Jean
Henri Dunant was a Swiss businessman and social activist who founded what was
to become the International Red Cross Movement. After seeing the horrors of war
while on a business trip to Italy in 1859, Henri Dunant set out to advocate for
a neutral organization that could care for wounded soldiers and civilians during
a war. It took some time for his idea to spread, but eventually Red Cross societies
spread throughout the world, creating the world's largest network of humanitarian
aid. Dunant's ideas formed the basis of the Geneva Convention, adopted in 1864,
which is a legal document that for nearly 150 years has demanded humanitarian
treatment of civilians and prisoners of war during times of war. Henri Dunant
advocated for many other causes for a better world, including arguing for disarmament,
the creation of a world library, and the formation of an international court.
For his humanitarian work, Henri Dunant shared the first Nobel Peace Prize in
1901. His birthday is
celebrated as the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, and every two years the
commission of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement presents its
highest honor, the Henry Dunant Medal.
