M Rehan Jafar

Mrs. Brar

CHV2O4-AB

July 24, 2023

I chose to delve into the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) due to its mission of aiding

people in areas of conflict and scarcity. The ICRC has been able to travel to help people by supplying them with

medicine, food, clothing, and water in places including Ukraine, which is in serious condition due to the recent

war with Russia; Syria, which is suffering due to the Syrian civil war; and Yemen, having 80% of their population

living below the poverty line. Thus, the ICRC has supported the most vulnerable people. Furthermore, I have a

personal connection with the Red Cross from when I was young with my first encounter with the organisation. I

was particularly interested in an old lady, whose name I forget, who showed me several artifacts and pictures

from war-torn places. The combination of the quality and great scale of the ICRC’s work, as well as the personal

connection, is what truly drove me to research them as my chosen organisation.

I am interested in humanitarian aid because it reflects my deepest values of assisting others, particularly

those dear to me such as my family, and the various needs of human life. By seeing the different parts of

humanitarian aid, I am better able to understand the conflicts that humanitarian organizations, while specifically

focusing on the medicinal and basic necessities of the people, encounter when travelling country-to-country to

help war-ridden people. This helps me understand the difficulty of each situation. Furthermore, by seeing the

ICRC’s efforts to account for the lack of many necessities, I can understand how this may relate to studying

brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) in combination with neurodegenerative diseases. I hope to be able to help

people by developing this technology to combat illness.

There are ways I can lend my support to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in its

mission of safeguarding individuals affected by war, conflict and disasters. To begin with I can play a role, in

raising awareness about areas that violate International Humanitarian Law (IHL). It is essential to advocate for

organisations that strive to promote goodness. This could be highly valuable if I have a following or an audience
who can make an impact on others. Additionally, I can actively participate in fundraising activities, for these

organizations as every contribution matters. Moreover, if I invest my time and energy into developing a product

that could aid their efforts I would gladly donate this technology or innovation to the organizations that would

benefit most from it. Furthermore, I can engage with authorities to improve awareness and gather support on a

large scale. If required, I am even willing to volunteer or intern at an organization and create crisis maps that

assist them in organizing their endeavours.

As I was researching the ICRC, I had expected much of the information such as the medicine needed, the

crises, and the actions the ICRC may take. However, during this journey, I came across an interesting point that

humanitarian organisations may not be able to enter the country to aid the people. Following this, I dug into the

diplomatic procedures in the handbook guide for the ICRC and the IHL book by the ICRC. I also explored the

real-life implications of this in the Russia-Ukraine war. This led me to delve into the ICRC’s principle of

neutrality, which aims to remain impartial during conflicts. I delved deeper into the implications of this principle

within the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, in which social media often challenged the ICRC’s intended

neutrality. This aspect of the ICRC’s work sparked a curiosity within me. It encouraged further exploration into

related topics, ultimately deepening my understanding of the multifaceted nature of humanitarian aid.

The ICRC holds values and principles that closely align with the material in the United Nations Charter

(UNC), the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR), and the United Nations Declaration on the

Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). According to the UNC, the UN supports “solving international

problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character” which aligns with the goal of the ICRC.

The ICRC’s goal is to help supply necessities for people in need, often focusing specifically on conflict-affected

areas. Furthermore, in conflict zones, the ICRC helps protect citizens from harm, supplies resources, and ensures

humane treatment, all of which aligns with the UNDHR’s right to life, liberty, and security. The ICRC takes on

the principle of neutrality and treats Indigenous peoples fairly which aligns with the UNDRIP. Therefore, the

International Committee of the Red Cross holds many of the same values as the UNC, UNDHR, and UNDRIP.
 Works Cited

United Nations. “Chapter I: Purposes and Principles (Articles 1-2).” United Nations, 26 June 1945,

www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/chapter-1. ‌

United Nations. “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” United Nations, 1948,

www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights. ‌

Kuster, Etienne. A COMPREHENSIVE INTRODUCTION Nils Melzer Coordinated By. ‌

“Juntos Podemos Levar Esperança!” Doe.cicv.org.br,

doe.cicv.org.br/crise-ucrania/single_step?utm_campaign=crise-ucrania&utm_medium=probono&utm_source=affi

liate. Accessed 24 July 2023.

Foulkes, Imogen. “Why the Red Cross Has to Be Neutral in the Ukraine Conflict.” BBC News, 29 Mar. 2022,

www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60921567. ‌