The Swedish Red Cross is an all-purpose non-profit association founded in 1865. Today, the Swedish Red Cross is Sweden's largest humanitarian organization, with over 30,000 volunteers in almost 1,000 red-crown circles spread all over the country.
The Swedish Red Cross is an important association in the International Red Cross movement and a major contributor to sister associations in other countries.
The History of the Swedish Red Cross
The Swedish Red Cross was founded on May 24, 1865. The first years were devoted to preparations for humanitarian efforts in any war. A nurse training was also started. Since the start, the Swedish Red Cross has assisted sister societies around the world with both financial, material and personnel assistance.
As early as the 1880s, the Swedish Red Cross started the First Aid programs around the country. Among other things, the staff were trained at SJ and the Post Office, and later later, forest owners and sawmill workers in Norrland. This was the beginning of what was later called worker protection. Between the two world wars, the Swedish Red Cross initiated many improvements in poor Sweden. These activities have since been taken over by society.
Mission
The Red Cross has a unique mission in international humanitarian law - to help people who suffer from war and conflict. It gives us an opportunity to be in place where no other help organizations get access.
The Red Cross never chooses a page in a conflict. However, They always take a stand for the individual person who is suffering. It is their unique mandate, their neutrality and impartiality, which enables us to be in place in troubled hardships and war zones where no other organizations exist. They have a great opportunity to help and change the situation of people around the world.
Supports Swedish authorities
In Sweden they work with the same things and also have a special responsibility to help the state to spread knowledge about and ensure respect for international humanitarian law. In practice, they do this by, for example, training military personnel about the laws of war. They also carry out humanitarian efforts, for example, they have six treatment centers for the rehabilitation of victims of war and torture, they help EU migrants, organize activities for asylum seekers and they work to investigate and reconnect divorced families.
Emblem that protects
For the Red Cross to be able to fulfill its important mission, we are protected by the emblems of the Red Cross, the Red Crescent, and the Red Crystal . What is marked with these symbols must not be attacked. The symbols are used to label and protect all wounded and ill, as well as civil and military healthcare in armed conflicts. Part of the Red Cross's mission is also to protect the emblems against improper use.
