To: {Contact_FullName} {MemberField_You_Are_A_Lifetime_Member} {ContactField_Membership_type} {Member_Level} Renewal Date {Member_Upcoming_Renewal_Date}
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Happy Veterans Day!! We extend our deepest gratitude to all who have served our country, and our troops and their families!
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Issue 5 - November/December 2024
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ISSUE AT-A-GLANCE In this issue we celebrate American veterans of war with a special nod to ARCAN members who served – see Red Cross Service to Armed Forces (SAF) highlighted in a Q&A with Cheryl Searcy. Other alumni features this month include our ARCAN members whose homes and lives are upended by hurricanes Helene and Milton, along with one who was part of the Red Cross response. Regarding our events: details and registration are available for the upcoming virtual Fireside Chat with Trevor Riggen, and the Celebration of Life for Jo Anne Jones. Also, find photos and the recording link below of your colleagues attending the inaugural Homecoming. Other news includes your slate of four ACAN Board nominees for 2025-2027; an important update from Jack Campbell for Red Cross pensioners; the latest from the American Red Cross, IFRC and ICRC and our deepest condolences at the loss of Bill Harper. |
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Welcome to ARCAN’s year-end newsletter of 2024! And a special thank you to the military veterans among us! We are truly grateful for your service.
It’s such a great time to be a part of ARCAN! Since we launched in June, dozens of members have been joining and renewing at an exciting pace. There is new energy—I’m sure you’ve felt it—and a ramping up of participation as we create more and more opportunities for all of us to connect and engage.
Membership has long been our foundation of support, but we need your help to reach the next level and create a truly thriving community where we can support each other and the spirit and mission that unite us. As the year draws to a close, I hope you will consider making a financial gift to ARCAN.
The ARCAN Board has nominated four new candidates to join our Board of Directors beginning January 2025. We invite you to read their bios below and contact us with any questions. In the coming days, we’ll reach out to members with instructions on how to vote. Stay tuned for more information.
Finally, I’ve been recovering from hip revision surgery the past couple of months that is taking much longer than expected. I want to thank ARCAN vice president Becky McCorry, secretary Joan Pankey, treasurer Mark Hague, past president Harold Brooks and the Board for their extra efforts and seamless operations in my absence.
Happy reading, and Happy Holidays!!! |
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ARCAN NEWS
Announcing ARCAN Board Nominees, 2025-2027
Near the end of each calendar year members of the ARCAN Board of Directors are elected by ARCAN membership. This year, the Board has nominated three first-time candidates, and a fourth candidate for re-election, all to fill two-year terms that begin on January 1. Please read the bios below to acquaint yourself with the nominees. A ballot and instructions for voting will be emailed on November 13. Voting will end on December 2, and results reported to the Board of Directors on December 5. Thank you for your interest and participation! |
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Yvonne Bell-White
With over two decades of professional experience in leadership development, program management and administrative support, Yvonne Bell-White has a proven track record of driving strategic initiatives and fostering organizational growth. As a program/policy analyst for the National Education Association (NEA), Yvonne serves as the lead for the Leadership Development Team’s communications efforts, aligning them with NEA’s broader goals and priorities. Her role includes co-leading the design and execution of the NEA National Leadership Summit and collaborating across departments to integrate the NEA Leadership Competency Framework into various programs and initiatives.
Previously, Yvonne held senior roles within NEA’s Center for Governance, where she managed financial operations, facilitated key governance meetings and provided essential logistical support for Executive Committee and board members. Her attention to detail, organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously were honed during her tenure with the American Red Cross. She served there as senior executive assistant to the chairman at National Headquarters from June 1981 until February 2013, where she coordinated events, managed confidential board materials and supported top executives
A lifelong learner, Yvonne holds a Master of Science in Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Management from The Catholic University of America, where she was also the student speaker at her commencement ceremony. She is a dedicated member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society.
Actively involved in her community, Yvonne currently serves as a commissioner, where she contributes her leadership skills to serve the public. Her background in communications, leadership development and policy analysis, coupled with her strong interpersonal skills and commitment to excellence, make Yvonne an invaluable asset to any team she supports.
