Mr. Speaker, today is World Red Cross Red Crescent Day. Every year on May 8 the international community recognizes the contribution made by the Red Cross movement to humanity.
The International Committee of the Red Cross was founded in 1863 by a Swiss businessperson named Henry Dunant after he had witnessed the terrible suffering of the war-wounded at the battle of Solferino in 1859.
From a small committee based in Geneva, the Red Cross movement has grown and expanded its activities to the point where there are national societies in 183 countries, 100 million volunteers and 300,000 staff members worldwide. It is the largest humanitarian organization in the world.
The mission of the Red Cross is to mobilize the power of humankind to help the most vulnerable. The growth of the Red Cross shows the power of an idea and the impact one person can have on the course of events.