May 8 – World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day

nHenrynDunant (born Jean Henri Dunant) was a Swiss businessman whondiscovered that, despite his lack of a college diploma, he enjoyednwriting about his own life.
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nHenworked for several different companies, and he started his ownnbusiness. When he traveled to parts of Africa and Italy, he wasninspired to write a book about it. Later, on another business trip tonItaly, he arrived in Solferino on June 24, 1859, on the day of anbattle. He was shocked to see men lying wounded on the battlefield…
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• shockedn because there were so many of them – about 23,000 men wounded andn dying and dead!
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• andn shocked because there seemed to be little attempt to provide care!

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nDunantntook the initiative, even though he had just arrived that day, andneven though he was in a foreign country, to organize the civilians ofnthe town to find out which soldiers were still alive, and to providenaid to them. Of course, they didn’t have enough supplies to worknwith, so Dunant took it upon himself to organize the purchase ofnmaterials and supplies. There was nowhere to take so many sick andnwounded, but Dunant exerted himself to organize the creation ofnmakeshift hospitals. He convinced the locals to help the soldiers nonmatter which side they were from. He was able to gain help especiallynfrom women and girls, and one of the women came up with a slogan,n“Tutti fratelli” – all are brothers – to remind thencaregivers to help soldiers in need no matter the color of theirnuniforms.
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nAfternreturning to Switzerland, Dunant wrote a book about this latestnadventure, a book urging the foundation of a neutral organization tonprovide care to wounded soldiers. He paid to have the book printed,nand he made sure that many leaders in Europe had a copy.
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nFromnDunant’s battlefield experience, and from his book, an internationalnhumanitarian organization began and grew. The International Red Cross and Red Crescentnreach 160 million people each year – victims of natural disastersnsuch as earthquakes, victims of health emergencies such as annepidemic, victims of war and displacement. There are tens of millionsnof volunteers, hundreds of thousands of paid staff, hundreds ofnthousands of local organizations, and billions of dollars donatedneach year. n
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nWhynis today World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day? Today is the birthdaynof Henry Dunant!
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Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross.

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Naturalist Sir David Attenborough’s birthday 

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• nMayn holidays 

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• nMayn birthdays 

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• nHistoricaln anniversaries in May

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• nJunen holidays

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• nJunen birthdays

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• nHistoricaln anniversaries in June

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