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Guest blog from Kenya: A roadmap for the future

By Katrina Crew
November 26, 2009 at 11:33 am

In her second blog about the Red Cross’ recent General Assembly in Kenya, youth delegate Laura Deacon examines a new strategy to guide our work for the next decade.

So my second blog has to address the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ new strategy, Strategy 2020, but before you run for the hills of cyberspace I have a question for you, something that I have mused over the last week: how can this strategy be such a paradox? It is flexible to adapt to our changing world yet focused enough to lay the roadmap for the future.

I have come to the conclusion this clever and vital approach is just what the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement needs to take us forward in an ever-changing world. But see what you think – below I have outlined what the strategy covers and how it affects the British Red Cross.

The Strategy

After 323 days, seven drafts and a consultation process that stretched to every corner of the world, the Federation’s new strategy was finally passed at the General Assembly last week. It sets out the three key aims of the Movement. Firstly, to save lives, protect livelihoods and strengthen recovery from disasters and crisis. Secondly, to enable healthy and safe living. Thirdly, to promote social inclusion and a culture of non-violence and peace.

What happens now? As Strategy 2020 has now been adopted by National Societies, they should use this framework to create their own programme of work. The strategy should be reflected at a local level in a way that is relevant to each National Society’s work. James Cochrane, chairman of the British Red Cross, said: “This is a beacon to show us the way and it is up to each National Society to decide how to get to that beacon. Each journey will be different.”

There was also emphasis on the need for the strategy to be flexible enough to adapt to our ever-changing world and for National Societies to concentrate on a few key areas of work, relevant to their country’s need, and do them well. Sir Nicholas Young, chief executive for the British Red Cross, also highlighted the scale of the needs we see in the 21st century and our undoubting potential as a Movement to address them. He recognised that our commitment as a Movement to effectively implement this new strategy relied on the Federation and the National Societies resourcing this strategy together. 

So how will the British Red Cross use Strategy 2020? It has been a key tool in developing our new corporate strategy 2010-2015. In this, the British Red Cross recognises the changing world we live in and our need to be able to adapt to the areas of vulnerability that creates. We have followed the three aims of Strategy 2020 by focusing our work on: emergency response and our need to help people prepare, withstand and recover from emergencies; continuing our fantastic work in areas of health and social care; and within all our work advocating for the vulnerable people we serve on the humanitarian issues they face.

So do you agree with me this flexible yet focused approach is good? Leave me your comments.

P.S. I’ve reduced my word count by over 400 – we are making progress people.

Image 1 © Gemunu Amarasinghe/British Red Cross

Image 2 © Dominic Cocozza/British Red Cross

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Tags: governance, intenational

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 11:33 am and is filed under Fundraising and events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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