I first read about Jean Henri Dunant in my Class VI Bangla Text Book. Popularly known as Henry Dunant, he was the founder of the Red Cross. He was also the first person to receive the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.
Jean Henri Dunant was born in Geneva, Switzerland. His father Jean-Jacques Dunant and mother Antoinette Dunant-Colladon. Dunant’s family was very religious and they were quite influential in the society of Geneva. Dunant’s father helped orphans and his mother treated the sick and poor.
At the age of 19, Dunant founded “Thursday Association,” a group of young people who came together to study Bible and help the poor. He spent a lot of time visiting prisons and doing social work. In 1852, he founded the Geneva Chapter of the Young Men’s Christian Association.
Till 19th century there was no organized system to provide treatment to the wounded soldiers in battle. In July 1859, Dunant went to Italy to meet the French emperor Napoléon III. On June 24, he arrived in Solferino; a small town located in Northern Italy. Upon his arrival in the evening, he observed the Battle of Solferino. 40,000 soldiers died or wounded on both sides in a single day. He was shocked to see the death and destruction. His original goal was to talk with the emperor about conducting business in French occupied Algeria but he abandoned his plans and devoted to the treatment and care of the wounded.
Upon his return to Geneva, he wrote a book on his memories of the war in Solferino. Titled “A Memory of Solferino,” Dunant published it with his own money and sent copies to top political and military figures around Europe. In his book, he talked about creating an organization to nurse the soldiers.
In 1863, Dunant founded the “Committee of the Five.” Eight days later, the name of the committee was changed to the “International Committee for Relief to the Wounded.”
Jean Henri Dunant will always alive in million of hearts.
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