RoP: The Politics of Apolitical Humanitarianism
The path has been cleared for the various manifestations of the Red Cross and Red Crescent to re-assemble under a new symbol — the Red Crystal:
A new Red Cross emblem was accepted at an international conference Thursday over Syrian objections, paving the way for Israel to join the humanitarian movement after nearly six decades of exclusion.
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The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies now has to hold a meeting — probably in the spring — to change the statutes to incorporate the new emblem, after which Israeli membership can be considered.Magen David Adom ["Red Star of David"] will not operate under the cross or crescent. A request for recognition of its red Star of David emblem was rejected in 1949 and Arab countries have since blocked attempts to find an alternative symbol.
I briefly touched upon this issue in the a previous post. How pathetic that Arab states will do absolutely anything, including obstructing humanitarian aid efforts, just to take a cheap shot at Israel. The forthcoming Red Cross / Red Crescent vote is an excellent opportunity to engage in some well-deserved name-and-shame corrective diplomacy toward those who would use and abuse humanitarianism as a shield for quite anti-humanitarian goals.
More thoughts at Red Guy in a Blue State.
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