The
Red Cross Emblem
The Protective Shield of Humanity
The Red Cross:
Five, red, equal-sized squares forming a cross on a white background.
It is one of the most widely recognized emblems
in the world.
It means "Don't Shoot" in
every language.
Introduction
Henry Dunant, a Swiss citizen traveling in northern Italy on business, faced a horrendous sight when he arrived in the village of Solferino in June 1859. On the previous day the armies of France, Sardinia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire had met in battle, and more than 40,000 wounded and dead soldiers still lay on the battlefield. There were few military or local medical services to tend to their wounds, and those that were presnt were completely overwhelmed by the enormity of the task.
Dunant set to work and organized local citizens to set up temporary infirmaries and hospitals. He ensured that the victims from both sides of the conflict received food, water and rudimentary medical attention. This experience transformed Dunant's life, prompting him to chronicle his experiences in a book called A Memory of Solferino.
Public reception of this work inspired Dunant and four other citizens of Geneva to form a committee and organize an international conference in 1863. This conference resulted in the creation of the first Geneva Convention on the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded on the Field of Battle in 1864, and the birth of the International Red Cross Movement.
Henry Dunant
CRCS Photo
Combat Medics
ICRC Photo
Picture a war zone where no-one is spared its fury - medical establishments and staff come under direct fire, the wounded lay untended where they fall, and ambulances are easily identifiable targets for snipers. This picture could be in the Congo, Afghanistan, Chechnya or the West Bank - today.
What Does the Red Cross Emblem Mean?
The first Geneva Convention specifically addressed this issue when it recognized one international symbol - the red cross on a white background - to clearly distinguish medical personnel and facilities (both military and volunteer) of all countries in order to protect them from attack in times of armed conflict. Today, the Red Cross emblem remains a universally recognized symbol of assistance conveying humanity, neutrality and impartiality, with the Red Crescent on a white background enjoying the same status in certain Islamic countries.
Canadian Red Cross workers regularly give up the comfort of their North American existence to help those suffering from famine, disease and armed conflict around the world. They work under conditions of great personnel danger and extreme hardship. They do it in the name of the Red Cross and under the protection of its emblem. Red Cross workers carry no arms. Their only shield is the universally recognized Red Cross emblem.
Who Can Use It?
The Red Cross emblem and the words "Red Cross" may be used in times of both armed conflict and peace to identify facilities for the care of the wounded and sick members of the military, armed forces medical personnel and equipment, and members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement engaged in humanitarian activities.
Canada is obligated, as a signatory to the 1949Geneva Conventions, to promote respect for the emblem and to take measures to prevent and repress any misuse of the emblem and the "Red Cross" name. It is only through continued vigilance that the emblem's protective role is preserved.
What is a Misuse?
Because the symbol of a red cross is so pervasive, many are tempted to use the Red Cross name and emblem, believing them to be "in the public domain". All unauthorized use is serious because it threatens the integrity of the emblem as a symbol of protection, impartiality and neutrality. Misuse can be found on the Internet, on computer software, on business cards and corporate letterhead, on signs and billboards, on commercial vehicles, on clothing, in catalogs, books and magazines…just about anywhere. The most common forms of misuse occur in the health and retail worlds and often relate to first aid products and services, or toys. Some people mistakenly believe that the Red Cross emblem is an internationally recognized symbol of first aid. IT IS NOT.
Is the Emblem a Corporate Logo?
The Red Cross emblem IS NOT a corporate logo. Both international treaty law and Canadian law protect the Red Cross emblem from any commercial use. Use of the emblem is restricted so that its distinctive meaning is not eroded. These limits are not there to protect any vested interest of the Red Cross as an organization. In fact, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and individual national Red Cross or Red Crescent societies do not own the emblems, but are, in effect licensees under the Geneva Conventions with specific authority to use the "Red Cross" name and emblem for specific humanitarian purposes.
In peacetime, the emblem indicates people, programs and objects associated with the various components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Because the Canadian Red Cross Society does provide first aid training and humanitarian services, the emblem is legitimately linked to these activities. But, the Society cannot grant permission for its emblem to be used at first aid or emergency locations when it has no control over the location or its personnel.
Why Protect the Emblem in Canada?
Some may think it unreasonable for The Canadian Red Cross Society to be so zealous in its protection of the emblem in this country. The Society believes that it must actively safeguard the emblem at home if we expect other countries to do the same abroad. Recent history has also shown that we Canadians are not immune from conflict within our borders. In 1990, during the Oka Crisis, the Society was called upon to act as a neutral intermediary between the Mohawk Warriors and the Canadian Forces. Under the protection of the emblem, Red Cross workers provided food, medical supplies and other necessities to those affected by the standoff.
Can We be Forced to Comply?
Most people and organizations that have misused the Red Cross emblem voluntarily agree to stop once its true significance has been explained to them. When voluntary compliance is not forthcoming, both the Government of Canada and the Society CAN and WILL take legal action.
Measures to protect the emblem exist in three separate pieces of Canadian legislation: the Geneva Conventions Act, the Canadian Red Cross Society Act, and the Trade Marks Act.
Red Cross Hospital Ship
ICRC Photo
Can We Use a Similar Symbol?
The use of any form of red cross on a white background, or any symbol so closely resembling a red cross as to be likely mistaken for it, is prohibited. This includes a red cross that has writing or designs on it, and any cross of a different shade of red, such as reddish-orange, pink or burgundy. Similarly, the use of a white cross on a red background, the national flag of Switzerland, is also prohibited under the Geneva Conventions Act and the Trade Marks Act.
What Can We Use?
An alternative symbol of first aid - a white cross on a green background - is recommended by the International Standards Organization and used by various national governments, including Canada. The Standards Council of Canada may provide further information about this symbol.
How Can We Help to Protect the Emblem?
Those of us who live without the constant fear of armed conflict must protect, nurture and spread knowledge of the true meaning of the Red Cross emblem. Please report any misuse of the "Red Cross" emblem or name to your local Red Cross branch or contact us on the Canadian Red Cross web site, www.redcross.ca.
No misuse is too small to report. By vigourously preventing the misuse of the emblem in peacetime, we preserve its ability to protect the vulnerable in times of armed conflict.
"The Red Cross is a light showing the right way in the darkness…It is our duty to see to it that it does not go out.."
Albert Schweitzer