World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day

Each year Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is celebrated on 8 May. This is to commemorate those who volunteer their time in assisting these organisations in caring for vulnerable communities. The Red Cross Society was founded in 1863 after Henry Dunant; a Swiss national, who witnessed the suffering of the wounded, dying, and displaced in a battle in Northern Italy. Among the notable successes of this organisation is that they have achieved a 75% decrease in the cases of measles in Africa and are among the leaders in their campaign to eradicate malaria. The symbol of the Red Cross organization varies as the cross is symbolic of Christianity, in Muslim countries, the Red Crescent is the symbol of this organization. This is not true for all Muslim countries as the symbol of the organisation in Iran is the Red Lion and Sun. There has even been a demand for a Red Star of David by Israel, as they feel that Christianity and Islam are acknowledged by the current symbols, yet Judaism is omitted.