Italian Red Cross

Italian Red Cross
Croce Rossa Italiana
Legal status Association
Purpose Humanitarian aid
Headquarters Rome, Italy
Region served
Italy
President
Francesco Rocca
Website www.cri.it

The Italian Red Cross (IRC, Italian: Croce Rossa Italiana or CRI) is the Italian national Red Cross society that has its origin in the Comitato dell'Associazione Italiana per il soccorso ai feriti ed ai malati in guerra in Milan on June 15, 1864.[1] Other committees were formed later. The Italian Red Cross was one of the original founding members of the International Red Cross in 1919.[2]

History of the Italian Red Cross

South Korean Stamp commemorating the role of the Italian Red Cross in providing medical care during the Korean War (It's interesting to note how the Korean designer of the stamp used the Kingdom of Italy flag, while Italy had been a republic, with a different flag, since 1946) 1950-1953

Early History

The American Red Cross has long been active in Italy, working in cooperation with the Italian Red Cross.[3] Ernest Hemingway worked for the American Red Cross in Italy in 1918.[4] The American Red Cross continues to have an office in Naples, Italy.[5]

Red Cross Hospital 68 and the Korean War

During the Korean War, the Italian Red Cross Field Hospital 68 (Ospedale da campo CRI n. 68) was despatched to Korea to aid the humanitarian disaster there, even though Italy was not a member of the United Nations at the time.[6] The Hospital arrived in Korea in November 1951 and provided medical services to wounded civilians and soldiers of all sides. It finally left Korea in January 1955.

Current Operations

Presently, the Italian Red Cross has the status of a sovra-national charitable organization, under the high patronage of the President of the Italian Republic. The Italian Red Cross is currently a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Doctor Massimo Barra was elected President of the Italian Red Cross on December 11, 2005 and served until October 30, 2008, when the Italian Government appointed Extraordinary Commissioner Francesco Rocca. On January 27, 2013 Francesco Rocca was elected President of the IRC during the National Assembly of the organisation.[7]

Italian Red Cross vehicles bear special license plates.[8]

7 Fundamental Principles

The 7 Fundamental Principles are the foundation of the Italian Red Cross and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies:[9]

Activities

The Italian Red Cross is currently conducting the 2020 Strategy promoted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.[10] The main aim of this project is to reach, during this decade, 6 objectives based on the analysis of the needs and vulnerabilities of the community. The 6 strategic objectives are the following:[11]

  1. Safeguard and protect health and life
  2. Encourage support and social inclusion
  3. Prepare the community and respond to emergencies and disasters
  4. Spread the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the Fundamental Principles and the Humanitarian Values. Cooperate with the other members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
  5. Promote youths development and a culture of active citizenship
  6. Operate with a capillary, efficient and conspicuous structure, treasuring the activity of volunteers

Components

Since the 2012 reform, the Italian Red Cross has the following components:[12]

References

  1. ITALY'S RED CROSS WORKS EFFICIENTLY, The New York Times, Page 53, Jan 6, 1918.
  2. IFRC: Who We Are: History.
  3. The Story of the American Red Cross in Italy, Charles Montague Bakewell, The Macmillan Company, New York, 1920.
  4. World War I, Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure, PBS
  5. American Red Cross Naples Italy official website
  6. http://www.korean-war.com/italianRChospital.html
  7. Francesco Rocca is the Extraordinary Commissioner for the Italian Red Cross, from the IRC officiale web site.
  8. Italian Red Cross
  9. 7 Fundamental Principles IFRC
  10. IFRC Strategy 2020
  11. Obiettivi strategici 2020 CRI
  12. Components of the Italian Red Cross

External links

Official Italian Red Cross website (in Italian)

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, February 02, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.