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Megan Chamberlain
Megan Chamberlain is a seasoned crisis management leader with more than two decades of experience orchestrating strategic responses to global emergencies. She joined Abbott Global Security in 2018 as the crisis management director, positioning her at the forefront of coordinating crisis responses. In this capacity, she leads the Executive Crisis Management Team, directing strategic and effective responses to disruptions. She oversees globally positioned crisis action teams that engage local resources to ensure swift and coordinated responses to crises. Megan leads their 24/7 security operations center which addresses emergency and security events worldwide. She also serves on Abbott’s enterprise Risk Management, Supply Chain Resilience and Cybersecurity Resilience teams.
Before joining Abbott, Megan enjoyed a 17-year career at the American Red Cross where she held various crisis management roles across the United States and was appointed as a disaster response director. She served on some of the Red Cross’ most significant and intricate responses. Megan’s dedication to disaster response extended internationally. She deployed and led the response team in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, following the destruction from a super typhoon in 2015. Due to her experience on the island and knowledge of recovery operations, she was asked by FEMA to return to Saipan and spend a year abroad, leading a federal grant awarded to the American Red Cross. This experience included working with governmental and non-governmental entities, managing multi-million-dollar budgets and ensuring federal grant compliance.
Megan’s commitment to crisis response extends to her voluntary roles. She served as the Chair of the Illinois Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster for two years, dedicating her efforts to governance and developing the organization’s bylaws, ensuring a strong foundation for its future. She also served as the chairperson of the Illinois Emergency Management Business Resiliency taskforce. Megan holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a specialization in Disaster Response from the University of South Dakota and the Disaster Mental Health Institute, being the first to graduate with this unique degree after its inception. She also graduated from FEMA’s National Emergency Management Executive Academy, focusing on strategic leadership thinking for senior leaders in emergency management, and participated in Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Senior Executive Leadership Program.
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Neal Denton
Neal was raised in the Red Cross family since his father, Dave, served in multiple chapters, Eastern Area, and Midwest Operations for close to 35 years. Neal joined the American Red Cross headquarters in 2006 to lead the Government Relations team and enjoyed other temporary assignments as the chief of staff, the senior vice president of Services to Armed Forces, and Strategic Partnerships. In 2012, Neal left Red Cross to lead Government Relations for the YMCA of the USA where he maintained strong partnerships with Red Cross public policy leaders. A recent retiree, Neal loves spending time in Washington, D.C. with his former colleagues and current Red Cross leadership. Neal is a member of ARCAN and engaged with the Washington-Baltimore Area affiliate. He makes time for other activities with his former Red Cross colleagues including at Nationals games.
Neal is pleased to help in connecting Red Cross colleagues with other D.C. officials and service opportunities. And, because he lives in the D.C. area and knows many current staff, he can help in those communications, too. Neal is grateful for this renewed ARCAN approach to connecting old friends. His father was also very pleased to know that some of us had gathered at Dick Schubert’s funeral services. Neal loves his lifetime connection with the Red Cross and looks forward to many years of fellowship ahead.
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Sumner Hutcheson III
Current board member Sumner Hutcheson III is on the slate for another term. He is a veteran executive and fundraiser who has more than forty-five years of experience in the nonprofit sector. He spent more than thirty-five years with the American Red Cross as an executive in several communities around the United States, including Miami, Florida (his hometown), Washington, D.C., Central Pennsylvania and Orlando, Florida. He not only has served as a senior executive and fundraiser for the American Red Cross but also has worked with many other charities, including the United Way, The United Negro College Fund (UNCF), United Arts, MCCJ (formerly National Conference of Christians, and Jews), The Peace and Justice Institute, and other local and regional organizations. Before retiring and starting a fundraising consulting firm, Sumner served as vice president for University Advancement at Florida Memorial, Bethune-Cookman and Florida International Universities. As a leader in these organizations, Sumner has worked with staff and volunteers to raise more than 500 million dollars.
