Marching on the Heels of the Vision - Marking the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Solferino

A delegation of five MDA volunteers left yesterday for Italy to participate in events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the vision of Solferino.

The battle of Solferino took place in 1859, during which the armies of France, Sardinia and Austria fought near the Italian city of Solferino. This battle is considered the decisive event which led to Italian unification and to the founding of the Red Cross movement.

When the fighting was over, 40,000 dead and wounded soldiers were left on the battlefield without any aid. A young Swiss businessman, Henri Dunant, happened to be at the scene of the battle while traveling to Solferino on business. Dunant could not just stand aside and ignore the sight of human suffering and decided to help. He enlisted the aid of the local community and together they transferred the wounded to a nearby village, Castiglione, and set up improvised clinics in churches for the care of the wounded. When Dunant eventually returned to Geneva, he didn't forget the events that took place in Solferino and wrote a book entitled "Remembering Solferino", in which he calls for the establishment of units for providing medical aid. These units would practice their skills in time of peace and operate in time of war and would be identified and protected by a permanent, international insignia. The rest is history...

Every year, thousands of young people from all over the world mark the events that occurred at Solferino in a festive parade, recalling the 1859 battle which is considered the movement's birthday. This year, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the battle of Solferino, the events are especially festive. Besides marching in the parade, the MDA volunteers will take part in the humanitarian youth village and will represent MDA in an exhibition of national groups and in other activities.

Written by: Shira Katiy