I WAS recently part of a group of 200 people attending the VII Asia-Pacific Regional Confer-ence of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies hosted by the Singapore Red Cross Society in a hotel ballroom just a little distance away from the twinkling Christmas lights and window displays of Orchard Road.
I was there as part of the Malaysian delegation.
Before the opening ceremony, a roll call confirmed that in all 44 countries were being represented.
Notably missing was a delegation from Iraq. Notably present – for the first time – were Palestine, Israel and Timor Leste.
I was awestruck that such a gathering of people from so many nations around the world were in that ballroom.
Despite the friendly banter and the odd burst of laughter, this was actually no social event.
I realised that this was a serious meeting after I had flipped through the literature in our (very heavy) delegates’ bags and read that:
“The global challenges confronting the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are mounting every day. HIV/AIDS is killing over 8,000 people a day. More than one billion people live on less than US$1 (RM3.59) a day. Every day, 30,000 children under the age of five die. Far too many of them are killed by preventable diseases. Access to basic health services and clean water is still a dream for the majority of the world’s population.”
I tried to read on but the lights were dimmed. Slowly, little girls carrying tea lights walked in. The Singapore Red Cross choir sang two songs and then the little girls gave the tea lights they were carrying to the VIPs in the front row.
It was a simple gesture but full of symbolism: we can – together – bring light and hope to those whose lives are filled with darkness and misery.
The plenary sessions were focused on serious topics but lunch was an opportunity to relax.
On the first day, I sat at a table with Fatima, a delegate from Afghanistan. There were so many things I wanted to ask her.
When a woman delegate from Iran joined us, Fatima told me that many Afghan women of her generation were educated in Iran. Her eyes flashed fire when she spoke about her country’s proud history.
At the first day of the conference, “the Federation” was mentioned many times and although I tried my best to be serious, a part of my sillier mind wandered far enough to remind me that the only other time I had heard references made to “The Federation” and where citizens from different places sat together in council were in the Star Wars movies. Except that in Star Wars, the different “peoples” had fish-like heads atop their shoulders, or, like Queen Amidala, had strange make-up and hair.
The women I saw around me weren’t the sorts who would spend hours at their dressing table mirrors, but they were among many at the conference who would have had extraordinary experiences.
The more serious side of me did note that what was truly amazing about this conference were not the impressive-sounding titles that the speakers held: For example, Margareta Wahlstrom, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs; Dr Ta-keshi Kasai, the Regional Adviser on Communicable Di-sease Surveillance and Res-ponse from the World Health Organisation; Gerard Ee, Chair-man of the National Kidney Foundation of Singapore; or Lady Keith from the Inter-national Federation Health and Care Commission.
It was obvious that there was no place for egos here. It didn’t matter what our professions or social standings were.
Here we had common goals. Here we were learning about ways to serve our communities at home or help others far from us.
I remember looking around at lunch, as people from different countries sat together at the tables, and wishfully thinking if only we could capture the magic of just that one moment, put it in a bottle, and send it to countries where there is so much anger, hatred and intolerance.
Unfortunately, magic doesn’t exist, reality does.
As Lt-Gen Winston Choo, Rtd, Chairman of the Singapore Red Crescent said in his message: “Our 100 million members and volunteers enable us to reach out and meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our region and beyond … we are from the most diverse, populated and disaster prone regions … the Final Conference Document shall hopefully express our collective resolve to make a significant difference … to those we serve.”
The words “to those we serve” reflect one of the goals that all Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies hope to achieve. It was also reassuring for me to know that one of the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is “Impartiality,” which is defined as making “no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It endeavours to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guided solely by their needs, and to give priority to the most urgent cases of distress.”
After the conference, I walked past the hotel where I had spent many hours talking to people from other countries. When I saw the brightly-lit Christmas tree in the lobby, I felt a certain sadness as I reflected on being part of a wonderful group of people from around the world who shared one common aim: to serve humanity.
3 December 2006 : The Star, Mind Matters
