Text 7. Social Agencies. Red Cross

Red Cross is an 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. Red Cross societies activities include first aid, accident prevention, water safety, training of nurses' aids and mothers' assistants, and maintenance of maternal and child welfare centres and medical clinics, blood banks, and numerous other services.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement consists of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and more than 160 national Red Cross societies.

Initiative for founding the Red Cross came from the 19th-century Swiss humanitarian Jean Henri Dunant who, at the Battle of Solferino, in June 1859, organized emergency aid services for Austrian and French wounded. Seeing 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 and issued a call for an international conference, which was held in Geneva in October. 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.

The American Red Cross (officially The American National Red Cross) was founded in 1881 by the American humanitarian Clara Barton. The American Red Cross acts as a medium of communication between members of the armed forces and their families; carries on a system of national and international relief to alleviate suffering caused by pestilence, flood, fire, and other disasters; and devises measures for preventing such calamities.

American Red Cross services are organized into several programs. Services to the armed forces and veterans help in solving personal problems. This program provides counseling and in emergencies, facilitates rapid communications and makes available financial assistance.

The blood services program is the largest blood donor service in the world. Blood given by volunteers, is collected, processed, and made available to physicians and hospitals for the use of patients.

In the youth involvement program, young people take responsibility in leading, planning, and carrying out Red Cross services in a community, such as first aid, small-craft and water safety, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

The nursing and health services program enrolls nurses to serve in disasters, sponsors classes in home nursing and preparation for parenthood, works in the blood services program, and assists in other health services provided for communities.

The American Red Cross has more than 1.5 million volunteers participating in activities that are supported mainly by voluntary contributions through United Way and annual Red Cross campaigns.

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Notes:

to alleviate the sufferings – облегчить страдания;

Red Crescent – Красный полумесяц;

to issue a call – зд. обратиться с призывом;

pestilence – чума, мор;

physicians [fi’zi∫(ә)n] – врач, доктор;

cardiopulmonary resuscitation - восстановление сердечной деятельности и дыхания (непрямой массаж сердца и вентиляция легких).