Youth: Tomorrow's Guarantee for the Red Cross

Abstract

The World Conference of Educators in Lausanne in 1963, one of the events arranged to commemorate the Red Cross Centenary, underlined the important role which the Junior Red Cross can—and should—play in the humanitarian education of young people. All participants recognized that the original idea and basic objectives of the Junior Red Cross were as valid as ever. On the other hand, it has become necessary to evolve new methods and techniques to achieve those objectives. The youths of today wish to be closely associated with efforts being made on a world scale, but they also desire to exercise a more direct control over their programmes of activity and they refuse to be harnessed to a hidebound inflexible system. Many are the international organizations which endeavour to win over youth to participate in their activities; it is up to the Junior Red Cross to earn its place and recognition. Educators themselves have before them the enormous and urgent task of developing amongst youth an ever greater and better spirit of voluntary service; the spirit which is also that of the Red Cross.