Red+Cross

=__**International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement**__= ==

=__History:__=

The idea of the Red cross and Red Crescent movement was born in the battle of Solferino in 1859. In 1876 International Committee formed for relief of military wounded with the members Henry Dunant, Gustave Moynier, Louis Appia, Theodore Maunoir and Guillaume-Henri Dufour. In 1876 the committee becomes International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

=__Goals:__=

The overall goal of the ICRC is to alleviate human suffering in any forms possible. They are the largest humanitarian aid association in the world and operate in almost every country in the world, allowing them to facilitate cooperation between many countries to assist the state most in need. They operate through four main priorities: promoting humanitarian values, disaster response, disaster preparedness, and health and community care.

Their ultimate vision is: T o inspire, encourage, facilitate and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies, with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering, and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.

=__What they do:__=

__The three goals of the ICRC are:__

1) disaster response and recovery, 2) development and 3) promoting social inclusion and peace.

Here is an expansion of these three goals taken from the IFRC website. http://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/

**Disaster response and recovery** **Development** **Promoting social inclusion and peace**
 * Natural disasters have been increasing in number, scale and complexity. Our experience tells us that there is an urgent need to properly link humanitarian response to disaster preparedness and risk reduction, as this saves lives, is cost-effective and builds resilience.
 * We know that this approach makes a lasting difference, because it has been a cornerstone of our work for decades.
 * Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers live in the communities they serve, and are present before, during and after a crisis.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-size: 1em;">They are the first to respond when disaster strikes and have the greatest motivation in helping their community recover.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-size: 1em;">Volunteers know best how to comfort and support the affected people, because they are the affected people.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-size: 1em;">We are active in health (including extensive HIV/AIDS programming), food security, water and sanitation.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-size: 1em;">We deliver programming addressing the humanitarian consequences of climate change, urbanisation, violence and regular and irregular migration.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1em; text-align: left;">We work in close collaboration with communities to support their capacity building.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-size: 1em;">We promote the practical application of the Fundamental Principles.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-size: 1em;">We support the integration of disadvantaged people into their communities.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-size: 1em;">Our volunteering and youth networks contribute to cross-generational dialogue, bridge divides between religions and cultures, and quietly challenge discrimination wherever it is encountered.

=__Case Study:__=

The ICRC has been heavily involved in the recent Ebola outbreak crisis in places like Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal.

They have employed a - in their own words - 5 pillar approach:

(1) Beneficiary Communication and Social Mobilisation; (2) Contact Tracing and Surveillance; (3) Psychosocial Support; (4) Case Management; and (5) Safe and Dignified Burials (SDB) and Disinfection.

The IFRC has been involved in a large scale training operation for Pre-Deployment Courses for workers planning to be deployed to help the ebola situation in West Africa to work for EVD (Ebola Virus Disease) emergency response. To date 11 trainings have been carried out in two countries. IFRC has trained and prepared a total of 278 participants from 12 different RC national societies and 13 different external organisations. Approximately 80% of the participants have been or will be deployed to West Africa and the 20% are mostly HQ personnel involved in the Ebola operation in one way or another.

As well as training 322 safe and dignified burials have been carried out by Red Cross burial teams in Sierra Leone in the reporting week (the week of the 26th of November). No volunteer or staff member has become infected.

The IFRC is also doing work to reduce the social stigmas surrounding Ebola: Last week (The week before the week of the 26th of November) a total of 103,213 people were reached through social mobilisation (like on site counselling and informing) in both Lagos and Port Harcourt. A total of 6,200 educative leaflets were distributed.

The IFRC is also deploying great amounts of resources to combat the Virus: (Taken from the report)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) societies in Sierra Leone is dispatching its largest ever fleet of 130 vehicles to combat the Ebola virus.

The majority of vehicles (98) will allow the nationwide deployment of 49 Red Cross safe and dignified burial (SDB) teams to transport volunteers in one vehicle and potentially infectious bodies in another in order to conduct safe burials. In addition, 15 vehicles will help transport social mobilization volunteers in their outreach work to both urban and remote rural communities to continue their awareness raising efforts.

Eight vehicles will help transport health care personnel to and from the Ebola treatment centre in Kenema. The remaining vehicles are to be used in operational support to allow the monitoring and evaluation of the Ebola programme.

In conclusion the IFRC is a big force in the combat of Ebola. They employ useful and wide strategies to combat Ebola on all fronts. As well as deploying significant resources to help in the fight.

(information taken from the 26 November 2014 Africa - Ebola Coordination and preparedness (MDR60002) Africa - Operations Update No. 11 report. downloaded from http://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/)

=__**Contact Details:**__=

http://www.redcross.org.au/contact-us.aspx
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Official contact details taken from: **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">155 Pelham Street <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Carlton South <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Melbourne VIC 3053
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Australian Red Cross Society **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Email: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #e2001a; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none;">natinfo@redcross.org.au

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Carlton South VIC 3053
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Mail **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">PO Box 196


 * Phone** 03 9345 1800

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">**Fax** 03 9348 2513

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">**Tel** Switchboard: (613) 9345 1800

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">To donate by phone, call **1800 811 700** (free call).

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">To donate by mail, send a cheque or money order to: Australian Red Cross, GPO Box 2957, Melbourne VIC 8060

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">For all enquiries regarding Red Cross First Aid courses and products, including First Aid kits, call **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">1300 367 428 **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> or <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> email  <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> us   <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">. For security reasons, please do not include your credit card details in an email.