Red Cross

The Red Cross is an organization that helps wounded and imprisoned soldiers in wartime, and during peacetime collects medical supples and trains nurses. The organizaton was proposes by Jean-Henri Dunant, a Swiss-businessman, who was deeply affected by the suffering and hardship of the wounded soldiers in the Italian war for independence. In 1862, he proposed a worldwide group of volunteers be formed to help the wounded and imprisoned in wartime. In 1863, he suggested a gathering of world nations to develop such an institute. In 1864, the Swiss government held a conference with representatives of many nations who drafted the first Geneva Convention. This convention brought the Red Cross movement into existence. The organizations symbol is a red cross on a white background. In Islamic countries the symbol is a red crescent and the organization is named accordingly.