World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is an annual celebration of the principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. World Red Cross Red Crescent Day is celebrated on 8 May each year. This date is the anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant (born 8 May 1828), the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.
The idea for an "annual action [that] could take hold in the whole world ... [that] would be a major contribution to peace" was introduced just after World War I and evolved out of the "Red Cross Truce, an initiative that was studied by an international commission established at the 14th International Conference of the Red Cross. Its results, presented to the 15th International Conference in Tokyo in 1934, was approved and having considered the principles of the truce, and its applicability across different regions of the world, the General Assembly of the International Federation of the Red Cross Societies (IFRC) asked the League of the Red Cross Societies (LORCS) to study the feasibility of adopting an annual International Red Cross Day. Two years later, the proposal was adopted and the first Red Cross Day was celebrated on 8 May 1948. The official title of the day has changed over time, and it became "World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day" in 1984.
World Red Cross Day Theme
World Red Cross Day is celebrated every year using a particular theme of the year to run this campaign very effectively all over the world. Some of the themes are mentioned below:
- World Red Cross Day theme of 2015 would be “Together for Humanity”.
- World Red Cross Day theme of 2014 was “Together for Humanity”.
- World Red Cross Day theme of 2013 was “Together for Humanity”.
- World Red Cross Day theme of 2012 was “youth on the move”.
- World Red Cross Day theme of 2011 was “Find the Volunteer inside You”.
- World Red Cross Day theme of 2010 was “Urbanization”.
- World Red Cross Day theme of 2009 was “Climate Change and its humanitarian consequences serving as a Solferino of Today”.