The group visited the Museum of the Int'l Red Cross and Red Crescent today. This is a very impressive museum and had completely changed its exhibits since we were here last. There were three different themed sections - one on disaster preparedness, one on family reunification, and one on respecting rights (specifically focused on prisoners). Several of the students had experienced difficulties in life (one from Sri Lanka was in the tsunami in 2004). Others were familiar with war from Central American family links. This museum was very personal to them.
Entrance with famous sculture of figures who are bound and blindfolded. Clearly captives. The signage that was once here telling more about the sculpture is no longer available...
The original Geneva Convention (1864) signed and sealed by Henri Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross society.
Each of these pictures below are creations made by prisoners and given to members of the Red Cross who were visiting them to make sure they were being held in humane conditions. The one above is from Rwanda.
Pakistani prisoner held in India 1979
Soviet soldier in Germany during WWII
After the Rwandan genocide in 1993, aid workers used photo boards to try to reunite young children with family members. This is a close up and a larger wall displaying just a handful of those who needed to be reunited with family.
The museum had a lot of 'meet the witnesses' interviews with people who had moving stories to tell about their challenging experiences in life. As you move in front of each one the headsets activate their stories. This man was a child soldier in Sudan.
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