Shirley Blackshaw is a leader at the Costa Rican Red Cross who is orchestrating efforts to counter climate change. The IFRC innovation and futures team had an exclusive interview with Shirley, who outlined her experiences as a leader and the activities she carries out...

French Red Cross’ Transformation & Innovation Strategy: an example of organisational change.

Some perspectives on organisational transformation in the Movement. Reading the latest update on the Strategy 2030 ‘Platform for Change’ website, there are 2 clear calls to change.  A call for us to be even better able to save lives, accompany people and support their...

Much has been said about cash aid (I use this as a far from perfect shorthand for delivering cash and voucher assistance). Is it really a game changer for the humanitarian system or just hype? Will humanitarian aid in 2030 be marked by a shift away from delivery of...

We are in a period of the globalisation of fragility. The definition of protection, its scope and limitations, the role of humanitarian agencies, authorities and other actors has been and continues to be debated. Within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement,...

It was with fascination I recently read Shaun Hazeldine’s piece on Rethinking the Future of Volunteering? While written about the global Red Cross/ Red Crescent Movement, the way it resonates with the work we’re doing at the British Red Cross is uncanny. So much has...

The potential of the future Strategy 2030 consultations highlight the challenges and opportunities that an extremely rapidly changing world poses for the Movement. In addition to the likelihood of more regular, complex, protracted and severe humanitarian crises,...

There is a plethora of reports, articles and think pieces making the case that the humanitarian system is failing and needs to make changes [Voices to Choices – IARAN, Civil Society Futures – PACT, World Disaster Report – IFRC]. The Red Cross Movement (RCM) being the...

Mental health is an integral part of health and well-being and a fundamental human right for all people. The inclusion of mental health in the Sustainable Development Agenda signifies that there can be no sustainable development without mental health: good mental...

Digital and biometric identification is slowly being incorporated by governments throughout the emerging world. In what ways are these technologies changing the way vulnerable populations live and in turn, how might it influence the way aid is distributed?

What do youth volunteers want? As part of a research interest to examine the structures of youth civic engagement in different contexts and the potential space for innovation, particularly in developing regions; several participatory engagements were held in a Middle...

Globally the Red Cross and Red Crescent have some 11-12 million volunteers. This number fluctuates somewhat depending on what disasters and crises may emerge on any given year, but regardless it is still a significant number of people mobilising to support others....

50 years ago, the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement were developed and continue to hold astounding relevance to the very different global context within which we apply them today. So much so, that four of the Principles: Humanity,...

Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our generation, its consequences at the heart of the Red Cross Red Crescent mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering. Climate-related disasters such as heatwaves, floods, droughts and the diseases they...

The purpose of this note is to provide an overview of current thinking around the future of work for Strategy 2030 and understand its implications for IFRC. A lot has been written on the so-called fourth industrial revolution and the future of work, so this note draws...

The future of volunteering What might volunteering look like over the next decade for the Red Cross and Red Crescent network? We know that volunteering is changing – the Global Review of Volunteering and the IFRC 2018 Thematic Futures highlighted a number of ways in...

Introduction Traditionally, technological progress is incremental and gradual considering improvements and adaptations of existing technology. However, occasionally in modern human history, technological advance has been disruptive and revolutionary in transforming...