Swiss Red Cross
| Swiss Red Cross (SRK) |
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|---|---|
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| legal form | registered association |
| founding | July 17, 1866 in Bern |
| founder | Guillaume Henri Dufour , Jakob Dubs |
| Seat | Bern , Switzerland |
| main emphasis | Humanitarian aid , international humanitarian law , social work |
| Chair | Thomas Heiniger |
| Website | www.redcross.ch |
The Swiss Red Cross (SRK) is the national Red Cross Society of Switzerland founded in Bern in 1866 . In accordance with the Geneva Red Cross Agreement and its recognition by the International Committee of the Red Cross ( ICRC ), it is a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and thus part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement . The SRK is the oldest and largest relief organization in the country. The SRC consists of 24 cantonal associations, four rescue organizations, two foundations and two associations.
history
Foundation and first years
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The Swiss Red Cross was founded in Bern on July 17, 1866 at the suggestion of Federal Councilor Jakob Dubs and the two ICRC members Gustave Moynier and Guillaume-Henri Dufour . After it was founded, the SRK called itself the "Aid Association for Swiss Army Men and Their Families".
The establishment of the national organization was fraught with obstacles. On the one hand, Switzerland only had little cohesion at the federal level at the time, and on the other hand, it had to contend with both political and religious disputes. In addition, the neutrality of the country and the simultaneous existence of the ICRC as an institution under Swiss association law proved to be further difficulties.
The Zurich pastor Walter Kempin founded the "Central Association of the Swiss Red Cross" in 1882, which he headed until 1885. It took until the beginning of the 20th century until the appointment of the doctor Walter Sahli as permanent central secretary in 1898 from this Central Association and the auxiliary association founded by Dubs, Moynier and Dufour began to consolidate the structures of the SRK. As a result, cantonal and local sections were founded, Red Cross nurses formed and transport columns set up. In 1903, the official role of the SRC was regulated by a federal resolution as a sponsor of nursing and serving the army ( Red Cross service ).
With the invasion of the Bourbaki army , the SRK had its first aid mission in March 1871. The aim was to provide medical care to 85,000 members of the French army interned in Switzerland for six weeks.
First World War
During the First World War , the SRK was responsible for maintaining social and material support for the mobilized soldiers. Furthermore, for humanitarian reasons, it used specially equipped medical trains to repatriate around 80,000 wounded soldiers from German and French prisoner-of-war camps to their home countries. It also organized recreation stays for thousands of wounded foreign soldiers. Lung damaged German soldiers were interned in the Swiss mountain health resorts via Konstanz. The Swiss French-speaking writer Noëlle Roger described these humanitarian actions in detail. Another focus of the SRC's activities was the fight against the Spanish flu , which also cost thousands of lives in Switzerland.
In the interwar period, the SRK delivered food aid to other countries, for example to Vienna in 1919 and to Russia in 1922.
Second World War
During the Second World War , the SRC provided the civilian population and the army with support with material and auxiliary personnel and organized a blood donation service. It also promoted nursing training. It took care of 180,000 children within the framework of the Children's Aid of the Swiss Red Cross (SRK, Kh) founded in 1942 , which was financially supported by the Swiss donation , and looked after civil and military persons interned in Switzerland. In almost every country in Europe it had its own aid programs or participated in such.
post war period
The SRK was strengthened in its national and international importance by the two world wars. This resulted in an expansion of the range of tasks and increased recognition both at home and abroad. The recognition as the national Red Cross Society of Switzerland was renewed in 1951 by the federal decree on the Swiss Red Cross .
In the following years the focus of activity shifted from military to civil aid. The SRK made a major contribution to the development of the Swiss healthcare system in Switzerland. It was responsible for the establishment and operation of a blood donation service and was committed to promoting care outside the hospital and occupational therapy . With a driving service, house calls, and the training of nursing assistants, the SRK is also increasingly involved in the social-medical field. The Swiss Red Cross was also largely responsible for the increasing professionalization of health and nursing and rescue services.
The SRC is also active in the refugee sector, supports asylum seekers and migrants and provides emergency and reconstruction aid. In development cooperation , it is a partner of the Directorate for Development and Cooperation and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It is one of the most active national societies on the international level within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
organization
Following the example of Switzerland, the Swiss Red Cross is a federally structured association based in Bern. It consists of 24 cantonal associations, four rescue organizations, two foundations and two associations. In 2010 the SRC had 4,725 employees with 2,422 full-time equivalents. In addition, there are around 72,000 volunteers who volunteer around 1.8 million hours.
The highest body is the Red Cross Assembly, consisting of 64 delegates from the cantonal associations and 33 members of the corporate members. The Red Cross Council makes strategic management decisions. It consists of nine members. The Red Cross Council is supported by the SRC office. The President, Thomas Heiniger since 2019 , represents the SRC and the Red Cross Council. In addition, he is also Vice President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies . The director of the SRK has been the economist, lawyer and social scientist Markus Mader since 2008.
The SRK is financed to around 16 percent from private donations, around 60 percent of the expenses it covers from invoiced services, around 16 percent come from public service income and the remaining 8 percent come from other income. In 2010 sales amounted to 606 million Swiss francs with total assets of 1.26 billion Swiss francs.
