Red Cross National Council

Acknowledgements and mihi
Tihei mauri ora.  E nga reo, e nga mana, e nga iwi katoa huri noa o Aotearoa e huihui nei tēnā koutou.  Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, who are gathered here—greetings. 

I specifically want to acknowledge: Penny Mason, National President of the New Zealand Red Cross and fellow members of the National Council; John Ware, Chief Executive and fellow staff; Counsellors of Honour , members, volunteers, and international visitors.

Thank you for inviting me to give the opening address to the National Council meeting of the New Zealand Red Cross.  It’s a great honour, as your Patron, to be here with you as the Red Cross celebrates the 80th anniversary of its establishment as a New Zealand organisation.

This is the first time I have joined with the New Zealand Red Cross since being appointed as Governor-General.  I was to have presented the Florence Nightingale Medal to Andrew Cameron at Government House on October 25 but circumstances precluded that.   The death of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia meant I had to travel to that country to offer New Zealand’s condolences to the Saudi Royal Family.  Although I was unable to host in person Andrew’s investiture ceremony, the event still went ahead at Government House and I understand it was a wonderful celebration, not only of Andrew’s career and humanitarian efforts, but also of the Red Cross and its work.

While I was in Saudi Arabia, I took the opportunity as your Patron, to pass on to His Royal Highness Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, the Chairman of Kingdom Holdings and Kingdom Foundation, the thanks of the New Zealand Red Cross for the donation his foundation made to the Christchurch earthquake appeal.

Before opening your National Council meeting, I would like to reflect on the origins of the Red Cross, both internationally and especially in New Zealand, and its role in responding to difficult times in New Zealand during the last year.

The Red Cross—international
As a former professional soldier and officer, I learned many years ago of the origins of the Red Cross at the Battle of Solferino in 1859.  The movement’s founder, Swiss businessman Henry Dunant, witnessed the aftermath of the bloody battle between French, Italian and Austrian forces.  Tens of thousands of dead, dying and wounded soldiers were left lying where they fell on the battlefield with little or no care or concern shown for their welfare. 

Dunant, on a business trip to Solferino to further his North African colonial interests with the French Emperor Napoleon III, was so moved by the soldiers’ plight that he abandonded his original plans and took the initiative to assist the wounded.  Reminiscent of the good samaritan who came to the aid of a stranger, he rallied the local populace to help the injured soldiers regardless of which side they had fought on.

And he did not stop there.  He wrote a book recounting his experiences and lobbied high-ranking military and political leaders.  His efforts saw the founding in 1863 of what is now known as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the following year, the adoption of the First Geneva Conventions.

The seven fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality, that the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement is based have come to represent those things that are good about humanity.  The movement’s remit has expanded from aiding injuried combatants in war to include assisting displaced civilians and the victims of natural disasters; and the movement has flourished.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has a unique role as the “guardian” of the Geneva Conventions and the various other treaties that constitute international humanitarian law.  With representation in 186 nations, the Red Cross Red Crescent movement commands the world’s largest force of volunteers, estimated at more than 90 million people.   

Its work has received international praise.  Dunant was the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901 and the movement has received the award three more times, in 1917, 1944 and 1963, on the anniversary of its centenary.

The red cross and red crescent on a white background are among the most enduring images of the last 150 years.  In times of peace and in times of war, and in the midst of suffering and tragedy caused by natural or man-made disasters, they are internationally-recognised symbols of help and compassion.
 
The Red Cross in New Zealand
This year marks 80 years since the Red Cross was established as a national organisation in New Zealand.  While a man-made tragedy gave birth to the international red cross movement 148 years ago, it was a tragedy wrought by the movement of the earth that gave impetus to the creation of the New Zealand Red Cross.

The Red Cross had been active in New Zealand for many years as a branch of the British Red Cross.  However, it was in the aftermath of the 1931 Napier earthquake that the New Zealand chapter of the Red Cross was born.  That disaster on 3 February 1931 claimed at least 256 lives and still ranks as one of the worst peacetime disasters in our nation’s history.

I’m sure there are many here who have wondered at the coincidence that 80 years and 19 days later, a disaster of a similar magnitude should again hit our country, this time in Christchurch.  I will speak more of the tragedies of 2010 and 2011 later. 

It is because of the inevitable connection with times of crisis, conflict and disaster that it is easy to forget that the Red Cross is more than an emergency service.

I congratulate you for your breakfast in schools programme where you served more than 270,000 meals over the last year.  I congratulate you for delivering through the meals on wheels service more than 670,000 hot meals last year.  I also congratulate you for teaching more than 63,000 people as well as a further 13,000 children first aid skills.  Among that group of first aiders was my wife Janine.

These are but a few of its achievements and they are impressive results.  Equally as impressive, and again, deserving of recognition, is the army of volunteers that the Red Cross has mustered to deliver these services.  They speak of an organisation whose brand is pristine, respected and trusted.  It is an organisation that is fundamentally wired into the structure of our society.  It is an organisation that brings light and hope to people both in New Zealand and abroad at all times. 

