From November 9th to 10th, the Soochow International Humanitarian Exchange and Cooperation Seminar themed “Building a Humanitarian Bridge” was held at Soochow University. The seminaris an international exchange event organized by the Red Cross Society of China to strengthen the international humanitarian exchanges and cooperation of the Red Cross, promote the joint construction and sharing of a humanitarian education system, and boost the sustainable and healthy development of the Red Cross cause in the new era.

Chen Zhu, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, President of the Red Cross Society of China, and Vice Chairman of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, chaired the seminar and delivered a speech. Representatives from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Cross Societies of nations including Sweden, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Turkey participated in the seminar. Representatives from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government, China International Development Cooperation Agency, Ministry of Emergency Management, and Ministry of Education participated in the ministry. During the seminar, the participants visited the theme exhibition of“the Soochow century and the Red Cross Movement---one of series of exhibition of the Red Cross Movement in the China ”in the museum of Soochow University.

In his speech, Chen Zhu pointed out that the world today was featured by interconnectivity and integrated development, but meanwhile was contradictorily intertwined and economically weak, and the humanitarian field faced enormous challenges. It was of great necessity and urgency for members of the Red Cross Movement to strengthen mutual communication and take joint action. The Red Cross Society of China, together with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and National Societies, would continue to deepen pragmatic cooperation and work together to carry out humanitarian projects that support those in distress and aid those in misery and relieve the people’s livelihood, cultivate the rescue, ambulance, and assistance service system, and strive to promote people-to-people bond and help build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Chen Zhu said thatintellectual and talent support took an essential role in promoting a more professional and sustainable development of the humanitarian cause and it needed deep cooperation and active exploration in building and sharing humanitarian education. To this end, the Red Cross Society of China had proposed a plan to build the project of the International College of Red Cross, hoping to do its part in promoting humanitarian education and communication in the global arena.

Liang Huiling, Party Secretary of the Red Cross Society of China,Chen Xingying, Vice Governor of Jangsu Provincial Government, Li Jijuan, Counselor of the International Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Haji Axi, Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Pei Daobo,the East Asia Representative Office Director of the International Committee of the Red Cross,and Zhou Youma, President of Ma HaideFoundation, delivered speeches respectively.

In the seminar on “Humanitarian Challenges and Responses”,KeremKenik, Vice-Chairman of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, also President of the Turkish Red Crescent Society, MirwaiAkram, the Executive Chairman of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, Khalid Elk Susie, Secretary General of Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society, and Yasin Ahmed Abbas,President ofIraqi Red Crescent Society, shared the work they carried out to deal with complex and severe humanitarian needs, which provided useful experience and inspiration for action and cooperation in the humanitarian field.

In the seminar on“Building and Sharing Humanitarian Education”, GuoChangjiang, Chairman of the Chinese Red Cross Foundation and Director of the Planning Department of the International College of the Red Cross, introduced the situation of the International College of the Red Cross jointly organized by the Red Cross Society of China and Soochow University. Margaret,President of the Swedish Red Cross Society shared the humanitarian education experience of Sweden.  XiongSidong,President of Soochow University, Wang Zhenyao,President of China Philanthropy Research Institute of Beijing Normal University, also President of China Global Philanthropy Institute in Shenzhen, Zhu Wenqi,Professor of Law School of Renmin University of China, also Director of the International Humanitarian LawInstituteof Renmin University of China, and Chi Zihua, Professor of School of Social Science and Director of the Red Cross Movement Research Center in Soochow University, made speeches onstrengthening the theoretical research, personnel training, and international exchange of the Red Cross Movement respectively.

In his speech, XiongSidong said that the relationship between Soochow University and the Red Cross Movement had a long history. For more than 100 years, Soochow University trained a number of alumni who had struggled for the Red Cross cause for life.It also established the first special academic institution in China—Red Cross Movement Research Center of Soochow University, which had trained a group of professionals and produced a number of research achievements having extensive influence throughout the country. It was a blessing and a deep responsibility for Soochow University to bear a part in the construction of the International college of the Red Cross. The university would take advantage of the Red Cross research and related disciplines, and strive to build the college into a high-level Red Cross talent training base, academic research center and international exchange node to help build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Wang Ping, Vice President and Secretary General of the Chinese Red Cross, Li Yaping, Mayor of Suzhou Municipal People’s Government, Cao Houling, Vice Mayor of the People’s Government of Suzhou, Jiang Yong, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Soochow University, and the relevant people in charge fromJiangsu Provincial People’s Congress, JiangsuProvincial People’s Government, JiangsuProvincial Red Cross Society, Suzhou Municipal Government, and Suzhou Municipal Red Cross Society participated in the seminar and exchange activities.

Before the seminar, Secretary Jiang Yong and President XiongSidong had a cordial conversation with the Red Cross volunteers on the lawn in front of the clock tower.

At the end of the meeting, the guests left the message of sharing the humanitarian education on the embroidery scroll together and presented it as a gift to the 10th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

This seminar was held just before the 10th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which would help the Red Cross Society of China to get better involved in international humanitarian affairs and demonstrate the image of the Red Cross organization of a responsible power to promote the building ofa community with a shared future for mankind.