1862年10月瑞士銀行家亨利‧杜南先生出版《蘇法利諾回憶錄》,記述他1859年蘇法利諾一役後,提供給傷兵的照護經驗。 In
October 1862 Henry Dunant published "A Memory of Solferino", an
account of his experiences organizing care for the wounded after the battle of
Solferino of 1859.
1863年:紅十字誕生
1863年2月17日,一群日內瓦公民成立「救援傷兵國際委員會」,是為現今紅十字國際委員會的前身。
On 17 February 1863, a group of citizens of Geneva founded an International Committee for Relief to the Wounded, which later became known as the International Committee of the Red Cross.
1864年:日內瓦公約誕生
1864年8月22日的日內瓦外交會議上,十六個國家代表共同簽署一份對於保護傷兵、平民及設備的承諾(即「陸地上部隊傷兵境遇公約」),至此日內瓦公約誕生。 On
22 August 1864, sixteen States agreed a treaty enshrining the obligation to
spare and protect wounded soldiers and the people and equipment involved in
their care: the Geneva Convention was born.
1875-1876年:ICRC第一次任務
自1875年起,巴爾幹半島上對於鄂圖曼土耳其帝國的起義衝突逐漸攀升,ICRC因而首次派遣人員執行任務。 Starting
in 1875, uprisings against the Ottoman Empire spread throughout the Balkans,
prompting the ICRC to send its first mission to the field.
1914-1918年:ICRC持續行動
第一次世界大戰期間,ICRC設立了國際資訊中心,以掌握世界各地囚犯的行蹤,並協助囚犯親屬寄送包裹給牢獄中的親人。 During
the First World War the ICRC set up an international agency for centralizing
information about prisoners of war and enabling families to send them relief
parcels.
1929年:關於戰犯的對待
1929年7月27日第三次的日內瓦外交會議上,通過有關戰犯對待條款的日內瓦第三公約。 On
27 July 1929 a diplomatic conference adopted the Third Geneva Convention,
relative to the treatment of prisoners of war in international conflicts.
1939-1945年:戰火與鮮血的年代
第二次世界大戰使得ICRC的工作更顯重要,但這段期間所發生的納粹迫害、種族滅絕和數百萬人在集中營喪失生命的事件,突顯出人道工作的挫敗,與必須繼續推廣這項的理由。 The
ICRC’s work during the Second World War was unprecedented. However, this was
also a time of failure, the failure to help and protect the millions of people
who were exterminated in the death camps. The ICRC has publicly expressed its
regret regarding its impotence and the mistakes it made in dealing with Nazi
persecution and genocide.
1949年:四個日內瓦公約
1949年8月12日這天,通過確立了保護武裝衝突受害者的四個日內瓦公約。 On
12 August 1949 the four Geneva Conventions for the protection of victims of war
were adopted.
1950-1953年:韓戰
韓戰,是繼第二次世界大戰之後,第一個被認為可能動用核子武器的國際武裝衝突。 The
Korean war, the first major international conflict after the Second World War,
was marked by the threat of a potential use of nuclear weapons.
1964-1980年:越戰和紅色高棉
ICRC在東南亞地區的人道工作,一直到1980年後才較有發揮的空間;即使如此,ICRC在越戰期間的工作仍是困難重重,在柬埔寨進入紅色高棉期間,甚至拒絕ICRC的人道援助,直到1979年當局政權倒台才改善。 Although
after 1980 the ICRC was able to assist refugee populations in South-East Asia,
its activities during the Vietnam war were difficult on both sides. In Cambodia
the ICRC was not able to carry out its activities until after the fall of the
Khmer Rouge in 1979.
1980-1988年:兩伊戰爭
在這場血腥的武裝衝突期間,ICRC保持中立,為雙方戰犯權益奔走。 During
the bloody conflict between Iraq and Iran the ICRC carried out activities on
behalf of prisoners of war on both sides.
1991年:新型衝突帶來挑戰
波灣戰爭期間,ICRC另外也面臨中歐及東歐以蘇聯為首的蘇聯集團,以及西非極端暴力衝突等新型武裝衝突所帶來的挑戰與衝擊。 At
the same time as it was carrying out operations during the Persian Gulf War,
the ICRC was faced with the challenge of the “new” conflicts that broke out
following the collapse of the Eastern bloc and hostilities of extreme violence,
such as in West Africa.
1994-2003年:盧安達大屠殺與剛果大湖區難民營危機
1994年4月,ICRC竭盡所能地協助飽受生命威脅和逃難的盧安達難民,獲得基本的生存保障。 When
the massacres in Rwanda started in April 1994, the ICRC did the best it could
to assist population groups threatened by the killings as well as displaced
people.
2001年:與恐怖主義對抗
2001年9月11日美國紐約遭受恐怖攻擊,啟動美國「反恐戰爭」,以及美軍駐紮阿富汗與伊拉克的一系列軍事行動,增添ICRC人道工作的挑戰。 The
“war on terror” declared after the attacks that struck New York on 11
September, and the military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, raised a number
of new challenges for the ICRC.
2010-2011年:阿拉伯國家危機
儘管各國出現的民權抗爭略有不同,但「阿拉伯之春」在北非及中東遍地開花,造成程度不等的人道影響。 Despite
certain similarities, the events of the "Arab Spring" that swept
through several countries in North Africa and the Middle East differed in terms
of their humanitarian consequences.
今天:人道援助進行式
從過去到現在,ICRC仍在世界各個角落,提供人道協助給數百萬名受武裝衝突及暴力威脅的人們。 The
ICRC works to help and protect the millions all over the world who suffer the
effects of conflict and armed violence.