The tragedies of 2010 and 2011
Bringing light and hope, to have concern for all humanity, was so amply demonstrated by the response to the tragedies that afflicted New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region in late 2010 and 2011.  They began with the September 4 Canterbury earthquake which, while it caused much damage, miraculously saw no loss of life.  Two months later 29 miners were to lose their lives in the Pike River Mine on 19 November. 

And a further three months later on 22 February 2011, disaster on a scale not seen since 1931 saw 181 people lose their lives when a further earthquake levelled much of Christchurch. 

In addition, as a part of the international Red Cross Red Crescent family, the New Zealand Red Cross responded to the massive flooding in Pakistan in July 2010, the devastating flooding in Queensland in December 2010 and the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March 2011.

Throughout all these disasters, the New Zealand Red Cross was at the forefront.  On top of everything you faced at home, you still managed to send 132,000 blankets and 57,000 packets of instant noodles to Japan, to distribute 1 million food parcels in Pakistan and to send 12 emergency staff to Queensland.

I am, and you should also be, proud to be associated with an organisation that rose to the challenge, you  were tested, and you were not found wanting.  In particular, I want to acknowledge Penny Mason for her work at that time, leading what was largely a new national council.

The response of the Red Cross to each of these events could be analysed in detail.  I am certain that as a part of your regular debriefing you will be doing just that, building on the valuable lessons that will have been learnt.

Many adjectives have been used to describe the events of 22 February 2011 and the days, weeks and months that followed.   None can fully encapsulate tragedy that unfolded.

Looking at the work of the Red Cross, however, a key theme that resonates for me is the notion of integrity and the word trust.

New Zealanders trust the Red Cross.  They and people worldwide trusted it so much that they donated $84 million to its Christchurch earthquake appeal, even though they had already given $24 million after the Canterbury earthquake in September. 

And that trust was justified.  In a fair, transparent and timely fashion, an independent and voluntary commission of community leaders has distributed cash grants to more than 57,000 people.  None of the funds raised was spent on administration even though grant processing is not without significant costs.

That trust extended beyond offers of money.  In the aftermath of the tragedy, many people wanted to help.  They did not want to make a lifelong commitment, but they did want to help. 

And they wanted to work through an organisation they trusted and with a reputation for excellence and compassion that would be able to harness their skills for the greater good.  The Red Cross proved to be one such trusted avenue to offer assistance. 

I was interested to read in your 100 days report, for example, of 24-year-old Nooraynsha Jones who volunteered to be a data entry operator and ended up leading a small Christchurch team providing phone-based assistance to restore and maintain contact between families.  They trawled the internet, white pages, social media sites and police reports looking for the missing and if those options proved futile, requested other teams to knock on doors.

Young people often get a bad rap in the media.  The example shown by Ms Jones and her team, and also by the hundreds of students who participated in the Student Volunteer Army, shows that criticism is not justified. 

The Red Cross was able to mobilise almost 300 volunteers who gave almost 7000 hours of time.  That work included everything from rescue and casualty clearing to establishing and operating six welfare centres and a general call centre that received more 73,000 calls.  These are but a few of the initiatives the Red Cross led throughout the response to this disaster. 

The circle of trust the Red Cross embodies stretches beyond our shores as well.  As a part of the wider Red Cross Red Crescent movement, it was able to draw on international resources.  For example, a global agreement signed a number of years ago with Lions International was activated for the first time, which saw 100 Lions volunteers working alongside Red Cross teams.

Those with a background in marketing might suggest that New Zealanders trust the Red Cross because they trust the “Red Cross brand.” 

To me, however, brands are often superficial and fleeting.  I believe New Zealanders trust the Red Cross because it embodies shared values that are deeply rooted in our national psyche—values of generosity, tolerance and compassion for others.  The Red Cross brings people together, serving New Zealand in both good times and sad times. 

Conclusion
I want to conclude by offering my sincere thanks to the Red Cross, its staff, its members and its army of volunteers for all you have done for New Zealanders over the last year.  You provide an incredibly valuable service.  

The 12 months have tested all New Zealanders in ways that few could have imagined.  That we have emerged stronger and more resilient, with a renewed sense of optimism and commitment to the future is because of the work of organisations like the Red Cross.

Eighty years ago, in the aftermath of tragedy, the Red Cross became a truly New Zealand organisation.  I am certain your founders recognised that if the Red Cross movement was to take hold and also prosper on our soil, it had to be a New Zealand organisation, run by New Zealanders to meet the unique challenges we face.

Eighty years on, the faith your founders placed in the New Zealand Red Cross has been repaid many times over.  Like the parable of the feeding of the five thousand, you have delivered a bounty that far exceeds your physical or monetary resources.

And so on that note, I congratulate the New Zealand Red Cross on reaching this milestone and declare the 80th National Council meeting officially open.  Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.