Today is our topic of discussion-A Great Man’s Service
A Great Man’s Service
Let’s read
We will now read the story of Henri Dunant, the man who started the Red Cross Society in 1864. The main objective of the society was to help the wounded soldiers who were not being taken care of. We will know about the Red Corss Society.
Section: 1
Henri Dunant was quiet and polite. He was affectionately called “The Gentleman in White’.
No one paid much attention to a young Swiss gentleman who was travelling in Italy in 1859. His dress and behaviour showed that he belonged to a rich family. But something that happened in the midst of his tour changed young Henri Dunant.
Italy and France were at war with Austria. Henri Dunant came upon one of their battlefields at the end of a day of fighting. It was Solferino. For the first time in his life Dunant saw how heartless war could be. All round him lay suffering men, untended and left to die where they fell.
Henri Dunant went to work at once. Helped by several village women he formed an ambulance service. He set up headquarters in a little church not far away. He made use of anyone who came along. He himself helped to bind up the wounds of Frenchmen, Italians, and Austrians alike.
Someone asked Dunant why he cared for Italy’s enemies. His answer showed a spirit of humanity that was not common in those days. We are all brothers. A wounded enemy is an enemy no longer.”
With his groups of helpers, Dunant helped to save many lives. Water and medicine were brought. Mattresses of straw were smoothed so that the wounded could lie in comfort. Those who despaired were given hope. Prayers were said for the dying. The “Gentleman in White” (as Dunant was called because he wore a white suit) was thought of by hundreds of wounded men as an angel.
Read, Think and Answer I
Answer each of the following questions.
1. Who is called “the gentleman in white”?
2. Which were the countries fighting against Austria?
3. What role did the village women play in helping the wounded?
4. Where was the headquarters of the “ambulance service” set up?
Read the statements and write “T” for true and “F” for fasle.
1. Solferino is in Italy.
2. Only Swiss people were called to help the wounded.
3. People did not pay much attention to Dunant because he was quiet.
4. Dunant started serving the wounded soldiers.
5. France and Italy were enemies.
C. Each statement is followed by four choices. Tick (the appropriate choice.
1. Dunant helped the wounded soldiers because they were:
a) French
c) Austrian
b) Italian
d) Human beings
2. Dunant was also called an angel because he :
a) helped others
c) treated others as brother
b) wore white suit
Section II
Henri Dunant could not forget what had happened at Solferino on the battlefield. The soldiers had been left to suffer, some of them to die, because no group of people had been ready to look after the wounded. The more he thought of it, the more he felt that something must be done.
He thought of a great organisation. It should be planned to include in it many nations. It should have everything needed to reduce human suffering, especially in time of war. It would do its work with the help of all countries.
Shortly the plan grew in his mind. Each detail grew clear.
All nations would support and share in such a great work of humanity. It must work under a sign that all would know its symbol would be a red cross against a white background.
One man alone could hardly hope to make this dream real. But Henri Dunant decided to do what he could. First of all he must reach the public. It must see the need for this great organization. To make the need clear he wrote truthfully of what he had seen at Solferino.
At the end of his account he suggested that an international relief society should be set up to care for the wounded.Dunant’s book. A Memory of Solferino, shocked its readers. They were shocked by the bloodshed he described.
They were shocked by the lack of care for the wounded. And they were startled to have the writer prove that many of the horrors he described did not have to be. All that was needed was a relief society ready to give first aid on the battlefield.
Read, Think and Answer II
Answer the following questions:
(a) What were the initial steps Dunant took to convince people to have an organisation to help the wounded?
(b) Draw the symbol, as described in para 9. What does white and red colour stand for in the symbol?
(c) Describe the impact of the book “A Memory of Solferino” on the public mind.
Section III
One of Dunant’s own countrymen was the first to act. Gustav Meunier, a wealthy lawyer in Geneva, had been greatly moved by the book. He chose Dunant and four others to form the Committee of Five. It was to look into the idea of an international society.
