CHINA: RED CROSS MILLENIUM YEAR CELEBRATIONS

Описание: (8 May 1999) English/Nat

From the Great Wall of China to the pyramids in Mexico and to the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia, the "Red Cross and Red Crescent Millennium Year" was launched today under the slogan "The Power of Humanity".

Altogether, events were organised in 130 countries throughout the world.

Events ranged from the symbolic to the serious with dance taking a prevalent place.

With one thousand years of history behind it, China's traditional dragon dance serves as an appropriate symbol for the Red Cross' millennium festivities.

The Red Cross feels that dance is the one truly global language which transcends boundaries and unites cultures -- just like the international aid organisation itself.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"And I think it's of particular significance because there you have a great civilisation and at the same time a great humanitarian organisation which are meeting today."
SUPER CAPTION: Harald Schmid de Grunek, Head of Regional
Delegation for East Asia, International Committee of the Red Cross

The Red Cross has played an increasing important role in China throughout the years.

One of the organisation's activities all over the world is to encourage people to donate blood.

Today's festivities gave the Red Cross an opportunity to entice local residents into giving up their arms to blood-drawing needles.

With fears of infection rising, paying people to give blood in China has become illegal.

The country now depends entirely on volunteers.

But if the Red Cross has begun to enter the hearts of schoolchildren all across the country, this is due more to its great efforts in relieving people in disaster-struck areas.

Earthquakes, floods -- all of these have devasted China just over the past year.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Think of the floods, think of the incredible intervention and activities of all those teams of the Chinese Red Cross and I think it was very, very meaningful because so many lives were saved as a result of these activities."
SUPER CAPTION: Harald Schmid de Grunek, Head of Regional Delegation for East Asia, International Committee of the Red Cross

Today's events however, focused on the colourful festivities rather than past tragedy's.

These drummers braved the hot mid-day sun to cheer the spectators.

At the Great Wall alone, over 500 members and volunteers performed and participated in fund-raising activities.

All 31 provinces in China launched the Millennium Year with dance events for a target audience of 100 million people.

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