The ICRC has received the Nobel Peace Prize three times - most recently in 1963, jointly with the League of Red Cross Societies.
Growing from one man's spontaneous gesture to help wounded soldiers, to become an organization reaching out to millions of war victims around the world, the ICRC has worked in most of the major crises of the past 140 years.
Hand in hand with its operational activities have been its efforts to develop the laws governing armed conflicts, so as to ensure greater protection for those who do not, or who no longer, take part in fighting; the ICRC and the Geneva Conventions are inextricably linked.
Jerusalem 1948: seeking the trust of all sides Original title: "Quand le CICR “sécurisait” Jérusalem" - press article by Luis Lema, published in Le Temps (Switzerland) on 15 August 2003; in the bloody count-down to independence in Palestine, the ICRC sought to create “security zones” for civilians under threat. (About the ICRC\History)
15-8-2003 Press article Includes Photo
Hiroshima 1945: a day in August that changed the world Original title: Regard sur Hiroshima, un mois après la bombe - press article by Richard Werly published in Le Temps (Switzerland) on 14 August 2003; how the ICRC, focussed on the fate of prisoners, came to learn about the atom bomb attack on Hiroshima, and the action it took. (About the ICRC\History)
14-8-2003 Press article Includes Photo
Ethiopia 1935-36: mustard gas and attacks on the Red Cross Original title: "Les ambulances à croix-rouge du CICR sous les gaz en Ethiopie" - article by Bernard Bridel published in the Swiss daily "Le Temps" on 13 August 2003. How the ICRC witnessed atrocities during Italy’s Abyssinia campaign and became embroiled in diplomatic controversy. Bernard Bridel, Le Temps(About the ICRC\History)
13-8-2003 Press article Includes Photo
Famine in Russia: the hidden horrors of 1921 Original title: "Secours en temps de paix – la famine en Russie" - press article published in the Swiss daily "Le Temps" on 12 August 2003. How the Red Cross joined forces with governments in a desperate attempt to save millions of lives. Francis Haller, Le Temps(About the ICRC\History)
12-8-2003 Press article Includes Photo
1914-18: when the ICRC learned about protecting civilians… Original title: "En 1914, le CICR apprend à protéger les civils" - article published in the Swiss daily "Le Temps" on 11 August 2003. How the ICRC began its work for civilians under enemy control in time of war. Sylvie Arsever, Le Temps(About the ICRC\History)
The International Committee of the Red Cross and the protection of war victims How the ICRC is constituted, what tasks are assigned to it and what principles guide its work – these are some of the questions which the author, François Bugnion, seeks to answer, examining the tasks and role of the ICRC both from a historical and from a legal point of view. François Bugnion(Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\About the ICRC)
30-11-2003 ICRC publication
Contending with the impasse in international humanitarian action : ICRC policy since the end of the Cold War After the relative stability of the Cold War period, the ICRC has been working since the late 1980s in an environment marked by major upheavals and conflicts whose main feature is total anarchy. The author looks at the response to this situation from various angles: those of operations (the Gulf War, Somalia, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda), policy (the ICRC position on the "right to intervene" and on military operations undertaken on humanitarian grounds), and politics (in particular, the need for the international community to ensure greater respect for humanitarian law, and cooperation between organizations). Simone Delorenzi(Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\About the ICRC)
31-12-1999 ICRC publication
Hungarian October : between Red Cross and red flag : the 1956 action of the International Committee of the Red Cross Drawing on ICRC archives, the author analyses the organization's humanitarian work in Hungary during the events of 1956. She begins by discussing the relationship between the ICRC and the USSR before the events, and the ties that existed between Hungary and the USSR. She then goes on to describe the ICRC's activities in Hungary, dividing them into three separate periods: the insurrection, the setting up of ICRC delegations in Vienna and Budapest, and the visits to the country by ICRC delegates following the closure of the permanent delegations. Isabelle Voneche Cardia(Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\About the ICRC)
31-12-1999 ICRC publication
Crimes without punishment : Humanitarian action in former Yugoslavia Years of fighting in the former Yugoslavia have upset the world balance and inflicted incalculable suffering on the people of the region. This book examines the action taken by humanitarian organizations in general and by the ICRC in particular, evaluating their successes and failures in attempting to preserve safe areas and assist the victims. Michèle Mercier(Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\About the ICRC)
31-12-1995 ICRC publication
The humanitarian diplomacy of the ICRC and the conflict in Croatia (1991-1992) The tragic events that took place in Croatia and later spread to Bosnia-Herzegovina were unparalleled in Europe's post-war history. The author, taking into account the viewpoints of the protagonists, looks at the achievements and shortcomings of the negotiations undertaken by the ICRC with the parties to the conflict on the basis of the implementation of the Geneva Conventions. Jean-François Berger(Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\About the ICRC)
31-12-1995 ICRC publication
Focus on Humanity : A Century of Photography : archives of the International Committee of the Red Cross This book reflects the evolution of international humanitarian law and the role of visual images in humanitarian action. Based on photo reports from the time of the Crimean War up to the Second World War, the first part of the book traces the history of the Geneva Conventions. The second part draws on mostly unpublished photographs to illustrate wars since 1950 - in Korea, Vietnam, Biafra, the Middle East, Rwanda, Bosnia-Herzegovina and elsewhere. Nicolas Bouvier; Michèle Mercier(Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\About the ICRC)
31-12-1995 ICRC publication
History of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Volume II:From Sarajevo to
Hiroshima Its role as a neutral intermediary in armed conflicts and its activities in aid of millions of victims of war throughout the world have made the ICRC a key figure in history. These two volumes, offering a wealth of information on the late nineteenth and the first part of the twentieth century, are a must for all those who are interested in contemporary history. André Durand(Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\About the ICRC)
The emblems: in the service of conflict and disaster victims for over 140 years The red cross and red crescent emblems are visible symbols of the protection afforded to war victims under the Geneva Conventions. They also stand for the neutrality of those who use them and indicate membership in the Movement. To resolve certain problems, an additional emblem known as the red crystal, has been adopted by a diplomatic conference in December 2005 in Geneva. (Info resources\Photos)
Marcel Junod (1904-1961): centenary of a "warrior without weapons" He fought off looters with his bare hands as Addis Ababa fell to Italian forces, bargained the exchange of hostages in Spain's civil war, was arrested by the Gestapo in Berlin as a spy and became the first foreign doctor to help atom bomb victims at Hiroshima. Close-up of a remarkable ICRC delegate. (About the ICRC\History)
History of the ICRC as seen by the media
