This event took place on 3rd December 2009
Berrill Lecture Theatre, The Open University, Walton Hall Campus, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
The British Red Cross, the country’s leading voluntary crisis response organisation, is part of the worldwide Red Cross Red Crescent, Red Crystal Movement and operates through 2800 staff and 33,000 volunteers. Just as the Open University is celebrating its’ 40th Anniversary, so is the British Red Cross celebrating several milestones this year. It is 150 years since the founder of the worldwide Red Cross, (Red Crescent, Red Crystal ) movement, Jean-Henri Dunant, assisted the wounded and dying at the Battle of Solferino. He was determined that, in future, all who became non-combatants in a conflict, should receive neutral and impartial aid.
This became the 1st Geneva Convention. 2009 is also the year in which the 60th Anniversary of the additional 1949 Geneva Conventions were agreed. Thirdly, 2009 is the 90th Anniversary of the coming together of all National Societies within the Movement, to form a League, which is now called a Federation, to assist each other in times of natural disasters and crises.
This event will be the last in the series of lectures that the OU has hosted as part of The Open University’s 40th Anniversary year. The topic for the lecture is Humanitarian Space; in his speech, Sir Nicholas Young will focus on a fresh imperative for organisations called upon to provide aid at times of conflict – the availability of a neutral zone where casualties can receive help and provisions can be distributed.
To find out more about this topic and the work that the Red Cross does please visit www.redcross.org.uk.
The British Red Cross, the country’s leading voluntary crisis response organisation, is part of the worldwide Red Cross Red Crescent, Red Crystal Movement and operates through 2800 staff and 33,000 volunteers. Just as the Open University is celebrating its’ 40th Anniversary, so is the British Red Cross celebrating several milestones this year. It is 150 years since the founder of the worldwide Red Cross, (Red Crescent, Red Crystal ) movement, Jean-Henri Dunant, assisted the wounded and dying at the Battle of Solferino. He was determined that, in future, all who became non-combatants in a conflict, should receive neutral and impartial aid.
Click below to play the event (90 minutes)