Jean-Henry Dunant

Celebrated on May 8 th 2008

For more than one hundred years, in all continents and practically every country in the world, during war time or in peace, the Red Cross has groups of millions of goodwill people.

Red Cross was born in June on the Battlefield of Solferino in Northern Italy in the mind and heart of a young man named Jean-Henry Dunant.

Jean-Henry Dunant was borned in Geneva in 1828. He was by profession a Swiss Banker. In 1859 in the course of business he happened to witness the Battle of Solferino during Franco-Prussian War. The appalling slaughter, the suffering and anguish of the wounded and, maimed and the sorry plight of prisoners moved Dunant deeply. He wrote a book in 1862 titled, "A memory of Solferino". Describing his ideas of a Society of each nation to aid the wounded and in case of conflict of arms, to help the military medical services with their task.

Henry Dunant's visionary idea based on his concept of Brotherhood of Man led to the formation of a committee of five in Geneva in February 1863. This committee which included Dunant, examined his idea and formulated the basis for calling the first international conference of the Red Cross in 1863 in Geneva.

The meeting was attended by reprensentatives from 16 states who agreed that as a first step, private aid Societies linked with one another should be set up in each state.

In August 1864 diplomatic reprensentatives from 17 nations met again in Geneva, this time at the invitation of the Swiss Federal Government, agreed on the first Geneva convention, which 12 of the nations signed outright.

By this famous convention, they were incorporated into international law the principles and precepts underlying Dunant's ideas. The principles were recognised that it is the duty of warring nations to care for the ill and wounded military personnel irrespective of nationality and that these personnel, the ambulances and hospitals in which they lay, and the medical and auxiliary staff tending them should be regarded as neutral under all circumstances and at all times. This has become one of the great and respected principles of modern Humanitarianism.