Medical Profession Register
The SRK is introducing an active, person-based, national register ( NAREG ) for non-university health professions, analogous to the medical professions register (MedReg). It will replace the passive, diploma-related register maintained by the Swiss Red Cross (SRK) on behalf of the GDK.
The cantonal associations
The 24 Red Cross cantonal associations are affiliated with the association. There is a joint cantonal association for the half-cantons of Obwalden and Nidwalden as well as the two Appenzell. The associations are independent associations and are supported by their members. You provide services in the areas of health promotion, relief and integration. The offer is tailored to the needs of the catchment area. The services are aimed at the sick and the elderly, those in need of care who are cared for at home and their relatives, families with children, as well as children and young people.
The cantonal associations are members of the SRC. The cooperation is coordinated by the National Conference of Cantonal Associations.
Red Cross rescue organizations
- Swiss Samaritan Association : Samaritans are specialists in first aid. In the association founded in 1888, around 28,000 Samaritans are involved in over 1,000 Samaritan associations. With over 100,000 course participants (2014), the Swiss Samaritan Association is one of the largest education providers in Switzerland. A selection of further training courses: emergency aid courses, first aid for chauffeurs (CZV courses), emergencies for small children, company and specialist courses.
- Schweizerische Lebensrettungsgesellschaft SLRG : It works to prevent accidents and to save human lives in general and in particular in and around the water.
- Swiss Military Medical Association SMSV : It is responsible for off-duty training for army medical personnel and civil defense.
- Swiss Association for Search and Rescue Dogs REDOG : Teams consisting of humans and dogs are trained to rescue missing and buried persons. The association has around 650 members.
The institutions
- Humanitarian Foundation SRK : It is a non-profit foundation based in Bern. She supports the SRC in humanitarian projects at home and abroad.
- Blood Donation Service SRK : It is a non-profit public company. 60 blood donation centers, organized in 13 regional blood donation services, supply the hospitals in their region. So-called mobile teams are used in rural areas . The SRC also cooperates with the local Samaritan associations in these regions. The SRC blood donation service processes around 400,000 blood donations per year.
Until 2011, the Swiss Red Cross was also responsible for the recognition and quality assurance of the old legal training in the field of nursing / health, the recognition of foreign training qualifications, the registration of diplomas as well as the keeping of statistics and information about the professions in the health care sector.
Youth Red Cross
The Youth Red Cross is the youth organization of the Swiss Red Cross. Members are young people between 16 and 30 years of age. The Youth Red Cross Organization (JRK) has a federal structure and is affiliated with the cantonal Red Cross organizations. There are JRKs in the cantons of Aargau, Basel, Bern-Mittelland, Biel, Freiburg, Geneva, St. Gallen, Lucerne and Zurich. The Youth Competence Center of the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) in Bern takes on the coordination, networking and support tasks for all member organizations that are active in youth work.
Other facilities
The Swiss Red Cross of both Appenzell operates the Henry Dunant Museum Heiden in the health resort of Heiden in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden , which is dedicated to the life and work of Henry Dunant , the founder of the Red Cross movement.
President
Presidents of the SRC and its predecessor organizations:
| Period | president |
|---|---|
| 1866-1872 | Jakob Dubs |
| 1873-1882 | Karl Schenk |
| 1882-1885 | Walter Kempin |
| 1886-1902 | Alfred Staehelin |
| 1902-1905 | Heinrich Haggenmacher |
| 1905-1908 | Hans Konrad Pestalozzi |
| 1908-1909 | Edmund von Steiger |
| 1910-1918 | Isaac Iselin-Sarasin |
| 1918-1928 | Karl Bohny |
| 1928-1929 | Alfred Kohler |
| 1929-1939 | Anton von Schulthess |
| 1939-1946 | Johannes von Muralt |
| 1946-1954 | Gustav Adolf Bohny |
| 1954-1968 | Ambrose by Albertini |
| 1968-1982 | Hans Haug |
| 1982-1988 | Kurt Bolliger |
| 1988-1996 | Karl Kennel |
| 1997-2001 | Franz Muheim |
| 2001-2011 | René Rhinow |
| 2011-2019 | Annemarie Huber-Hotz |
| since 2019 | Thomas Heiniger |
Web links
- www.redcross.ch
- Yves Sandoz: Red Cross. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
- Swiss Red Cross in the database Dodis the Diplomatic Documents of Switzerland
- Swiss Red Cross in the archive database of the Swiss Federal Archives
- The Red Cross (since 1924: The Red Cross - La Croix-rouge ), from 1894 to 1948 the official organ of the Swiss Central Association of the Red Cross, the Swiss Military Medical Association and the Samaritan Association on the e-periodica portal of ETH Zurich ; with links to the previous magazine Unter dem Rothen Kreuze (1893) and the successor magazines Das Schweizerische Rote Kreuz (1948–1984), Actio: a magazine for help in life (1985–1988) and Actio humana: the adventure of being human (1989–1991)
Individual evidence
- ^ Ralf Seuffert: Constance. 2000 years of history. UVK Verlagsgesellschaft, Konstanz, 2nd edition 2013, p. 194.
- ↑ NAREG health professions register
- ^ MedReg
- ↑ The 20 chairmen of the Swiss Red Cross. (PDF; 26 kB) (No longer available online.) In: Swiss Red Cross. Archived from the original on November 16, 2011 ; Retrieved November 8, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