Sumner is also a trained mediator and trainer/facilitator. His highly sought-after skills have resulted in presentations at international, national and regional conferences of the American Red Cross, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the United Negro College Fund, The National Association of Black Social Workers, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and the United Way in Miami, FL, Washington, D.C., and Central Pennsylvania. |
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Welcome New ARCAN Members!
We're so excited to continue to see new Red Cross alumni joining ARCAN! We want to welcome you and encourage you to explore all that the community has to offer including ARCAN's exclusive benefits, from the Member Directory to Alumni Stories and select Events. A full list of member benefits can be found on the ARCAN website: www.redcrossalumni.org. We love that you're part of the community!! |
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Inaugural Homecoming Reunites 70 Alums
70 former Red Crossers joined October’s inaugural ARCAN Virtual Homecoming for a delightful evening. Hosts and organizers Frank Carroll and Sumner Hutcheson, III paced the reunion of Red Crossers and garnered opinions for future events. Vice President, Becky McCorry shared about ARCAN’s vision, encouraging everyone to join and recruit friends and colleagues. Nearly every attendee participated, briefly catching us up on their lives. The hour flew by, and many are looking forward to future events!!
If you missed October’s Homecoming, you can watch the recording here with passcode: .yM5qSmr |
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Fireside Chat with Trevor Riggen Join us for a Fireside Chat with Trevor Riggen, American Red Cross President of Humanitarian Services, Tuesday, November 19 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
In a Q&A format, Trevor will share what's new in Humanitarian Services and some of the American Red Cross’s strategic direction for the next few years. Trevor will also share what "community" truly means in the Red Cross and how services are being delivered.
Register for this interview in advance here.
You will receive a confirmation email with details about joining the meeting. |
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30 Free Webinars for Nonprofits
If you are still working as an employee or as a volunteer at a nonprofit, you might be interested in this month's free webinars curated by Wild Apricot on topics including year-end fundraising, virtual marketing, member relationships, volunteer engagement and more.
Find the webinars and other great resources in our ARCAN website’s Resource Library, on our Advancement page. |
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Save the Date for January's Webinar Dr. Jeff McCullough and David Therkelsen
January 28, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time Dr. Jeff McCullough and David Therkelsen will feature and answer questions about their newly published book at the ARCAN webinar January 28 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Dave tells us:
“Dr. Jeff McCullough and I drew on our combined experience to tell a story about how the advances of science changed medical practice, and how the demands of society that have surrounded blood banking and transfusion medicine changed public policy. We discuss how blood banking, much on the periphery of medical practice after World War II, in the subsequent 75 years became a specialty that enabled advances in other fields as well, ranging from oncology to public health to emergency medicine to transplantation and more. It’s a tale of remarkable progress, but we don’t ignore the inevitable errors and failures that occurred over these eight decades. We did not aim to produce a complete history with every last fact and date, but we did set out to tell a fair and even-handed story of a field of medicine that found its way to a central place in patient care, discussing the thrilling advances as well as the stumbles along the way.” Early registration is available here.
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Virtual Celebration of Life for Jo Anne Jones Tuesday, November 12th, 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
We were very sad to share the news in September that Jo Anne Jones had passed away. A Zoom Celebration of Life, where we will share memories and stories of Jo Anne, is planned for her Red Cross friends on the day and time noted above.
Join ARCAN members and co-hosts Al Panico and Sue Richter for this event by registering here. Those who have memories/stories they'd like to share during this event please contact SueRichter45@gmail.com so we can arrange the agenda for this special commemoration. Memorial gifts to honor JoAnne's life may be sent to the American Red Cross. |
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Hurricanes Helene and Milton Impact the Lives of ARCAN Survivors and Responders
Many of our ARCAN members were affected by hurricanes Helene and/or Milton. Others responded with the Red Cross or other agencies to help with the unprecedented needs. An ARCAN Facebook group chat helped us keep in touch with our fellow alumni and our communications team pulled together some of their inspiring stories.
