Henry Dunant

Hello! My name is Henry Dunant. I was born on May 8th, 1828, in the lovely city of Geneva, Switzerland. My family taught me that helping people was one of the most important things a person could do. Growing up, I was involved in charity work, helping those who were poor or sick. This lesson about kindness would guide my entire life, even though I didn't know it at the time.

As a grown-up, I became a businessman. My work required me to travel, and in 1859, I journeyed through Italy. On June 24th, 1859, I arrived in a small town called Solferino, just after a terrible battle had taken place. The scene was shocking. The fields were covered with thousands of wounded soldiers from the French, Austrian, and Italian armies. There were hardly any doctors or supplies, and the men were suffering greatly with no one to care for them. Seeing them in so much pain broke my heart.

I knew I could not simply leave. Forgetting all about my business, I decided I had to help. I went to the nearby town of Castiglione and asked the local people to join me. Together, we carried the wounded soldiers into churches and houses, which we turned into temporary hospitals. We did not care which army a soldier fought for; we helped everyone. To encourage the volunteers, I told them, 'Tutti fratelli,' an Italian phrase that means 'We are all brothers.' We gave them water, bandaged their wounds, and did our best to comfort them.

The memory of Solferino stayed with me long after I returned home to Geneva. I believed the world needed to understand the reality of war and the suffering it caused. In 1862, I wrote a book about my experience called 'A Memory of Solferino.' In my book, I suggested two important ideas. First, that every country should have groups of trained volunteers ready to care for the wounded in wartime. Second, that countries should agree to a set of rules to protect these volunteers and the injured soldiers, ensuring their safety on the battlefield.

My book reached many important people all over Europe, and they listened to my ideas. In 1863, I joined with four other men in Geneva to create a committee to make these ideas happen. We called it the 'Committee of the Five,' and it soon became the International Committee of the Red Cross. The very next year, in 1864, a wonderful thing happened. Sixteen different countries came together to sign an agreement called the First Geneva Convention. They all promised to care for sick and wounded soldiers during a war, no matter their side, and to protect the medical teams who helped them.

My life had many ups and downs after that, but the idea I shared continued to spread across the world. For my work in starting the Red Cross and encouraging peace, I was awarded the very first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. I lived to be 82 years old and passed away in 1910. Today, the idea that began on that battlefield in Solferino is stronger than ever. The Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations work in almost every country, helping people in times of war, natural disasters, and other emergencies. It makes me proud to know that the simple idea of 'Tutti fratelli'—that we are all brothers and sisters who should help one another—is still making the world a kinder place.