Canadian Red Cross

Published purpose

Since 1991-92, CIDA has been supporting the Canadian Red Cross Society's (CRCS) Overseas Delegates Program (ODP) which facilitates the selection, training and deployment of Canadian delegates with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Specific objectives of the ODP are: to provide support to delegates from both ICRC and IFRC, to maintain a standby system to deploy delegates in response to emergencies, to maintain a channel for Canadians to participate in international humanitarian activities, to identify training programs and educational resources to continually strengthen CRCS's capacity to deploy delegates with high levels of expertise, to review and update the Basic Training Course for content and mode of delivery, to sustain the ODP by maintaining a communication strategy for public support, promotion and fundraising, community action volunteerism and institution building, and to strengthen career development for delegates.