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HENRY DUNANT

Henry Dunant, the founder of volunteers who would perform
their work as neutrals without
the Red Cross, born in Geneva
hindrance from the military.
on 8 May 1828, was the first
child of a wealthy,
Napoleon Ill also gave him
religious, humanitarian and
permission to operate his mill
privileged household. (Note
and, into the bargain, gave him
that although he was baptised
the rights to a very large tract
Jean-Henri, the most common
of land in Algeria.
way that he wrote his name
was "Henry".) He seemed
His book, A Souvenir of
destined to become a priest,
Solferino, had great impact.
but he was so hopeless at
Victor Hugo congratulated
French, mathematics and
him. A Genevan lawyer,
particularly Latin that this idea
Gustave Moynier, told Dunant
had to be abandoned.
permit to operate his mill was that he had the support of the
not forthcoming, while those Geneva Society of Public
As a young man, around 1848,
Dunant took part in charitable of his rivals were granted. Interest, of which he was
Large sums of money were chairman. Moynier and
work visiting the poor, the sick
and prisoners in Geneva. To involved, so, armed with a Dunant got on very well
have more impact, the group letter of introduction from together. In February 1863 a
General Dufour, Dunant went special commission was set up
of religiously committed with Dunant as secretary. After
young men formed themselves to see the Emperor of France,
into the Union of Geneva. Napoleon III, about it. several changes of name, this
special commission would
Similar groups were formed in
France, Belgium and the He caught up with the become in 1875 the
United States. Dunant became Emperor in northern Italy on International Committee of the
Friday, 24 June 1859- - the day Red Cross. Dunant was a
the dynamic international sec-
retary of this global move- of the Battle of Solferino. On visionary: he wrote the min-
ment. It was he who wrote the the battlefield the Italo-French utes and the letters, he drafted
charter of what became, in army faced the Austrians. The the conventions, he persuaded
1855, the Young Men's carnage was frightful: it is the diplomats, he talked to
Christian Association, whose estimated that there were some journalists. But if a global
headquarters is still located in 40,000 casualties. Many were agreement was to be reached,
left to die of wounds, thirst and the best policy was to convoke
Geneva today.
neglect in the following days. an international conference. In
October 1863 fourteen nations
In 1849 his father arranged for
met and agreed to set up Red
momentarily
Dunant
him to work as a clerk in a
abandoned his affairs to Cross committees in each
prestigious bank. He was
viewed so favourably by his organize care for the wounded. country. On 22 August of the
Apart from his own efforts, he following year the Geneva
superiors that in 1853 he was
sent to the French colony of persuaded Napoleon III to Convention was adopted. The
contribution of Dunant was
Algeria to supervise the bank's release all Austrian doctors
held prisoner so that they universally recognized and he
activities there. His job was to
persuade Swiss farmers to pur- could help too. He subsequent- was showered with honours.
ly published a book (at his
chase farms in Algeria on land
belonging to the bank. In own expense) that described As the Red Cross took shape,
the battle and the plight of the more practical men came to
1855, he left the bank and set
up his own company to man- wounded (see box). He the fore and Dunant began to
age a wheat farm in Algeria. observed that 'future battles fade from the scene. There was
will only become more another reason for this. After
There was no way to grind the
wheat into flour so, without murderous'. He suggested that several years of neglect, his
business affairs in Algeria had
authorization, he built a water- European governments should
powered mill. His business set up a society that would take to be liquidated. In 1867 it was
affairs quickly prospered. care of the wounded during discovered that Dunant had
Nevertheless, an official war. This society would be made unwise investments and
staffed by trained medical was, in fact, deeply in debt.
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