Al Panico has been navigating road closures, clearing trees from his property and relying on creek water since Hurricane Helene devastated his community of Asheville, North Carolina; Michael Spencer was recruited by the Red Cross to support shelter and Mass Care operations in Asheville and Bakersville, North Carolina—his first disaster response in a decade; and three other members of ARCAN leadership –Frank Carroll, Mark Hague and Sumner Hutcheson, III – had home or property damage in Florida, still in various stages of recovery. |
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“It took us four days to get back, due to flight cancellations. We spent a couple nights in Atlanta and finally rented a truck to fill with relief supplies, including a couple chain saws we’d need to cut our way through downed trees when we returned home to Asheville.” – Al Panico
Al Panico was making his way home from vacation in California when Helene struck Asheville When ARCAN member Al Panico and his spouse Robert DeJonckheere found their retirement home in a mountainous cove 10 minutes from downtown Asheville, North Carolina, it seemed the perfect safe and special place to purchase – so stated the national real estate rankings. Then the remnants of Hurricane Helene hit his city.
Helene was no doubt the strongest hurricane to hit Florida's Big Bend area north of Tampa since 1851. It made landfall near Perry, Florida, late on Sept. 26, as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 140 mph. Who would have thought it would wreak the destruction it did, flooding and wiping out homes, property and infrastructure in Asheville and scores of towns and villages tucked away in the Blueridge Mountains?
Al and Robert were making their way back from vacation in Morro Bay, California when Helene struck Asheville. “It took us four days to get back, due to flight cancellations. We spent a couple nights in Atlanta and finally rented a truck to fill with relief supplies we’d need when we returned home.” They carried back water, water containers, a couple chain saws, gasoline and other supplies they’d need to cut their way through roads with downed trees and set up for “camp-style” living at home due to power and water outages.
Read More
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Michael Spencer: Still Hearing the Call to Help
By Stephanie Kriner, ARCAN member, freelance editor and writer It’s easy to understand why American Red Cross alumnus Michael Spencer has returned as a volunteer for the disaster relief organization after a 7-year separation. As he speaks about his memories in the field, his voice almost always seems to be on the edge of laughter. Michael, who is 42, began working for the Red Cross in 1996 as a swim instructor when he was just 14 and did not leave until he was 35 in 2017 after taking on multiple volunteer and staff roles. Today, he still radiates a genuine and contagious enthusiasm for the Red Cross and its work. Yet, sometimes, if you listen closely enough, you can hear the painful pauses, the part where tears instead of joy are kept at bay -- like when he talks about a man who he watched day after day walking on the same debris pile in Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, where Spencer had arrived on October 4, less than a week after catastrophic flooding swept away entire mountain towns.
Spencer asked the man if he needed anything and was told that he was looking for his parents, who were in their house when the river washed it away. “After a couple of days, he asked me if I thought their bodies would be found,” Michael says, and this is when he stops speaking for a moment, almost as if he can’t go on. In the silence, he catches his breath. Then, he adds, “I had no idea how to respond. One hundred-year-old trees with 8-foot diameter trunks did not make it; they had been splintered down to match sticks. But I told him that I’d seen lots of miracles in disasters.”
Michael was not exaggerating about what he’d seen. After working as a volunteer or employee at more than 100 disaster operation sites in his tenure at the Red Cross, he has experienced the kind of miracles that can emerge when the dust settles, or the waters recede. However, as he spoke to that man, he had flashbacks of the families who lost loved ones in a very different kind of disaster, and he did not know whether to feel hope or grief. Full story here
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ARCAN Members Frank Carroll, Mark Hague and Sumner Hutcheson III were all impacted by hurricanes in Florida. Here’s a roundup of their stories.
Frank Carroll has lived in Indian Shores, Florida for 20 years. It’s 10 miles south of Clearwater Beach on a barrier reef island, Sand Key. He says, “We live on the Gulf Intercoastal Water Way across the street - 225 steps - from the Gulf and we’ve been affected by hurricanes Helene, Milton and Debbie.”
Helene caused three to five feet of water in the garage level of their 3-level town house. “We lost lots for tools and other stuff and had no access to the island or power for a few days,” said Frank. “In Milton we just lost a downspout.”
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Caption: Cheryl Searcy on her deployment to Poland, October 2022 to March 2023.
