“In those Lombardy hospitals it could be seen and realized how dearly bought and how abundantly paid for is that commodity which men pompously call Glory!”
Henry Dunant, A memory of Solferino
“Can I participate in this event, the fiaccolata, next year too?” asks Francesca, my Italian friend, as have many of my colleagues after hearing my vibrant account. My enthusiasm must be contagious!
I will never forget Solferino 2008, a weekend bursting with information, images and, above all, emotions. My verbal reports since I got back have sparked an almost “infectious” interest; those I tell feel a burning desire to be part of the celebrations too. It is impossible not to succumb to the charms of the fiaccolata, the torchlight procession organized by the Italian Red Cross each year, in which each flame represents the quintessence of the International Movement.
I will never forget the shining eyes of the thousands of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers who came from all over the world just to participate in the procession. The procession begins in the village of Solferino, at the battle memorial, where each of the 186 National Societies is represented on an engraved marble plaque. It is a pilgrimage of human warmth that honours the memory of Henry Dunant, the champion of universal philanthropy and a man of great compassion, but which also pays tribute to the spirit of the millions of people who, since 1863, have served others throughout the world, whether in Somalia, Myanmar or elsewhere.
I will never forget the weekend of 28 June 2008 and the atmosphere of peace and commitment that enveloped the small town of Solferino, the stage for the fierce battle between Franco-Piedmontese troops and the Austrian army on 24 June 1859, which left pitiful scenes of horror and desolation in its wake. It was this tragic spectacle that inspired Henry Dunant’s vision and it was in this precise place that the Genevan citizen decided to create a neutral and independent movement to assist wounded soldiers. Solferino, the genesis of the Movement.
I will never forget those volunteers, happy just to be there and to be celebrating the birth of Red Cross Red Crescent solidarity, happy, yet also very much aware of the suffering of others in natural disasters, hospitals and shanty towns. The Movement’s volunteers, who win victories and suffer defeats, are repaid with a smile; the smiles and encouragement of the Mr Del Toro, President of the International Federation, and Dr Massimo Barra, President of the Italian Red Cross, present at the event, who are committed to making the 150th anniversary of Solferino the landmark event of 2009.
I will never forget the torrent of some 5,000 people driven by the same spirit, the same ideal. Along the entire length of the ten-kilometre route, the villagers had hung flags from their windows with the famous Red Cross on a white background. Solferino had become “Red Cross Land!” The heterogeneous and cosmopolitan crowd presented an array of extraordinary portraits ranging from a newborn child to a tired old man and the smiling face of a man in a wheelchair.
However, they all had one thing in common: the light of their inner flame held high.
I will never forget Solferino 2008...
...How could I!
|
 |
|
News
