8 May 2010
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement today marking World Red Cross / Red Crescent Day.
"On this day, it is important to pay tribute to the life-saving work of the employees and volunteers of the Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement. These remarkable individuals dedicate themselves day in and day out to the plight of those people suffering the consequences of war, violence, natural disasters, and malnutrition - often putting themselves in harm’s way to help their fellow human beings.
"It is also a time to reflect on how governments, civil society, and the private sector can better work together to address the unprecedented challenges facing our world today, including armed conflict, major natural disasters and global economic uncertainty.
"And it is because of the vision of Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement, whose birthday we honour today, that Canada and the Red Cross are accomplishing such fine work together around the globe. From partnering on an emergency field hospital in Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake, to providing blankets and shelter to families in Afghanistan, to helping rebuild homes in Sichuan, China following a devastating earthquake in May 2008, to improving the local capacity of National Red Cross Societies in Africa, to providing hygiene kits, mosquito nets, blankets, and other emergency relief items in the Americas, together we are making a real difference in people’s lives.
“On behalf of Canadians, I would like to thank all Red Cross/ Red Crescent employees and volunteers in Canada and abroad for their dedication to making this world a better place.”
