IFRC and RCRC Youth at a glance

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IFRC and RC/RC Youth at a glance

• RC/RC Movement
• Birth, emblem, Fundamental Principles
• Key information on the International Federation
• Youth within the International Federation
• Secretariat contribution
• Youth Commission
• Youth Policy and Strategy
• RC/RC Youth why, where and how

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Birth of theRed Cross and Red Crescent Movement

• 1859
• - battle of Solferino - Henry Dunant
• 1863
• - International Committee for Relief of the
  Wounded (later the International Committee of
  the Red Cross)
• - first International Conference (Geneva)
• - creation of National Committees for Relief to
  Wounded Soldiers
• 1919
• - Henry Davison initiated founding of League of
  Red Cross Societies to improve the health of
  populations after World War I
• - founding National Societies American,
  British, French, Italian and Japanese
• - since 1991 International Federation of Red
  Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Henry Dunant
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International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

• National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
  National Societies
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red
  Crescent Societies International Federation
• International Committee of the Red Cross "ICRC

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The emblems

• The red cross and the red crescent are two of the
  most recognized symbols in the world. But they
  are more than just that. They are protective
  emblems and their use is enshrined in
  international humanitarian law.

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Fundamental Principles of the Movement

• Humanity
• Impartiality
• Neutrality
• Independence
• Voluntary service
• Unity
• Universality

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Key figures on the International Federation

• 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
• 97 million members and volunteers, of whom 20
  million are active volunteers and most of them
  are young people
• 67.3 million beneficiaries assisted through
  humanitarian programmes in 2003
• 1868 appeals and operations in 153 countries
  since its foundation in 1919

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Growth in Federation membership
5
1919
1920
31
53
1930
61
1940
68
1950
1960
84
111
1970
126
1980
148
1990
181
2003
0
50
100
150
200
Member National Societies
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Secretariat focus (Geneva and delegations)

• Four core areas
• Promotion of Fundamental Principles and
  humanitarian values
• Disaster preparedness
• Disaster Response
• Health and care

• Strategic directions
• Responsive and focused
• Well-functioning National Societies
• Working together effectively

To improve the lives of vulnerable people by
mobilising the power of humanity

• Mission
• Serving National Societies
• Leading and inspiring the Federation

• Role
• Serving leader

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Regional delegations
Ankara Budapest Dakar Panama Lima Harare Nairobi
Moscow Almaty Beijing Bangkok Suva New
Delhi Amman
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Secretariat contribution to RC/RC Youth

• To support National Societies in further
  developing the youth programmes and structures,
  and empowering RC/RC youth networks
• To facilitate the exchange of good practices,
  information, ideas and knowledge sharing
• To provide secretariat support to the Youth
  Commission
• To ensure the link between Youth and capacity
  building
• To promote and facilitate youth participation
• To cooperate with other organisations working
  with and for Youth

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Federation Governance
General Assembly
President
Governing Board
Constitutional Commission Finance
Secretary General Chief Executive Officer
Other Commissions
Youth Commission
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IFRC Youth Commission

• The Youth Commission is an advisory body to the
  Federation governance and work to ensure that
  youth related issues are considered. Its members
  are
• American Red Cross Mary H. De Kuyper
• Belize Red Cross Ian Courtenay
• Côte dIvoire Red Cross Boko Jean Coffi
• Iraqi Red Crescent
• Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent Temirova Gulzat
• Lebanese Red Cross Rola Hitti
• Luxemburg Red Cross Marc Crochet
• and supported by two experts Younis Al Khatib
  and Terry J. Charles

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Youth Commission MeetingGeneva, 25-26 April
2005Progress on 04-05 work plan. It includes

• Launch of the award Youth Protecting Human
  Dignity
• Main findings of the Youth Global Consultation
• Feedback from Youth representation in the GBs
  Working Group on Advocacy and Communication
• Recommendations for
• Youth participation in the GA 05
• Youth Representative profile (Tarragona
  agreement)
• Youth in the IFRC Governing Board and bodies
• Youth at the IFRC Secretariat

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Youth Policy and Strategy As adopted by the
General Assembly in 1991 and confirmed in 1999

• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red
  Crescent Societies has regularly recognised the
  importance of Youth.
• This Policy helps both National Societies and the
  Federation to plan for the development of Red
  Cross and Red Crescent youth.
• This Policy describes the role of each of the
  partners involved in the Red Cross and Red
  Crescent Movement in ensuring that this important
  group of people is recognised and supported .

