Oregon Trail Chapter International Services

The basis for all of OTC's services stems from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's mission to relieve human suffering and promote world peace. The organization consists of three main components, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and over 175 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies. Though each plays a different role, they unite under the common goal of promoting worldwide humanitarian assistance to victims of manmade and natural disasters.

Birth of a Movement
The Red Cross Movement was founded by Swiss businessman Henry Dunant in 1863. After witnessing a bloody battle in Solferino, Italy, Dunant wrote A Memory of Solferino, which described the plight of victims of war. In it he proposed the establishment of a civilian volunteer relief corps to care for wounded soldiers. Dunant's efforts lead to the calling of an international conference to implement these recommendations. Thus, ICRC was born. To define its unity, ICRC adopted the symbol of the red cross on a white field (the reverse of the Swiss flag) to designate activities and services provided by the International Red Cross Movement. To this day, the ICRC is a private institution headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

1. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
The ICRC is the guardian of the Geneva Conventions and serves as a neutral intermediary to protect and aid victims of armed conflict. Its specific activities include:

Protection and assistance of victims of armed conflict
Visiting prisoners of war and civilian detainees
Operating the central tracing agency and transmitting Red Cross messages to and from family members who have been separated by conflict
Establishing hospital and safety zones for the civilian population
Participating in relief programs for displaced persons
Recognizing new National Societies
Actively disseminating the rules and principles of international humanitarian law

2. National Societies
There are over 175 National Societies--one in almost every nation of the world. In most countries, the National Societies are known as the Red Cross, although in most Muslim countries they are known as the Red Crescent. In Israel, the national society is known as the Magen David Adom (Red Shield of David).The National Societies are independent relief societies that provide a range of community-based services including health and safety education, social welfare, national and international disaster relief and international humanitarian law dissemination. During times of armed conflict, many National Societies also support relief operations through donations of money and goods, provide medical and relief workers and support the efforts of the ICRC, the Federation or an affected National Society. National Societies play a vital role in the emergency communication process in that they often serve as the link between individuals and ICRC efforts to locate separated prisoners of war and civilians, reestablish family communication, and reunite families when possible. National Societies also are critical to the Red Cross's tracing and message services.

In the United States, the American Red Cross is the National Society and, as such, has a responsibility to fulfill the obligations outlined by the Geneva Conventions and the statutes of the Red Cross Movement.

3. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation)
The Federation, formerly known as the League (of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies), was founded by an American, Henry Davison, in 1919. The Federation is an independent humanitarian organization made up of the Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies. Unlike the ICRC which is responsible for activities deriving from armed conflict, the Federation is primarily concerned with providing relief outside areas of armed conflict, such as during peacetime activities and natural disasters. Like the ICRC, it is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Federation's activities include:

Promoting the development of National Societies
Facilitating humanitarian activities by National Societies that prevent and alleviate human suffering
Coordinating national society public health and social welfare programs
Assisting the ICRC in the promotion, development and dissemination of international humanitarian law

Putting It All Together
The Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross is truly part of a global family. Some of its activities and services include transmitting Red Cross messages, providing tracing services for families whose members were victims of the Holocaust, providing emergency communication services to military families, coordinating national and international disaster relief, and conducting health and safety education programs. These programs and services stem from its membership in one of the oldest and strongest worldwide relief organizations.

For more information, check out these websites:

American Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross
The Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies