ICRC - what is it? Perhaps, Muscovites at the mention of this abbreviation immediately come to mind one of the most interesting educational institutions of the capital. ICRC Sholokhov stands for Moscow Cossack Cadet Corps. This is an educational institution in which young people of different ages study. The education program is very extensive. The pride of the corps is a musical and instrumental ensemble and a museum dedicated to the memory of the great Russian writer, singer of the Cossacks, Mikhail Sholokhov. However, in today's article, we will not talk about him, but about an amazing organization that received the same name much earlier - the ICRC.
ICRC transcript
Every day somewhere there is a war. Clarification of relationships through the use of brute force is the most common way to resolve a conflict. To help people affected by such actions, an organization was created, which eventually gained international status.
The abbreviation ICRC stands for International Committee of the Red Cross. This organization is a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It was organized in Geneva as a humanitarian organization. The abbreviation is introduced for ease of use in colloquial speech, since the name is quite long.
ICRC - what is it? What are its goals and objectives? What is the meaning of the activity? Does it make someone profit? Many questions are related to this organization. After all, her actions are connected exclusively with the help of the victims, and many people simply do not believe in selflessness.
History of its creation
The organization was created in 1863 at one of the international conferences in Geneva. The initiator was the Geneva Welfare Society after a resonant book by a journalist who witnessed a battle involving French and Austrian troops. He described in detail on the battlefield.
As a result, the organization spread throughout the world. The red cross on a white canvas became a symbol of help and support for the afflicted, a symbol of the ICRC. The emblem has been accepted by all states that have signed the Geneva Conventions.
What it is?
The purpose of this independent humanitarian organization is expressed in principle, which states that even war must be waged within a certain framework. The civilian population should not suffer. First aid should be provided to victims, organized evacuation of the population from the "hot spots", etc.
Representatives of the ICRC carried out their activities on the territory of Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iraq, that is, in those countries in which hostilities took place. Where is ICRC assistance currently directed? Ukraine and Israel are now the most unstable states in a state of military conflict.
The ICRC is not legally registered as an international organization. But it is recognized as such for the reason that its activities are carried out on the territory of all states and international law is at the core.
What is part of the ICRC? Examples
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC hereinafter) bases its activities on the principles of independence, neutrality, voluntariness, impartiality, humanity, unity and universality. They characterize the actions that the ICRC delegates commit while in conflict territories.
The organization is completely voluntary and includes only volunteers who are willing to risk their health and even life for the sake of others. Its representatives do not have the right to take the position of one of the conflicting parties and must remain neutral.
Its main activity is aimed at providing humanitarian assistance. But in some cases, ICRC members also provide medical and psychological support to the victims of hostilities.
Who is financing the ICRC?
The ICRC is founded as a charitable organization and exists solely on donations made voluntarily by countries participating in the Geneva Convention, public and private organizations.
Donations can be made in many ways. Some private organizations provide the ICRC with the necessary medicines, equipment, items, products, etc. They even provide housing for refugees and provide them with work. Help can be expressed not only in monetary terms. This makes the ICRC universal and absolutely independent of the opinions of others. There will always be those who want to help and support those who need it.
Donations to the ICRC cannot include any weapons. Representatives of the organization do not have the right to intervene in hostilities, but can only provide assistance to the victims. These are the basic principles of activity and other charitable organizations.
Work at the ICRC. What does it give?
ICRC delegations operate on all continents. Over a thousand representatives of the ICRC organize the work of volunteers in various countries. Since the organization is engaged in versatile support, the specialists who are part of it are of various profiles and have many skills that are non-standard for their specialization.
The main qualities that a representative from the ICRC should have are stress tolerance, sociability and quick wit. After all, sometimes you have to find a way out of difficult and dangerous situations without losing your temper. The most popular are the profession of surgeon, traumatologist, psychologist. Work skills in the Ministry of Emergencies and other similar organizations are welcome.
Work skills at the ICRC attract employers looking for a responsible and versatile person who is not afraid to change their lifestyle and wants to change the world for the better.
ICRC focus areas
ICRC delegates have the right to visit prisoners of war detained during an international military conflict. Belligerents are required to provide access to prisoners so that delegates can verify compliance with humanitarian law (conditions of detention, food) and exclude ill-treatment that is unacceptable under the Geneva Convention. And also talk privately with the prisoners, provide them with the necessary help and support, send messages or letters from relatives.
In the event of an internal conflict in the country, the ICRC can only offer help or respond to an appeal from the authorities for help. But the authorities may not accept the offer of help.
Another aspect of the ICRC’s activities is coordinated by the Central Agency for Tracing, which works in several areas at once. The agency collects information on victims of military conflicts to provide them with various types of assistance, searches for family members who have lost each other, and prepares and sends official appeals to the state authorities on behalf of relatives to find out information about missing persons.
The main activity is aimed at providing assistance to victims of hostilities, especially prisoners of war and civilians.
What is the help from the ICRC?
ICRC humanitarian assistance - what could it be? First of all, humanitarian aid is considered to be food products, warm clothes (clothes, shoes, blankets, etc.), personal hygiene items.
The concept of assistance to war victims includes the provision of housing for immigrants from the occupied territories, providing the necessary minimum set of furniture, utensils and household items. This may be resettlement in specially organized dormitories, in apartments of citizens ready to accept migrants, or the creation of tent towns and the construction of temporary housing.
The rural areas are characterized by ICRC assistance in supporting agriculture, the provision of veterinary services and the distribution of planting seeds and equipment.
Providing water supply to the population is a priority for the occupied territories. This assistance consists in delivering water to regions where there is no access to water supply, as well as the restoration of water towers and drilling wells.
Assistance from the ICRC - what does this give to the state? For the country on the territory of which hostilities are being carried out, the ICRC provides the necessary assistance, thereby helping the authorities focus on a peaceful resolution of the problem.