“In Afghanistan I stood and counted the number of vehicles that left the base on mission at night – and counted them again when they returned in the morning… hoping they all made it back. Deploying with the military was, without a doubt, the most meaningful work I ever did.” - Cheryl Searcy
Where Are They Now? A Q&A with Cheryl Searcy
Our Q&A this month is with Cheryl Searcy from Cave Creek, Arizona, whose Red Cross career included helping U.S. service members and their families.
What paid positions did you hold with the American Red Cross, and when?
- 1991 – 1993 Ozarks Blood Region (Springfield, Missouri)
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- donor recruiter, Apheresis
- 1993 – 2004 Greater Ozarks Chapter (Springfield):
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- Emergency Services specialist,
- director of Emergency Services (SAF and Disaster),
- director of development,
- chapter executive director
- 2004 – 2008 West Service Area (Las Vegas, Nevada):
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- chapter solutions officer
- director, Chapter Operations and Support
- 2008 – 2011 American Red Cross National Headquarters
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- director, Chapter Operations
- 2011 – 2018 American Red Cross National Headquarters
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- division chief operating officer
What can you tell us about your deployments with SAF?
My SAF deployments were the highlight of my 27-year career with the Red Cross… and that’s saying a lot considering I had many amazing experiences with the organization! I deployed to Afghanistan in 2013, Iraq in 2017, and post-retirement, to Poland in 2022. What an adventure! I lived and worked with our service men and women; same accommodations – a wooden shack, a container unit, a tent. And the latrine and showers were separate from living quarters… hopefully not too far away. None of that mattered… sometimes inconvenient, but never an issue... it was an adventure!
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Annual Funding Notice
The American Red Cross has issued its annual retirement system funding notice. Jack Campbell condensed the notice for ARCAN members:
Annual Funding Notice and Supplement for the Red Cross Retirement System Plan Year Beginning July 1, 2023 and Ending June 30, 2024
By Jack Campbell, former ARCRA Treasurer and CFO for the American Red Cross
Retirees recently received their Annual Funding Notice. Only retirees still enrolled in the Red Cross retirement plan will receive this notice. If they compare this notice with the prior year, they will see few differences. This is because Red Cross management took no significant actions to transfer vested retiree benefit liabilities and related assets to third parties (de-risking strategy). Consequently, any changes in the value of assets and liabilities were primarily due to fluctuations in interest rates, asset values and benefit payments, i.e. normal pension activity. As a result, the funding target attainment percentage remained the same as the prior year at 80%.
Please note that a funding percentage of 80% or above for a retirement plan is considered healthy by government standards and still allows the plan to offer more flexible future retirement payout options such as lump sums or annuities provided by third party insurers (like Athene, Hancock or Aetna).
What is the likelihood that the funding percentage will dip below 80%? Unlikely. Why is that?
Remember that Red Cross management (the plan sponsor) embarked on a de-risking strategy in 2009 when the plan was closed to new hires, and plan benefit accruals for existing staff ended December 31, 2012. Those two actions effectively froze the future pension liability for the plan except for the impact of changing interest rates and actions such as offering lump sum payouts, early annuity payouts and third-party annuity purchases, all of which have reduced the number of participants in the plan from more than 55,000 in 2010 to about 13,000 in July 2023. In addition, 96% of plan assets are invested in cash (71%) and U.S. Gov’t bonds (25%) which significantly protects the plan from adverse market fluctuations.
So, the combination of stable asset and liability values should keep the funding percentage at an 80% minimum or better. Also note that the calculation requires that excess Red Cross contributions to the plan from prior years be subtracted each year from total assets as you can see from the table you received. If the $263 million prefunding balance were added back, assets would total $1.2 billion and produce a funding percentage of 103.6%.
Retirees with any questions should contact the Red Cross Benefits Service Center at 877-860-7526 or the Retiree Connection Helpline at 202-303-8779. |
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To Avoid Surprises, Review Your Medicare Coverage (Part D) Every Year
If you’re satisfied with your Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage coverage, you don’t need to do anything, and it will continue in 2025. But be very careful, your benefit provider could have made changes that will increase your costs or make a medication that you need unavailable.
Medicare Open Enrollment began October 15 and runs through December 7 for policies which will take effect on January 1, 2025.
