"Tuttti fratelli!" - "We are all brothers!"

On June 24, 1859, not far from Solferino, a small town in northern Italy, Austrian military units clashed with the allied French-Italian army. The last battle for independence was fought, after which the Austrians were expelled from northern Italy; the French emperor Napoleon III came to Italy's aid. The bloody battle that lasted 15 hours left with it 40,000 wounded who were dying on the battlefield. The medical services, not knowing that the battle had begun, were far from this scene. Only a few doctors, who found themselves there, tried to help the wounded with insignificant funds, but for most of them there was no rescue.

A young merchant from Geneva, who happened to be near the battlefield, witnessed a terrifying sight. His name was Henri Dinan, he was 31 years old and was driven by a sudden urge to help everyone in need. But seeing the incredible number of wounded who were around him, he very quickly established that he himself was helpless and would not be able to do much for them. He then spontaneously tries to recruit volunteers among the civilian population of Solferino who initially proved very reluctant. Henri Dinan then shouted at them "Tuttti fratelli!" - "We are all brothers!" And with his loud call he managed to break the resistance and open the hearts of these men and women. Gradually, good will and enthusiasm triumph. The wounded were taken away from the battlefield, to churches and private houses, where the population wholeheartedly helped them.

Tirelessly, Henri Dinan cared for the wounded for 3 days and 3 nights. He brought drinks to those who had a fever, comforted the dying, promising to convey the last message to their family. He also finds time to encourage other volunteers to help. These volunteers are full of good will, but are unable to provide adequate assistance because they lack the knowledge and training needed.

The idea, vague at first, begins to take shape in Henri Dinan's mind: if there were a large number of volunteers in Solferino who had good medical training in the basics, how much unnecessary suffering could have been avoided? How many promising young lives could have been saved? Suddenly, the only possible solution is imposed on Henri Dinan: an international aid society should be created, which would be based on a treaty and which would legally bind the states. Upon his return to Geneva, Henri Dinan cannot forget the fears of the scene whose eyewitness he was in Solferino. Three years after these events, he waved his pen and began writing "Memory of Solferino", a book that will enter the annals of humanity. He was not satisfied to describe in the book the unbearable conditions in which the soldiers found themselves after the battle, but he clearly stated his ideas. It calls for the signing of an international convention to ensure the protection of civilian victims of war and for the creation, in all countries, of relief societies, based on the principle of impartiality and bringing together volunteers trained to help the wounded.

Henri Dinan publishes a book about his expense in 400 copies and sends it to important people and his friends. Dinan's idea seems completely unrealistic, even revolutionary. It is understandable that he does not come across open doors everywhere; his friends ridicule him, even calling his ideas "crazy." But other personalities, on the contrary, hear his appeal. General Guillaume Henri Difour and lawyer Gustave Monier, who have read his book, believe that his ideas and plans are achievable. They get in touch with him. On February 9, 1863, the Geneva Public Benefit Society, headed by Monier, established a committee to examine Dinan's proposals. This committee consists of, in addition to Monie, Dinan and Difu, war surgeon Louis Apia and physician Theodore Monoir. These five people met for the first time on February 17, 1863, and already formed the "International Committee for Aid to the Wounded".

Shortly afterwards, this "Committee of Five" began to spread its ideas around the world. In the summer of the same year, 1863, the committee invited a number of countries to Geneva for an international congress. On October 26, General Difur opens this conference, which brought together 36 representatives from 16 countries. After 4 days of the congress, the assembly makes ten decisions and expresses three wishes: Creation, in each of the countries, of a "national committee for assistance to the wounded", and as a condition and basis, requires that medical services, volunteers and the wounded be protected. declared "neutral" or "inviolable".

The gathering adopts as a sign of protection and recognition a red cross on a white field, inverted from the colors of the Swiss flag. Dinan's vision becomes a reality: the world organization of the Red Cross was born Dinanova vizija postaje stvarnost: rođena je svjetska organizacija Crvenog krsta.For years, my students have been participating in the competition "What do you know about the Red Cross" and winning first places. In memory of Henri Dinan and his humanitarian mission. We also help in the action "Blood means life"