the French army, which Europe had not seen since the Battle of Waterloo Thousands of soldiers and officers were killed and maimed By chance, Henri Dunant became an eyewitness to something that completely turned his consciousness and life upside down: people were abandoned in the open air to die from wounds, exhaustion and thirst Upon returning home to Geneva, Dunant will write a book about those events, in which he will raise the problem of helping participants in military clashes She made a strong impression on the chairman of the public charity organization, Gustav Moynier, and in 1863, through their joint efforts, the Committee was created Dunon and Moynier called on the governments of all countries to create similar organizations with volunteer rescuers who were ready at any time to go to points of armed conflict to help the small medical hospitals Later practice showed that fire was opened on enemy military doctors, despite their white coats Thus was born the idea of ​​​​creating a special sign - a red cross, which would mark doctors, ambulances and field hospitals The emblem was intended to distinguish those who, while in a conflict zone, are not participating in military operations on anyone's side, and, therefore, should not be attacked In 1906, the first charitable organization appeared in a Muslim country - the Ottoman Empire, which was called the Red Crescent Today these distinctive signs - the red cross and crescent - are known all over the world Their use is governed by the legal instruments of the 1949 Geneva Convention In 1901, Henry Dunant received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work in the name of justice and humanity Today, the ICRC has representative offices in almost 80 countries around the world Their area of ​​responsibility includes not only zones of military conflicts This includes comprehensive assistance to people with disabilities, mine action, ensuring the safety of medical units, visiting places of detention, humanitarian diplomacy and family reunification