The trademark emblem of the Red Cross has become for many a symbol of humanity in the face of inhumane circumstances. Today, the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China celebrates its 100th anniversary, a number that bears witness to the organization's substantial contribution to humanitarian efforts in Taiwan.
While the Red Cross' role in philanthropy may be approximated through the parable of the good Samaritan for most, few understand the unique role that it plays in humanitarian missions both at home and abroad.
To demonstrate the distinct role played by the organization in Taiwan, it is appropriate to note that the society is the only privately run non-profit organization in the Republic of China (ROC) to be regulated by national law.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
The Red Cross Law (
"The law stipulates that the Red Cross assist the government in four areas -- attending to the wounded during war; providing natural disaster relief at home and abroad; promoting public health and other tasks related to furthering the mission set out in Article 1," explained Chen Chi-hsun (陳其勛), a section chief at the Ministry of Interior's Department of Social Affairs.
As such, Red Cross is unofficially the government's right arm in foreign assistance efforts. The society is, as its chairman Chen Chang-wen (陳長文) puts it, both governmental and non-governmental.
"Many people do not understand exactly what we do or who we are. They know that we provide relief during times of war or in the event of a natural disaster. Because of our responsibilities during wartime, however, we need to constantly be training people and preparing even during times of peace. Most people only donate during disasters and war," said Rebecca Lin (林秀芬), director of public relations and international affairs for the society.
While the society is the oldest non-profit organization in Taiwan, other non-profit groups, such as Buddhist Compassionate Relief Tzu Chi Foundation and World Vision Taiwan have become, for lack of a better term, the competition in terms of attracting donations.
"It's difficult to compare Tzu Chi with the Red Cross because the starting points of the two organizations are quite different. The Red Cross spans the world and is backed by the government, while Tzu Chi is made up of average citizens," said James Lo (
"Because we are limited in resources as a non-governmental organization, we have to make NT$1 worth NT$10, but with the government, sometimes NT$10 is reduced to NT$1," Lo said.
World Vision Taiwan officials also pointed out both the necessity of and the restrictions posed by governmental action.
"The Red Cross does a pretty good job of responding to situations in a timely manner. No matter where you are, however, working with the government poses certain bureaucratic restrictions and can slow down an organization's response time," said Kuo Hsiu-ling (
"On the other hand, there is a real need for a [semi-official] organization such as the Red Cross in philanthropy," Kuo said.
As a quasi-governmental organization, the Red Cross' niche in humanitarian work has been demonstrated time and again throughout its 100-year history.
The organization was established in 1904 in Shanghai under the name of the Shanghai Cosmopolitan Red Cross to help wounded soldiers. It went through two more name changes before it became the Red Cross Society of the ROC in 1933.
It was active during the Russo-Japanese war, both world wars and the 921 earthquake in Taiwan. It was also active in promoting health education in the 1960s and 1970s in Taiwan and set the foundation for the nation's blood bank.
It is unique among charitable organizations in this country, how-ever, in its role in cross-strait humanitarian efforts.
"Even before the establishment of the Straits Exchange Foundation, China and Taiwan both felt the Red Cross was the ideal organization to perform intermediary work because of its neutrality. Thus, the ROC Red Cross and the Chinese Red Cross signed the Kinmen agreement to allow the two headquarters to cooperate," Chen said.
"When Chinese people illegally immigrate to Taiwan for economic reasons, we have to send them back. Since they risk losing their lives at sea, the Red Cross volunteered to repatriate these illegal immigrants, to send them back safely," he said.
Looking toward the future, the organization wants to bring young people into the Red Cross movement. It has set up an urban-rescue program to train volunteers in providing disaster relief in metropolitan areas. With leftover funds from the 921 earthquake, 23 disaster-preparation centers have also been established around the county.
The work of providing training in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation(CPR), first aid, water safety, as well as cross-strait repatriation and caring for the disadvantaged remain on the agenda.
"Life is short, and I want to do everything," Chen said. "I want to see the Red Cross grow healthier, and as such, effectively promote awareness of humanity in both the governmental and non-governmental sectors. Once the awareness of the need to do humanitarian work is achieved, we will then be able to mobilize. Only then can we do a lot of things."
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