The Red Cross: the name is synonymous with the alleviation of suffering in disasters and emergencies worldwide. But, did you know that this movement—which is the largest humanitarian network in the world—is not a single organization, but a vast worldwide network?
The Red Cross Movement
The Red Cross is composed of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as well as 190 individual National Societies—the Red Cross is present in every country.
Its mission is to alleviate human suffering, protect life and health, and uphold human dignity especially during armed conflicts and other emergencies. Each organization contributes to this mission in different ways.
• The ICRC focuses on armed conflict, and provides humanitarian relief to assist the victims of war.
• National Societies provide a range of services in their individual countries, including disaster relief, health and social programs. They may also assist the civilian population during wartime.
• The Federation directs, coordinates and promotes the actions of the National Societies.
Positions and Entry Points
Gaining a position with any organization in the Red Cross is competitive. However, there are a number of entry-level opportunities.
ICRC
The ICRC offers a limited number of entry-level positions in the form of unpaid traineeships, apprenticeships and graduate positions, based in the ICRC Geneva headquarters.
Traineeships and apprenticeships are unpaid positions of 90 days (for traineeships) or 1-2 years (for apprenticeships) in length. Both are unpaid and incredibly competitive—approximately 20 positions are offered per year.
Associate positions are offered to recent graduates, with no more than 1-2 years of professional experience. These are paid and offer a wide range of career supports, training and professional development opportunities.
For more information about these and other opportunities, see the ICRC website.
IFRC
The IFRC does not offer volunteer opportunities; they direct would-be volunteers to their National Societies. They do, however, offer an internship program that is available to students and recent graduates. Most internships are offered on an ad hoc basis, depending on current needs, so it is worth checking the IFRC jobs portal regularly.
National Societies
Bot the Canadian Red Cross and the American Red Cross recruit volunteers nationwide, with positions advertised on their websites. In addition, many university campuses across North America have student groups in support of their local Red Cross.