If you want to keep a secret call the Red Cross

I love learning new things and I just did (ok. maybe back in December but I just thought about writing something because I just wrote about the dilemma of Conscience and the price of Evil).

I have always known that the Red Cross is staunchly neutral. Meaning that they will be silent in the face of any inhumanity or evil in order to meet the on the ground obligations of dealing with the human needs. They do this within conflict (war work well known) as well as humanitarian efforts for disaster relief – disaster being both natural and manmade. I didn’t know this but they have a network of humanitarian volunteers in over 186 countries.

Despite some pressure from other aid organizations the Red Cross staunchly defends its impartiality to politics and “evil doings” as being the advantage to serving the needs of the people anywhere.

Because of their stance in countries ravaged by war and genocide, the local Red Cross efforts have proven quite resilient. Basically, Red Cross (or Red Crescent societies – latter title preferred in many Muslim countries) gains access to areas others cannot in order to help those in need … because they are fanatically secretive with regard to what they see and hear around them.

The needs of those who are in harm’s way stand far above anything else they may feel.

I have one word for this – wow.

Ok. Let me share an example of why I say “wow.” (and I could use many but this ties into my Conscience post)

For example. In World War II the Red Cross could have possibly been invited to assist in aiding Concentration Camp victims but would have been required to tell no one about the Concentration Camps. Wow.

(this is only partially hypothetical because I believe they did work with Nazis in some situations)

If you want a moral dilemma take this one on. I am not sure I can.

But I do know one thing.

While I am fairly sure I couldn’t do it I am glad someone can … and someone does. I admire the Red Cross as an organization relentlessly sticking to its vision and mission and understanding their end objective – assisting people in need. They understand they cannot control Conflict but rather only serve those in the aftermath of conflict.

I cannot imagine how difficult it is to maintain their discreet silence in the face of some terrible atrocities.

This is simply a “wow” post from me. I guess I never really knew, or maybe took the time to think about, the extent of their “silence to do good work” manifesto.

Wrapping my head around this makes my head hurt. Thank god for an organization like the Red Cross and the minds who created it with the vision they maintain today.