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World Red Cross Red Crescent Day
   

 

 Youth on the Move: World Red Cross and Red Crescent day
 Concept Note

World Red Cross and Red Crescent day this year celebrates the impact and spirit of the youth under the theme “Youth on the Move”. This global approach to celebrate the spirit of Red Cross & Red Crescent youth is aimed not only to acknowledge their contribution to the Movement since 1922 but also to motivate the burgeoning global youth population.

The State of the World Population 2011 report  by the United Nations Fund for Population activities(UNFPA) states  that the world inhabits 7 billion people where people  under 25 make up 43 per cent (1.2 billion between the ages of 10 and 19) of the world’s population. According to the World Bank one fifth of the population in South Asia is between the ages of 15 and 24. India alone has more than 200 million young people. This is the largest number of young people ever to transition into adulthood, both in South Asia and in the world as a whole.   It is this population of young people which constitutes, for India, a potential demographic dividend. When young people   realise their potential, get optimal access to education and resources they become a powerful force for economic development and positive change.

Throughout the developing world, social scientists and policymakers want to make the most of large youthful populations. India’s young population is a big asset for the country. However, the obligation to enable the youth to follow the right direction towards building a better nation and being a better citizen rests with us. It is our duty to motivate the youth of our country, who are passionate to lead the change for a better India and support them for using their skills to catalyse development at the grass root level.

The youth of our country have, since before independence till today, participated in organising campaigns for eradication of social evils, and popularization of the nationally accepted objectives like nationalism, democracy, secularism, social harmony and development of scientific temper. It is this spirit of volunteerism amongst the youth that forms the core of the IRCS activity.
Indian Red Cross encourages, promotes and identifies the serving spirit of the Indian Red Cross Youth. Indian Red Cross at the National Headquarters has a Youth Section which supports the activities of Junior and Youth Red Cross across the nation. We have 12 million volunteers working all across the nation of which a sizable number are below 30 years of age.  Indian Red Cross youth receive maximum exposure to sharpen their skills and talent as well as a global platform to exhibit their potentials.

 With the approach of ‘Youth peer’, the Indian Red Cross is successfully running the Youth Peer Education Programme across the nation. We motivate our youth to educate their peers on hygiene, sanitation, awareness on HIV/AIDS.  We also promote first –aid and , environmental issues such as climate change, global warming and other contemporary subjects.

Indian Red Cross through its volunteers and members have achieved a success rate of 92.69 % in retrieving the defaulting patients of TB back to treatment encouraging them to adopt a healthy lifestyle and to work towards cure. The IRCS volunteers in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have distributed LLIN (Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets) to prevent spread of Malaria amongst identified households. These are but a few illustrations of the many that are carried out by the IRCS across the country.

Indian Red Cross provides vocational training in various vocational training centres in many state branches all across the country. Vocational training centres are operational in Bahadurgarh in Haryana, Arakonnam in Tamil Nadu etc. The Tamil Nadu state branch amongst others also runs several other vocational courses for e.g. the draftsman course which attracts many youth. 

Apart from vocational training centres, Home Health Care Attendants course in states like Gujarat, TN, Karnataka etc. trains people with the required skills to cater to the people who need such help. With an aim to empower women, make them   independent and also bring their share of income in the families, Indian Red Cross have Livelihood Programmes for the fisher-women community of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu towards empowering youth especially women to be self reliant. Indian Red Cross also imparts First Aid training to the young to enable them to provide succour in times of need and crisis. The Certified First Medical Responders Programme, targeted at the young, which is already established in the State of Uttarakhand, is set to launch in other states too.       

Indian Red Cross salutes the will and strength of a volunteer. Every minute everywhere our volunteers and youth are making a difference, in keeping with the spirit of the theme of the year “Youth on the Move”.

Some Resource materials e.g. Activities suggested by the IFRC, logos etc. As well as links to other resource materials that can be useful to volunteers are made available.



 
 
 
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