The American Red Cross Structure - Research Proposal Example

In 1859, Mr. Dunant witnessed a battle in Italy and was horrified to see how the wounded were left to die without help. Very rapidly he organized the villagers to recover the injured and took them to houses and church to provide them with the best help they could at the time. Most of them had little or no medical experience. From there on, Dunant devoted his work to train international relief groups that would go into aid the wounded in battlefields worldwide, both civilians and soldiers, who were victims of war, it is important to outline that Mr.

Dunant required these organizations to work independently from any nation. Starting in 1863, two conferences played very important roles for the Red Cross organization. The first one in Geneva, Switzerland, outlined the principles of the Red Cross, and the second one, created the set of rules of how to treat the wounded on a battlefield and the conduct of war. Initially, twelve European Nations signed the Geneva Convention, today the Red Cross organization can work in war zones and battlefield worldwide, under the International Committee of the Red Cross.

(Red Cross History. How the American Red Cross Works. Howstuffworks.com)In the United States, during the civil war, Clara Barton volunteered as a nurse to aid the wounded soldiers in the battlefield. She had no medical background since she was a former school teacher and later an office clerk. Her first-hand experience with the wounded inside the battlefield, made her realize that these soldiers needed professional care as soon as the battle ended, and later when the war was over, she created a system to track down missing soldiers and bring them together with their families.

Later on, she made a trip to Europe where she learned about the Red Cross organization and its similarities to her efforts. She stayed in Europe and volunteered to work in European wars.