By now, you should have received a “Notice of Change” from your 2024 provider indicating if premiums or costs for medications you use are changing. With medications, the pricing “tier” may change resulting in higher co-pays and occasionally a medication will be dropped from the formulary and not covered at all. There are many stories about retirees who got huge surprises the first time they tried to fill their maintenance prescription in a new year.
In addition, your own prescription needs may have changed; if you no longer take a certain medication which was a big driver of your costs in 2024, you might be able to find less expensive coverage for 2025. Conversely, you may need a new medication that is priced high in your current plan.
Third, paying more in premiums for a Part D plan will sometimes save you enough money on co-pays to make those higher premiums worth it. So, when comparing plans, be sure to consider total costs; premiums plus copays!
Medicare.gov (https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare) has great tools for comparing all plans, including Part D and Medicare Advantage plans, and, after you have entered your medications, it will display them with their costs along with premiums and projected total costs. Red Cross retirees can also get help from Alight (1-877-458-9657). Alight also offers an online tool for comparing coverages and costs at https://retiree.alight.com/redcross. Alight does not represent all plans, but remember: retirees who qualify for and want to continue their Health Reimbursement Account benefit must continue to purchase through Alight. In addition, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides personal help from trained counselors on all Medicare and Medicaid issues, free of charge. Use the locator tool at the SHIP website to find contact information for each state's program.
If you have questions, please call ARCAN’s Retiree Connection Helpline at 202-303-8779 for guidance at support. |
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Greater Washington and Baltimore ARCAN Group Luncheon
Friday, November 15, 2024, 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
430 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006
Join your former Red Cross colleagues for an enjoyable gathering in the beautiful Tiffany Circle Room (formerly Board of Governors Hall) at American Red Cross National Headquarters.) The featured speaker will be Dr. Michael Jordan, vice president for Service to the Armed Forces & International Services at the Red Cross. The luncheon is $25 per person. Please send your check, payable to ARCAN GWB, to Maura Kennedy, 313 South Carolina Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20003.
Interested in joining the board of the Greater Washington and Baltimore ARCAN group? Email Carol Robinson at carol.robinson0208@gmail.com. |
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Southern California Group Luncheon
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Forty-one members and guests, approximately one-third of our current membership, attended the luncheon. Before and after the formal part of the luncheon, members and guests had ample opportunity to socialize, greet old colleagues, and talk about the continuing work of the Red Cross.
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William “Bill” Harper
ARCAN sends deepest condolences to Bill Harper’s wife, family and friends. His wife writes: It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that my beloved husband William "Bill" Harper, native of Mobile, Alabama, resident of Dauphin Island, Alabama suddenly passed away on October 22, 2024. Bill retired from the American Red Cross in 2002. He started his career by volunteering for the Red Cross in Mobile, Alabama and got his first job with the same chapter working with blood donations. He moved to Washington D.C. to work in the D.C. chapter and then to Red Cross National Headquarters. As a Red Cross representative, he worked for IFRC in Sudan, Albania, Montenegro and Northern Macedonia where he was respected, loved and considered the most honest and honorable Red Cross representative. He loved and was proud of his Red Cross all his life.
Services will be announced at a later date. Read Bill’s full obituary and see where to send condolences and donations here. |
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Photo credit: Al Panico
Your Impact On American Red Cross’ Response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton
See photos and latest statistics here summarizing the impact your support has made on Red Cross’ ability to help the victims of recent hurricanes.
American Red Cross International Humanitarian Law YouTube Channel
Through the American Red Cross IHL YouTube Channel, you can access fascinating videos about international humanitarian law. Some titles include Autonomous Weapons Systems & International Humanitarian Law and Introduction to International Criminal Law. Others include Rules of Law In Westeros and Why Nuclear Weapons Must Never Be Used Again. Access the channel here.
IHL Course: Born on the Battlefield
International Humanitarian Law and the Red Cross Movement were both born on the battlefield. At the conclusion of this three-hour course, participants will be able to analyze the legality of actions in armed conflicts and understand the role that the Red Cross Movement has played in the development of International Humanitarian Law.
