The American Red Cross, as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, helps millions worldwide prepare, prevent and recover from natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and health emergencies, through mobilizing the power of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement—the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 186 Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies and more than 97 million volunteers. In all our work, we abide by the seven fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. International Services initiatives focus on primary health care, emergency response and preparedness, restoring family links, and the dissemination of international humanitarian law. For each of these priority areas, we promote cost-effective, community-based programs, which target large numbers of people with humanitarian aid that is rapid, effective, and large-scale.  

    

International Humanitarian Law - Become Trained!
International humanitarian law is everyone's concern. In a world where warfare and civil strife are a daily reality for millions, international humanitarian law provides a framework of protection for civilians and combatants alike. The conduct for warfare as embodied by IHL is laid out in the Geneva Conventions of 1949. The American Red Cross has a unique mandate to educate the American public about their guiding principles and the IHL framework.

Exploring Humanitarian Law
In July of 2009, the San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter of the American Red Cross launched its Exploring Humanitarian Law program. EHL is an adaptable toolkit that gives educators easy-to-use materials to expose students to issues of international humanitarian law, the rules that ensure respect for life and human dignity in war.

Measles Initiative
Launched in 2001, the Measles Initiative is a partnership—led by the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and World Health Organization—committed to reducing measles deaths worldwide. The Measles Initiative partners provide technical and financial support to governments and communities to carry out mass vaccination campaigns.

Originally formed to reduce measles deaths in Africa, the Initiative now supports vaccination campaigns in more than 60 countries around the world. Since 2001, the Measles Initiative supported the vaccination of more than 600 million children.  On December 4, 2008, the Measles Initiative announced global measles deaths dropped by 74% between 2000 and 2007. Although more than 3.6 million lives have been saved, there is still much more work to be done. If you would like more information on the Measles Initiative and how you can contribute to this campaign locally, please contact our Youth Outreach Associate, Amanda Cropper.  We need dedicated volunteers to advocate and fundraise for this Initiative throughout San Diego!

Regional Programs and Response: See what the Red Cross is currently doing around the world to help alleviate human suffering. 

The American Red Cross, as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, helps millions worldwide prepare, prevent and recover from natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and health emergencies, through mobilizing the power of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement—the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 186 Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies and more than 97 million volunteers. In all our work, we abide by the seven fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. International Services initiatives focus on primary health care, emergency response and preparedness, restoring family links, and the dissemination of international humanitarian law. For each of these priority areas, we promote cost-effective, community-based programs, which target large numbers of people with humanitarian aid that is rapid, effective, and large-scale.  

    

International Humanitarian Law - Become Trained!
International humanitarian law is everyone's concern. In a world where warfare and civil strife are a daily reality for millions, international humanitarian law provides a framework of protection for civilians and combatants alike. The conduct for warfare as embodied by IHL is laid out in the Geneva Conventions of 1949. The American Red Cross has a unique mandate to educate the American public about their guiding principles and the IHL framework.

Exploring Humanitarian Law
In July of 2009, the San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter of the American Red Cross launched its Exploring Humanitarian Law program. EHL is an adaptable toolkit that gives educators easy-to-use materials to expose students to issues of international humanitarian law, the rules that ensure respect for life and human dignity in war.

Measles Initiative
Launched in 2001, the Measles Initiative is a partnership—led by the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and World Health Organization—committed to reducing measles deaths worldwide. The Measles Initiative partners provide technical and financial support to governments and communities to carry out mass vaccination campaigns.

Originally formed to reduce measles deaths in Africa, the Initiative now supports vaccination campaigns in more than 60 countries around the world. Since 2001, the Measles Initiative supported the vaccination of more than 600 million children.  On December 4, 2008, the Measles Initiative announced global measles deaths dropped by 74% between 2000 and 2007. Although more than 3.6 million lives have been saved, there is still much more work to be done. If you would like more information on the Measles Initiative and how you can contribute to this campaign locally, please contact our Youth Outreach Associate, Amanda Cropper.  We need dedicated volunteers to advocate and fundraise for this Initiative throughout San Diego!

Regional Programs and Response: See what the Red Cross is currently doing around the world to help alleviate human suffering.