Red Cross and Red Crescent Youth
About half of the volunteers of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are young people.
A special focus on young people is a crucial investment, not only for today but also for the future. The safety and protection of young people in vulnerable circumstances must be addressed, taking into account their age- and gender-specific needs.
In their multiple roles as contributors – and acknowledging their skills as innovators, inter-cultural ambassadors and peer-to-peer facilitators – young people are educated, enabled and empowered to be active in leading and participating in voluntary activities and in the governance, management and services of their National Societies. To this end, we use non-formal approaches as well as specific training and skills development. These are underpinned by dedicated youth networks and structures. We also encourage young people to continue membership as adults.
Young people bring much-needed skills when working alongside the increasing numbers of older people in a spirit of mutual respect. This is crucial to the intergenerational transfer of experience that is vital to both progress and stability in society.
IPE Newsletters
Learning, education and training
World First Aid Day
The IFRC is the largest first aid educator and provider in the world. In 2014, over 15 million people were trained in skills that could save lives in an emergency.
Red Cross and Red Crescent Day
Each year, 8 May – Henry Dunant’s birthday – gives us the chance to celebrate the amazing work of the Movement and its volunteers.
The Fundamental Principles
In a world with increasing isolation, tension and recourse to violence, it is clear that the Red Cross Red Crescent must champion the individual and community values which encourage respect for other human beings and a willingness to work together to find solutions to community problems.
Recent news stories
Loneliness is a serious problem in Finland with about 10 per cent of teenagers and young adults feeling isolated. Face-to-face activities that bring people together have been the backbone of Finnish Red Cross volunteer programmes and 2017 saw them taken to the next level – online gaming.
Yunnan students have jumped at the chance to join Volunteers on Wheels, a new scheme bringing humanitarian pedal power to some of the world’s most isolated communities.
Whether it’s a charity run for orphans or an art club for refugees, teenagers all over Austria are encouraged to set their ideas in motion for the sake of people who need a hand.
Four artists from the Red Noses Clowndoctors International are bringing laughter and greater understanding to children who have fled violence in Ukraine.
Related documents
This good practice guide has been developed as part of the Age and Disability Capacity Programme (ADCAP), an initiative of the Age and Disability Consortium. The members of this consortium are CBM, DisasterReady.org, Humanity & Inclusion, HelpAge I …
The BDRCS National Youth Commission is the body that is responsible to support and advise on matters which are related to young volunteers and youth development and work closely with BDRCS Youth and Volunteers Department to promote the implementation of the policies and strategies related to Red Crescent Youth.
This study provides an analysis of the volunteering situation of National Societies of the Red Cross in the American Continent in order to improve our capacity to respond to emergencies in the local and regional levels. This allows us to obtain updated …
A new, aspirational Youth Policy to guide National Societies in “a transformative journey of advancing youth engagement”.