Italian Red Cross
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The Italian Red Cross (IRC, it, Croce Rossa Italiana or ''CRI'') is the Italian national
Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...
society. The Italian Red Cross was one of the original founding members of the
International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...
in 1919.


History


Early history

The present-day Italian Red Cross was founded under the name of ''Comitato dell'Associazione Italiana per il soccorso ai feriti ed ai malati in guerra'' in Milan on June 15, 1864, two months before the signing of the
Geneva Convention upright=1.15, Original document in single pages, 1864 The Geneva Conventions are four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish international legal standards for humanitarian treatment in war. The singular term ''Geneva Conven ...
. On June 20, 1864, the
Third Italian War of Independence The Third Italian War of Independence ( it, Terza Guerra d'Indipendenza Italiana) was a war between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austrian Empire fought between June and August 1866. The conflict paralleled the Austro-Prussian War and resulted in ...
broke out and four groups of IRC volunteers were sent to Custoza. In 1872, the headquarters were moved to Rome, and a Central Committee was formed. Since then, the IRC has expanded its operations throughout the entire territory of the country, and has been deployed to face a growing array of activities and emergencies, starting with the Casamicciola earthquake of 1883. The
American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...
has long been active in Italy, working in cooperation with the Italian Red Cross.
Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...
worked for the American Red Cross in Italy in 1918. The American Red Cross continues to have an office in
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
, Italy.


Red Cross Hospital 68 and the Korean War

During the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, 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 The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
at the time. 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 sovranational charitable organization, under the high patronage of the
President of the Italian Republic President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
. The Italian Red Cross is currently a
member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...
of the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization that reaches 160 million people each year through its 192-member National Societies. It acts before, during and after disas ...
. 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. Italian Red Cross vehicles bear special license plates.


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: * Humanity: "The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, born of a desire to bring assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield, endeavours, in its international and national capacity, to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found. Its purpose is to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human being. It promotes mutual understanding, friendship, cooperation and lasting peace amongst all peoples." * Impartiality: "It makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It endeavours to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guided solely by their needs, and to give priority to the most urgent cases of distress." * Neutrality: "In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all, the Movement may not take sides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature." * Independence: "The Movement is independent. The National Societies, while auxiliaries in the humanitarian services of their governments and subject to the laws of their respective countries, must always maintain their autonomy so that they may be able at all times to act in accordance with the principles of the Movement." * Voluntary service: "It is a voluntary relief movement not prompted in any manner by desire for gain." * Unity: "There can be only one Red Cross or one Red Crescent Society in anyone country. It must be open to all. It must carry on its humanitarian work throughout its territory." * Universality: "The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, in which all Societies have equal status and share equal responsibilities and duties in helping each other, is worldwide."


Activities

The Italian Red Cross is currently conducting the 2020 Strategy promoted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The main aim of this project is to reach, during this decade, six objectives based on the analysis of the needs and vulnerabilities of the community. The six strategic objectives are the following: # Safeguard and protect health and life; # Encourage support and social inclusion; # Prepare the community and respond to emergencies and disasters; # Spread the
International Humanitarian Law International humanitarian law (IHL), also referred to as the laws of armed conflict, is the law that regulates the conduct of war (''jus in bello''). It is a branch of international law that seeks to limit the effects of armed conflict by prot ...
(IHL), the Fundamental Principles and the Humanitarian Values. Cooperate with the other members of the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, an ...
; # Promote youths development and a culture of active citizenship; # Operate with a capillary, efficient and conspicuous structure, treasuring the activity of volunteers.


Components

Since the 2012 reform, the Italian Red Cross is made up of three components: * Corpo Militare (Ausiliario delle Forze Armate) - Military Corps (Auxiliary of the Armed Forces) * Corpo delle Infermiere Volontarie (Ausiliarie delle Forze Armate) - Voluntary nurses (Auxiliary of the Armed Forces) * Volontari della Croce Rossa Italiana (Componente Civile) - Volunteers of the Italian Red Cross (Civilians)


References


External links


Official Italian Red Cross website
(in Italian) {{Authority control Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies 1863 establishments in Italy Organizations established in 1863 Medical and health organisations based in Italy