Seeds of Fire, June 24 June 24, 1859: The Battle of Solferino in Italy brings 300,000 soldiers onto the battlefield, with French and Italian troops fighting Austrian troops. Henri Dunant, a Swiss businessman and social activist, tours the battlefield after the battle and is appalled by the suffering of the wounded soldiers left lying unattended on the battlefield. He organizes local people to help the injured soldiers, and spends his own money to buy supplies and set up makeshift hospitals. He convinces the people in the area to provide help to all the injured, regardless of what side they were on in the battle, adopting the slogan “Tutti fratelli” (All are brothers) coined by the women of a nearby town. Afterwards, Dunant begins a campaign that leads to the Geneva Conventions and the establishment of the International Committee of the Red Cross. June 24, 1980: A general strike in El Salvador protests against the death squads, military or paramilitary units which have been carrying out a vicious campaign of murders and intimidation as part of the Salvadoran government’s ‘counterinsurgency’ strategy. The government and its death squads rely on U.S. support and supplies to repress the population and crush resistance. Seeds of Fire: A People’s History - compiled by Ulli Diemer for Connexions – connexions.org/CxLibrary/Docs/SeedsofFire.htm
Posted on: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 03:09:24 +0000
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