Red Cross was established in 1864 by Jean
Henri Durant. In 1859, J.H. Durant, a Swiss businessman, travelling through Italy
witnessed the Battle of Solferino, when France tried to free Italy from Austrian
domination, in which about 30,000 soldiers were wounded or killed. He organized
relief work for the wounded soldiers and subsequently called for the formation
of a permanent relief society for those wounded in war. Durant’s appeal had
immediate results. An international conference took place in Geneva in 1864 where
26 governments were represented. The Conference led to the Geneva Convention
and the emblem of Red Cross was adopted. Each year World Red Cross and Red
Crescent Day is celebrated on May 8, the birthday of its founder Henri Durant. Its
motto is Charity in War. A red cross on a white background is its symbol (it is
the reverse of the flag of Switzerland). The Red Cross completed 132 years on 8
May 1994 and in it 126th year, it adopted the slogan ‘125 Years at Work — and Still Developing’
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