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Neutrality
In order to continue to enjoy the confidence
of all, the Movement may not take sides in hostilities or engage at
any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological
nature.
Analysis of the Fundamental Principle of Neutrality
The text under the Fundamental principle of Neutrality includes three
elements:
- the purpose of complying with the principle of Neutrality is
to enjoy the confidence of all. Implicitly, this compliance with
the principle of Neutrality is also a condition for operational
efficiency, which requires confidence of all in many contexts,
i.e. not only in armed conflicts contexts;
- the principle of Neutrality prohibits a component of the Movement
from taking part in hostilities;
- the principle of Neutrality prohibits the Movement from engaging
at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious
or ideological nature.
Consequences of the Fundamental principle of Neutrality
The consequences of the principle of Neutrality are the following:
- neutrality implies not acting in a way that could facilitate
the conduct of hostilities by any of the parties involved. The
role of National Societies as auxiliaries to public authorities
in the humanitarian field when they assist medical services of
armed forces - i.e. when they fulfill the initial function of
National Societies - should not be seen as taking part in hostilities;
- the neutrality includes many dimensions. Only the day-to-day
acts and words of a National Society can constitute an evidence
of its respect of the principle of Neutrality. For instance, if
a National Society branch expresses sympathy for a movement, a
cause or a political figure, for example by permitting the latter
to take advantage of Red Cross or Red Crescent membership for
electoral purposes, many volunteers may cancel their membership.
If a dispensary run by a National Society also displays a religious
affiliation in a country in which there is tension between the
members of different faiths, many patients will no longer wish
or dare to come for treatment. In other words, neutrality is a
state of mind, an attitude which must guide every step taken by
the Movement's components;
- due to the character of communication today, the violation of
the principle of Neutrality by a component of the Movement can
easily affect the image of other components and, thus, their ability
to work in a given context. Therefore, the principle of Neutrality
is to be seen in a global perspective.
Related links
Conde
de Barcelona International Prize awarded to Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement 26 November 2004
Neutral
Red Cross keeps out Kiev’s big chill
26 November 2004
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