International humanitarian law (IHL) is everyone's concern - and a concern that's grown with the U.S. military's involvement in the Persian Gulf, Africa, and Europe. You may want to learn about IHL because you have relatives in a troubled homeland, or simply because you care.

IHL Translates Concern Into Compassionate Action - Wounded soldiers defenseless before an enemy, prisoners of war held far from home, civilians caught in the crossfire, medical and relief workers - their safety and humane treatment is the core of international humanitarian law and the responsibility of governments and the Red Cross worldwide.

IHL is the body of rules and principles that limit the conduct of war and protect the victims of armed conflict. The primary sources of IHL are the international treaties known as the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their two Additional Protocols of 1977, which provide the legal means to protect and assist wounded, sick, and shipwrecked members of the armed forces, prisoners of war, and civilians. The relationship between the American Red Cross and IHL is based on the Geneva Conventions from which stem the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's legal authority to act on behalf of victims during times of armed conflict.

Today, in addition to international relief work in areas of conflict through its Red Cross international components, the American public benefits from a variety of related services offered through their local Red Cross: international health and welfare inquiries, tracing of missing relatives, Red Cross messages to prisoners of war and civilian detainees, and family reunifications.

You may wish to learn more about IHL and the protection it offers victims of war, become actively involved with humanitarian organizations in your community working on their behalf, or participate in public education activities. By sharing this information with others, you are already helping build greater awareness of IHL, and the need for humanity in the midst of war. By being informed, you contribute to the chance for peaceful resolution of conflicts.

You can make a difference. Once you've learned what a difference IHL makes, you become a vital link in a chain of commitment to support humane treatment for all those caught up in armed conflict.

For more information, please send an e-mail to micheled@mfcarc.org