International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC (1863- )

Awarded the Prize “for its taking up the role of moral guardian of the Geneva Convention; taking the initiative in the exchange of seriously wounded prisoners; establishing Central Prisoners of War Agency, supplying information to families concerning the whereabouts welfare of the prisoners.”

The International Committee of the Red Cross grows up from the International Committee for the Relief of the Wounded. It was established, in 1863, to care for victims of battle in time of war, but later national Red Cross societies were created to aid in the prevention relief of human suffering generally. Its peacetime activities include first aid, accident prevention, water safety, training of nurses’ aids mothers’ assistants, maintenance of maternal child welfare centers medical clinics, blood banks, numerous other services. The Red Cross is the name used in ries under nominally Christian sponsorship; Red Crescent is the na