Letter from East Tennessee Executive Director Michelle Hankes, November 2016

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent has nearly 200 members, one of which is the American Red Cross. Each of the national organizations is slightly different: for example, the Mexican Red Cross (Cruz Rosa Mexicana) is responsible for their nation's ambulance service, which is not the case for other Red Cross organizations.

However, even though our activities and tactics might be different, our core ethics are the same. The seven Fundamental Principles are humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

I am going to highlight one of these at a time over the next few months. These are more than words or nice concepts. These principles are the reason for everything the Red Cross does. They are used to guide us in decision-making in a world that can be very divisive and political. These principles are not just guiding organizational decisions, but the behaviors of the individuals who represent the Red Cross in their communities.

So, watch future newsletters for further descriptions of these principles and start thinking about how you fit into the world of Red Cross.