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
7:00 – 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Hosted by Instructors Liz Dietz and Jill Hofmann of the Northern California Coastal Region.
Details and registration here.
IHL Class: Even War Has Rules
Armed conflicts are ongoing around the world. At times it may seem that there are no rules in war. However, there are rules in war, and they make a difference. Even War Has Rules is a dynamic discussion on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and how it governs armed conflict. By the end of the class, participants will achieve a general understanding of IHL and will be better able to evaluate the actions of parties to armed conflicts.
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Hosted by Red Cross instructors Kathy Sieu and Stephanie Willett
Details and registration here.
IHL Discussion: The Limitless Power of Youth
Henry Cáceres is passionate about innovation, leadership and youth participation. He is involved in processes, programs and projects aimed at strengthening the capabilities and leadership of young people by creating safe spaces for their meaningful participation. Henry serves as the Global Innovation Officer of the IFRC Solferino
Academy, leading the IFRC Limitless Youth Innovation Academy and mentors innovation and entrepreneurship projects. He’s also a gamer, world traveler and eternal learner.
Thursday, November 21, 2024
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Details and registration here. |
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From: Michael Stone, President IFRC Alumni Association
Dear Alumni, A series of important meetings has just ended in Geneva. From 21st - 31st October there has been the General Assembly, the Council of Delegates, and the International Conference of the Red Cross Red Crescent. The International Conference includes the 191 National Societies, IFRC, ICRC and the 196 States Party to the Geneva Conventions. Below is an email from Jagan Chapagain, the Secretary General, outlining the Federation's Plan for 2025-26. This was presented to the General Assembly. A very serious point made is that there is now in our world a hierarchy of pain. Death and suffering in one part of the world is a high-profile tragedy, in others it is minimised or ignored altogether. This is a direct contradiction to all we stand for in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. There is also a reference to a wonderful statement from Mother Teresa: "None of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love"!
From: Office of the Secretary General, Jagan Chapagain, CEO Dear Colleagues, I am happy to share with you that the IFRC’s 2025-2026 Plan and Budget was successfully approved by the General Assembly today. This important milestone reflects the dedication and collective effort of all of you, and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your hard work and contribution. The Plan and Budget was formally presented to the membership yesterday, during my report to the General Assembly. The presentation - made by the Senior Leadership Team - included a detailed outline of our strategic priorities, enabling actions and financial allocations, and the key initiatives we aim to champion over the next two years. My address to the General Assembly is available on Our IFRC. Both the Report and the Plan and Budget were well received by National Societies, approximately 75 of whom (either individually or collectively) made interventions during the plenary session this morning. During these interventions, several key themes emerged: - A strong call for unity and solidarity across our membership.
- A demand for authorities to respect International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and our Fundamental Principles, and to safeguard access for humanitarians, ensuring that no one is instrumentalised.
- A focus on investment in localisation, National Society Development, youth, leadership, volunteers and staff.
- A positive reception of the ‘back to basics’ approach, focusing on our core mandates.
- Support for enhanced accountability measures and a strengthened emphasis on safeguarding.
- A clear priority to leverage the power of our Network.
- The importance of being a data-driven, learning organisation was also highlighted.
This feedback underlines the importance of our collective work and the path we are on. I look forward to seeing the impact we will continue to make together. Thank you again for your hard work. With my best regards, Jagan Chapagain Secretary General, CEO Read more about the Red Cross and Red Crescent meetings at the Devex website, here. |
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Lebanon: ICRC Deploys Surgical Team Amid Escalating Humanitarian Crisis
Beirut (ICRC) October 6, 2024– A specialized surgical team from the ICRC experienced in war injuries has been deployed to a hospital in southern Beirut to offer life-saving care and help relieve exhausted medical staff. Read the full story here. |
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Are you getting your weekly perk?
Sign up or sign in at PerkSpot to get discounts on travel, tickets, cell phones, gym memberships, food and more. |
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American Red Cross Alumni Network PO BOX 21004 | Washington, DC 20009
E-mail: info@redcrossalumni.org | Tel: 202.303.8779 Website: RedCrossAlumni.org |
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