World Red Cross Day Focuses On #Love: Here's Everything You Should Know

World Red Cross Day is observed on May 8. Also known as Red Crescent Day, this day is celebrated to honour volunteers who have contributed to help people in duress or need. World Red Cross Day also marks the birthday of Henri Dunant. He generated the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1863 in Switzerland, Geneva. The theme for World Red Cross Day 2019 is "#Love". Previously, the themes have been "Less known Red Cross stories" (2017) and "Memorable smiles from around the world" (2018).

World Red Cross Day 2019 theme focuses on broadening people's understanding of the society by highlighting diversity and universality of work and approach of Red Cross.

World Red Cross Day history and significance

Henri Dunant had seen wounded soldiers suffering as they were abandoned on the battlefield of Solferino in northern Italy in 1859. On returning to Geneva, he wrote "A Memory of Solferino", which featured firsthand experience of horrors of World War I. He also proposed an organisation that was dedicated to helping those who were wounded in war.

Before 19th century, different symbols were being used to identify medical services of the armed forces, in different countries. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, these symbols were not well known and were rarely respected. They were not entitled to any form of legal protection.

It was in February 1863 that a five-member committee came to study Dunant's proposals, which included the need for having a distinctive symbol backed by the law. The symbol was to show respect towards army medical services and their volunteers.

This lead to formation of the Red Cross symbol, which was a simple icon that could be identifiable from a distance. The symbol is an inversion of the Swiss flag - which has a white cross on red background.

World Red Cross Day is meant to commemorate principles of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. After World War I, Red Cross was introduced to call for peace as part of International commission of 14th International Conference of the Red Cross.

World Red Cross Day focuses on enabling people to live a dignified life, by reducing their suffering. Red Cross Organisations from across the world celebrate this day by helping people with impartiality, unity, universality, indepence and humanity.

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