Thousands of Red Cross and Red Crescent members and volunteers gathered in Solferino, Italy, on Saturday, 22 June, for a moving, torchlit procession called the “Fiaccolata,” which follows the path Henry Dunant and local volutneer nurses took as they responded to the Battle of Solferino in northern Italy 165 years ago today.
It was that battle, and the suffering Dunant witnessed among thousands of injured soldiers, that inspired his years-long mission to create a neutral and impartial humanitarian corps of volunteers who would help all people suffering due to conflict.
Volunteers light their torches for this year’s procession in Soferino. This year, to spread the light of humanity as far and wide as possible, the IFRC asks everyone to join in and #PassTheTorch via social media.
Photo: Italian Red Cross
‘Zealous, devoted volunteers’
Having witnessed the horrific aftermath of the Battle of Solferino, Dunant was also inspired to write A Memory of Solferino and later set about a process that led to the creation of the Geneva Conventions and the establishment of the International Red Cross (ICRC) in 1863.
“Would it not be possible,” he wrote, “in time of peace and quiet to form relief societies for the purpose of having care given to the wounded in wartime by zealous, devoted and thoroughly qualified volunteers?”
Red Cross and Red Crescent staff carry an IFRC flag as they following the steps taken by the women of Castiglione delle Stiviere in the aftermath of the bloody Battle of Solferino on June 24, 1859.
Photo: Italian Red Cross
A week of festivities
The weeklong festivities include speakers, a learning academy, entertainment, group events and guided tours which culminate in the Fiaccolata.
The Fiaccolata route retraces the steps of the women from the town of Castiglione delle Stiviere in the battle's aftermath, as they transported 600 soldiers from Solferino to a nearby church in Castiglione delle Stiviere.
Henry Dunant organized these women to provide first aid and care to the many wounded left laying on that battlefield. They paid no attention to a soldier’s nationality, and thus laid the foundation for neutral and impartial humanitarian action.
This celebration of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement in Solferino has been held every year since 1992. For the IFRC and its 191 member Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, the anniversary is a time to re-ignight the flame of humanity, refresh our humanitarian drive to help others and to thank the 16 million Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers who give their time, their passions and who often risk their lives in order to save the lives of others.