INTRODUCTION
Red Cross, international humanitarian agency dedicated, in time of war, to alleviating the sufferings of wounded soldiers, civilians, and prisoners of war. In time of peace, it renders medical aid and other help to people afflicted by major disasters such as floods, earthquakes, epidemics, and famines and performs other public service functions.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement consists of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a group of up to 25 Swiss citizens, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the more than 160 national Red Cross societies; and the Geneva-based International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (known until 1993 as the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) which coordinates peacetime activities of the national societies. The International Conference of the Red Cross, usually held every four years in different countries, brings together representatives of the Red Cross organizations and those governments that have ratified the Geneva conventions. In 1986 the Movement's name was changed to include the Red Crescent, the organization's name in most Muslim nations.
HISTORY
Initiative for founding the Red Cross came from the 19th-century Swiss philanthropist Jean Henri Dunant. Appalled by the almost complete lack of care for wounded soldiers, he appealed to the leaders of nations to found societies devoted to the aid of the wounded in wartime. Five Swiss citizens formed a committee, which later became the ICRC, and issued a call for an international conference, which was held in Geneva in October 1863 and was attended by delegates from 16 nations. Another conference was held in Geneva the following year, and official delegates of 12 nations signed the first Geneva Convention, laying down rules for the treatment of the wounded and for the protection of medical personnel and hospitals. It was also at this meeting that the famous symbol of the movement, the white flag bearing a red cross, was adopted. (This symbol was later modified in non-Christian countries.) The principles enunciated in the first Geneva Convention were subsequently revised and amended at conferences held in 1906, 1929, and 1949. In 1977 additional protocols were added to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 to protect all non-combatants in all types of conflicts, international as well as domestic.
Over the decades the ICRC and the Federation have sent representatives and aid to many countries around the world to help detainees, prisoners of war, and refugees of war, political upheaval, or civil strife. The federation also assists victims of natural and man-made disasters.
Dunant was a corecipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. The ICRC has been awarded three Nobel Peace Prizes, in 1917, 1944, and 1963; it shared the 1963 prize with the League of Red Cross Societies.
Greenpeace, international environmental organization dedicated to preserving the earth's natural resources and its diverse plant and animal life. The organization campaigns against nuclear weapons testing, environmental pollution, and destructive practices in fishing, logging, and other industries.
Greenpeace was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 1971 by members of the Don't Make a Wave Committee, a small group opposed to nuclear weapons testing by the United States military in Alaska. The group renamed itself Greenpeace to reflect the broader goal of creating a green and peaceful world.
Greenpeace won fame for its daring exploits calculated to attract media attention to environmental issues. Greenpeace members in rubber rafts have disrupted whaling expeditions by positioning themselves between the whales and hunters' harpoons. They used similar tactics in Newfoundland and Labrador to protest the clubbing of baby harp seals, whose soft white fur is highly valued by clothing manufacturers. The organization is well known for scaling corporate skyscrapers and factory smokestacks to hang protest banners.
Greenpeace's aggressive style has often led to conflicts with corporations, local authorities, and even national governments. In 1985 the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, on a voyage to protest French nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific, sank in a New Zealand port, and the crew photographer, Fernando Pereira, drowned. Investigations revealed that the ship had been deliberately sabotaged with explosives planted by undercover agents of the French military. The resulting scandal rocked the highest levels of the French government, leading to the resignation of Defense Minister Charles Hernu and the dismissal of Admiral Pierre Lacoste, director of the French Secret Service.
During the 1990s Greenpeace has been troubled by internal disagreements over political strategy. Some members want to persist with a militant approach, emphasizing civil disobedience and physical confrontation. Other members, including the organization's leaders, are convinced that Greenpeace must work cooperatively with the companies and industries that have been its targets in the past.
Greenpeace has about 3 million dues-paying members and more than 40 offices in 30 countries. Its international headquarters are in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Red Cross, international humanitarian agency dedicated, in time of war, to alleviating the sufferings of wounded soldiers, civilians, and prisoners of war. In time of peace, it renders medical aid and other help to people afflicted by major disasters such as floods, earthquakes, epidemics, and famines and performs other public service functions.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement consists of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a group of up to 25 Swiss citizens, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the more than 160 national Red Cross societies; and the Geneva-based International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (known until 1993 as the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) which coordinates peacetime activities of the national societies. The International Conference of the Red Cross, usually held every four years in different countries, brings together representatives of the Red Cross organizations and those governments that have ratified the Geneva conventions. In 1986 the Movement's name was changed to include the Red Crescent, the organization's name in most Muslim nations.
HISTORY
Initiative for founding the Red Cross came from the 19th-century Swiss philanthropist Jean Henri Dunant. Appalled by the almost complete lack of care for wounded soldiers, he appealed to the leaders of nations to found societies devoted to the aid of the wounded in wartime. Five Swiss citizens formed a committee, which later became the ICRC, and issued a call for an international conference, which was held in Geneva in October 1863 and was attended by delegates from 16 nations. Another conference was held in Geneva the following year, and official delegates of 12 nations signed the first Geneva Convention, laying down rules for the treatment of the wounded and for the protection of medical personnel and hospitals. It was also at this meeting that the famous symbol of the movement, the white flag bearing a red cross, was adopted. (This symbol was later modified in non-Christian countries.) The principles enunciated in the first Geneva Convention were subsequently revised and amended at conferences held in 1906, 1929, and 1949. In 1977 additional protocols were added to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 to protect all non-combatants in all types of conflicts, international as well as domestic.
Over the decades the ICRC and the Federation have sent representatives and aid to many countries around the world to help detainees, prisoners of war, and refugees of war, political upheaval, or civil strife. The federation also assists victims of natural and man-made disasters.
Dunant was a corecipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. The ICRC has been awarded three Nobel Peace Prizes, in 1917, 1944, and 1963; it shared the 1963 prize with the League of Red Cross Societies.
Greenpeace, international environmental organization dedicated to preserving the earth's natural resources and its diverse plant and animal life. The organization campaigns against nuclear weapons testing, environmental pollution, and destructive practices in fishing, logging, and other industries.
Greenpeace was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 1971 by members of the Don't Make a Wave Committee, a small group opposed to nuclear weapons testing by the United States military in Alaska. The group renamed itself Greenpeace to reflect the broader goal of creating a green and peaceful world.
Greenpeace won fame for its daring exploits calculated to attract media attention to environmental issues. Greenpeace members in rubber rafts have disrupted whaling expeditions by positioning themselves between the whales and hunters' harpoons. They used similar tactics in Newfoundland and Labrador to protest the clubbing of baby harp seals, whose soft white fur is highly valued by clothing manufacturers. The organization is well known for scaling corporate skyscrapers and factory smokestacks to hang protest banners.
Greenpeace's aggressive style has often led to conflicts with corporations, local authorities, and even national governments. In 1985 the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, on a voyage to protest French nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific, sank in a New Zealand port, and the crew photographer, Fernando Pereira, drowned. Investigations revealed that the ship had been deliberately sabotaged with explosives planted by undercover agents of the French military. The resulting scandal rocked the highest levels of the French government, leading to the resignation of Defense Minister Charles Hernu and the dismissal of Admiral Pierre Lacoste, director of the French Secret Service.
During the 1990s Greenpeace has been troubled by internal disagreements over political strategy. Some members want to persist with a militant approach, emphasizing civil disobedience and physical confrontation. Other members, including the organization's leaders, are convinced that Greenpeace must work cooperatively with the companies and industries that have been its targets in the past.
Greenpeace has about 3 million dues-paying members and more than 40 offices in 30 countries. Its international headquarters are in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
