‘World Red Cross Day is celebrated annually on May 8th to pay tribute to the volunteers, for their unprecedented contribution to the people in need. This year the 2021 theme of World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is Together we are #unstoppable! The day strives to initiate, inspire and organize the desire to offer humanitarian responsibilities at all times needed so that individuals do not have to undergo problems.’
The inception of the Red Cross – voluntary action has been its quintessence ever since the experienced members of Indian Red Cross Society commended the volunteers for their selfless efforts at the seminar held at the National Headquarter on the theme, ‘Our strength, Our future- Committed Volunteer’.
The first Red Cross Day was celebrated on May 8, 1948 as a birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize. Over time, the official title of the day changed and became World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day in 1984.
However the initiative, to celebrate the annual day, was introduced just after World War I and was known as the Red Cross Truce. The Truce principles were approved at 15th International Conference at Tokyo in 1934.
World Red Cross Day 2021 – The Significance
The International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies together now comprise the worldwide structure of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
The annual day also acknowledges the beliefs of the Red Crescent Movement and the International Red Cross thereby signifying the appreciation for the volunteers. The operations that the Red Cross Society undertakes can thus be generally classified into four types including response disasters, endorsing the values and principles of humanitarian cause, swift response to disasters, and readiness for health care and disasters.
Also the seven principles on which the Red Cross Society operates includes independence, voluntary, impartiality. neutrality, humanity, unity and universality.
The COVID-19 Pandemic and World Red Cross Day
The day is usually marked by practices like donation of blood by every individual across the world. However, citing the on-going Coronavirus pandemic, no such campaigns, and drives are being held this year.
The official Twitter account of the Red Crescent Societies and International Federation of the Red Cross stated that people this year are advised to observe Red Cross Day by cheering for all the staff and volunteers who are fighting this pandemic bravely – #RedCrossDay #RedCrescentDay #unstoppable.
Let join hands together this pandemic to fight & volunteer for practicing safety and save lives!
Source: Medindia
