Country: World Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies By Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General and CEO On 5 May 1919, in the aftermath of the First World War, a small group of National Red Cross Societies came together in France with a bold idea. They believed the compassion, solidarity and voluntary service shown during wartime should not disappear in peace. Instead, it should be organised, extended and made available wherever suffering occurred. That moment marked the birth of what would become the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. More than a century later, we mark that founding not only as a historical milestone, but as a reminder of why this network exists. The world we are operating in today is not the one imagined in 1919, nor even the one we knew a decade ago. Humanitarian needs continue to rise, while solidarity and funding are shrinking. Long‑standing assumptions about how international aid works are being tested, and in many cases overturned. Things will not go back to the way they were. This is the reality driving the IFRC’s Renewal, our strategic reorientation to double down on what we do best. Renewal is about becoming even more locally led, more focused, more accountable, and even better equipped to serve communities in environments often tougher today than they have ever been. But Renewal will only succeed if it is firmly anchored in our Fundamental Principles. In a world where humanitarian action is increasingly politicised, principles are sometimes treated as outdated or irrelevant. What matters, say some, is what works; not what lies behind, not the philosophy behind decisions. I disagree. Staying true to core principles, however contexts change, is what means organizations like ours maintain guardrails around our decisions. Even as we operate in a very different world to ones of decades past, we’re recognizable, and our work is extensive and impactful, because our principles remain consistent. Take neutrality. It allows our network to reach people others cannot. It allows us to stay when access narrows and pressure intensifies. It keeps our focus where it belongs – on the consequences of crises, not on assigning blame. Impartiality and independence are just as essential. They are what allow communities to see the Red Cross and Red Crescent as their own, rather than as an extension of any government, donor or agenda. Without that trust, access erodes. Without access, response becomes impossible. This is why Renewal is not a departure from who we are. It is a continuation of the founding vision of 5 May 1919 – a belief that a strong humanitarian network must be anchored in local action, global solidarity and shared principles. Renewal is about deepening localization. It is about focusing our efforts where our impact is greatest. It is about being more agile, more accountable, and more transparent in how we use resources entrusted to us. It is about using technology unimaginable in the past to enhance the very things our founders believed most essential. Renewal is also about shifting even further away from notions of community-dependency towards local ownership – supporting National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to lead, not follow, and ensuring that international support strengthens, rather than replaces, local capacity. Renewal means doing things differently, but always doing them with the same integrity our network has always held central. Choices ahead will not be easy. Which country gets support and which doesn’t? Who gets prioritized and who doesn’t? How do we apply our principles of impartiality when the fundings get even more earmarked? While we grapple with these questions, we must be absolutely clear about what does not change. Efficiency and principles as well as speed and trust must go hand in hand. A humanitarian system that modernises but loses credibility with communities is not stronger – it is weaker. More than a century after our founding, our relevance will be measured by whether people still trust the Red Cross and Red Crescent on their doorstep. Renewal is how we protect that trust for the future – by becoming more local, more focused and more accountable, while remaining true to the values that have sustained our network for generations.