After some careful study, the committee invited all the nations of Europe to a meeting in Geneva. The meeting, held on October 26, 1863, was a success. Thirty six delegates from fourteen nations were present. Dunant’s suggestions were accepted. It was decided that a relief society should be formed in each country.
An international agreement called the Geneva Convention was made the following year. The nations of Europe approved the new organization. For the first time in history, they accepted wounded men as neutral: a wounded soldier would no longer be looked on as an enemy.
The nations that signed the Geneva Convention chose the red cross as the symbol for the international organization. At first the new society was given different names in different countries. Later it was everywhere called the Red Cross Society.
Until his death in 1910, at the age of eighty two, he was always ready to work for a noble cause. And when the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded for the first time, in 1901, the honour went to Dunant. No man has deserved it more than the founder of the Red Cross.
Read, Think and Answer III
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words
Įnamed, assisted, awarded, explored, signed, invited, decided]
Gustav Munier….Dunant in his effort.
The Committee of Five…..the idea of an international society.
English
European nations were to Geneva…..Fourteen nations
to form a relief society……Geneva Convention was in the year 1864.
Initially the new society was noble prize in the year 1901.
Dunant was…….differently in different countries.
Let’s Learn Grammar
Read the following sentences carefully.
1. Dunant formed an ambulance service.
2. An ambulance service was formed by Dunant
In sentence 1 and 2 the work done is ‘forming’ but the same thing has been said in 2 ways. In sentence 1 the subject is ‘Dunant’. In sentence 2 the subject is ambulance service.
Sentence 1 is the Active Voice.
Sentence 2 is in the Passive Voice. In sentence 1 Dunant is the doer or subject and ambulance service is the
object.
In sentence 2 ambulance service is the subject and Dunant is the object, In
a passive sentence the verb is often followed ‘by.
Thus, to make a passive sentence you do the following.
i) exchange the position of subject and object
ii) use ‘by before the doer.
iii) make some change in the verb.
Exercise:
Read the following sentences carefully. Rewrite the sentences on the basis of what you have just learnt.
Mattresses of straw were smoothened by the nurses. Nurses smoothened mattresses of straw
a) Veena caught the thief red hand.
b) I can eat ten idles in a minute.
c) Someone took the wounded soldiers in an ambulance.
d) Doctors looked after the patients.
e) Nurses bandaged their wounds.
Increase Your Word Power
1. Different word combinations have different meanings. You must have come across the following word combinatiions or phrases in the lesson.
set up
care for
pay attention to
make use of
bind up
be shocked by
in the midst of
lack of
set up means-to start
e.g. He has set up a small business at Uttara.
Care for means to look after love.
e.g. Dunant cared for the wounded soldiers of the enemy.
Exercise
Match the following phrases given under A with their meanings
given
under B.
Let’s write
Read the following information about the ‘Red Cross Society’ given in points and then write a paragraph.
The Red Cross Society
i) Formed – 22 Aug 1864- choose symbol – red cross on white background-
named Red Cross Society in 1867.
ii) Began work – 1870-71 – War in Europe, looked after 5 million people.
iii) World War – 1-relief work – information agency started.
iv) World War-II- collected, issued 450.000 tones of relief supplies, spent large amount on prisoners, soldiers.
v) Today- branches all over the world- reminds people- respect every human being
vi) Junior Red Cross Society – formed 1922
Let’s talk
Talking about a past event
Read the following conversation with a partner.
Ripa: What a boring match!
Deepa : Yeah! I never expected Bangladesh to play so badly.
Ripa: Anything is possible with the Bangladeshi cricketers.
Deepa : You remember the last match where Bangladesh won by I run.
Ripa: That was a thriller, I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Deepa : I wish we could see some more games like that.
You have read a diologue where two people talk about a past event. Can you think of a similar conversation for the following situations?
Situations:
(a) You saw an accident on the road; share this with your friend.
(b) You had a boring visitor last evening. Tell your friend how the visitor bored you.