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Youth Policy statementsThe role of youth in the
Movement

• Young people have a key role to play in the
  provision of the Movement's services
• Young people are an important target group, both
  in the membership and in the wider community
• Young people have a role in the leadership and
  management of the Movement of today
• Young people of today will lead the Movement of
  tomorrow
• Young people need support.

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RC/RC Youth why?

• There is a need of RCY to
• sensitize young people to the voluntary service
  and to the Principles and Values of the RC/RC
  Movement.
• provide young people with the opportunity to
  play an active role in the provision of the
  Movement services with, by and for young
  people.
• better identify the needs of young people and
  find an effective way to respond to these needs.
• contribute significantly to meet the needs of
  vulnerable people by reaching young target groups
  through the young volunteers and to promote peer
  education peer-to-peer approach.
• provide young people the opportunity to adquire
  the skills to play a role in the leadership and
  management of the Movement of today and tomorrow
  by working side by side the older members.

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RC/RC Youth where?Regional networks
European Cooperation Meeting/ European
Coordination Committee Central America South
America Africa strong interest for future plans
Middle East and North Africa network Recommended
in MENA declaration Asia Pacific some
tentatives
...you will find much more on www.ifrc.org/youth
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Promotion of the Principles and values

• Peer education
• training by, with and for young people aimed to
  develop the young person as a integral part of
  the community within an environment of respect,
  solidarity and coexistence
• humanitarian teams disseminate, through
  interactive methodologies, the 7 RC/RC Principles
  as well as the basis for peaceful social
  coexistence based on no-violence principles

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Examples of Youth activities to promote
Principles and Values

• Promotion of RC Principles and values through
• graffiti, drawing and painting competitions
• international youth camps
• awareness campaigns
• community action
• activities at school

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Examples of Youth activities to promote
Principles and Values

• "PACO" (Peace, Action and Coexistence)Colombia
  Red CrossThe PACO initiative is focused on
  young people and seeks to promote humanitarian
  values, protection of health and life, voluntary
  service, international understanding and
  peace.The programme runs throughout Colombia
  and elsewhere in Latin America.

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Examples of Youth activities to promote
Principles and Values

• Stopp Volden - Stop the violenceNorwegian Red
  Cross
• Developed in the aftermath of a terrible act of
  violence
• Made nationwide
• Involves many small projects and awareness
  campaigns
• Adapted and replicated by the Youth in other NSs
  in Europe and Middle East

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Examples of Youth activities in disaster
preparedness

• Expect the Unexpected is a Canadian Red Cross
  School prevention program. It has been developed
  to respond to educators' needs in the aftermath
  of major floods in the province of Quebec in
  1997.
• The Expect the Unexpected program is aimed at
  students, parents and teachers. It features
  lesson plans and activities on natural disasters
  such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornados
  and storms.

• To date, more than 650 000 young people have
  been directly exposed to those programs. Both are
  available in English and French on the Canadian
  RC web site (which constitutes now the main
  dissemination tool).

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Examples of Youth activities in disaster
preparedness and response

• The youth volunteers of the Syrian Arab Red
  Crescent have received training, both nationally
  and internationally, specifically in disaster
  preparedness, Emergency Response Unit, tracing,
  basic relief health and first aid.
• During the response to the Zeizoun Dam collapse,
  the youth volunteers, thanks to the knowledge
  acquired, mobilised quickly. They also assisted
  refugees fleeing Iraq

• They are able to plan the necessary response to
  this emergency, and to design the structure of
  the refugee camps, prepare the necessary
  facilities to ensure sheltering, nutrition,
  health, water and sanitation and psychological
  support.
• In conclusion, around 500 young volunteers,
  between 18 and 30, intervened in these emergency.
  This responsive action was very valuable for all
  of them, it added experience and increased their
  motivation to stay in the RC.