THE RED CROSS
Henri Dunant, a Swiss banker, was travelling in northern Italy in the year 1859 when he witnessed the horrors of the Battle of Solferino. This battle, one of the fiercest of the century, was fought between the armies of France and Italy on the one side and Austria on the other. At the end of the day, some forty thousand dead and wounded lay on the battlefield. Appalled by the sight of so much suffering, Dunant organized a volunteer service to help in feeding and caring for the wounded soldiers. Men and Women and even boys and girls worked side by side, nursing friend and foe alike.
In 1862, when he was 34 years of age, Dunant published a book called "A Memory of Solferino". In it he described vividly the scenes of pain and distress he had witnessed, and suggested that a relief society should be formed to give help to all those wounded in wars. This society, he explained, would consist of trained volunteers who would always be ready to travel to the scene of any war that might break out. This could be done only if all the countries would allow the society to carry out its work without hindrance, he insisted.
Dunant's book was a great success. It was read by many rulers and statesmen in Europe. As a result, a conference was held at Geneva and representatives from seventeen states were present. It was decided to go ahead and form an international relief organization. In 1864 a treaty — The Convention of Geneva — was signed and the Red Cross came into being. The design of its badge, a red cross on a white field, was obtained by reversing the colours of Switzerland.
The Red Cross emblem is now used by many medical services of hospitals, ambulances, and hospital ships. All countries have agreed that whatever bears the Red Cross must never be attacked. It is recognized and respected everywhere as the emblem which means service to the sick and suffering.
The Red Cross did much work for prisoners-of-war during the two world wars. Many thousands of prisoners remember with gratitude the Red Cross food parcels, the warm clothing, the books and the medical supplies that were sent to them. Many mothers and fathers were thankful for news of their missing sons first brought to them by the Red Cross.
In peace, too, the Red Cross is quick to send help wherever there is human suffering. Earthquakes, floods, forest fires, tidal waves, tornadoes — all these and many other disasters too — mean pain and distress for the victims. The members of the Red Cross are always among the first who hurry to the scene and are always equipped to bring help and relief.
All this became possible because one man was so deeply moved and worried by the sufferings of his fellow men that he could not rest until he had done his best to help them. Through the years his story has inspired millions of men, women, and children to devote time and care to the service of others. Today the work goes on, for at any moment disaster may strike somewhere, and the Red Cross must be ready to journey to the ends of the earth, if necessary, and bring relief.
红十字会
亨利·杜兰特是瑞士一位银行家。1859年他在意大利北部旅行，曾目睹了索尔伏里诺大战的惨状。这场战役是十九世纪最激烈的大战之一，交战国一方是法国和意大利的军队，另一方是奥地利。一天下来，大约有四万死伤的士兵躺在战场上。目睹如此惨状，杜兰特大为震惊，便组织了一支志愿服务队帮助照料伤兵。成年男女甚至少年儿童肩并肩齐心协力，对伤兵不分敌我进行同样护理。
1862年，杜兰特34岁时，他发表了名为《回忆索尔伏里诺战役》一书。书中他栩栩如生的描述了那些充满痛苦和不幸的景象，并提出建议，组织一个救济团体，对所有战时伤亡人员给予救助。他解释说这一团体应由受过集训并随时准备开赴任何战场去的志愿人员组成。他还强调说只有所有国家允许这个团体不受阻碍地进行工作才能实现这一目标。
杜兰特的书获得了极大的成功。欧洲的很多领导人和政治家都读了这本书，并专为此事在日内瓦召集了会议，与会成员有来自十七个国家的代表。会议决定着手组建一个国际救济组织。1864年，一项协议——日内瓦公约得以签署，红十字会诞生了。红十字会的旗帜，即白底上红色十字，是由瑞士国旗红白两面色互换而成。
现在，红十字会的标志用在医院、救护车、医疗船上。所有国家一致同意不得攻击一切标有红十字的车、船和建筑物。在全世界，红十字会被公认为是对受苦受难的人们进行救援的标志。
在两次世界大战中，红十字会都为战俘提供了很多救助。成千上万的战俘现在仍感激红十字会曾为他们送去食品、御寒衣、书籍及药品。许多父母非常感激红十字会最先给他们带来了下落不明的儿子的消息。
在和平时期，无论哪里的人遭难，红十字会总是及时提供救援。地震、水灾、森林火灾、海啸、飓风——所有这些及其他灾难对受害者都意味着痛苦与不幸。红十字会总是最先出现在现场并随时准备提供帮助和救济。
所有这一切都归功于一个叫杜兰特的人——他被他同类所遭受的苦难而触动并感焦虑，直到他竭尽全力帮助了他们才得以安心。多年来他的事迹激励了数百万男人、妇女及儿童将他们的时间与关怀献给他人。如今，红十字会的工作仍在照常进行，因为随时都可能出现灾情，一旦需要，红十字会将奔赴天涯海角，提供救援。
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