Welcome to the Swedish Red Cross Handbook for international field work! Whether you are curious of the practicalities of working as a Delegate, or if you are preparing for an upcoming mission, you are likely to find answers to your questions in this Handbook. Glossary is found in Annex 3.
The Red Cross and Red Crescent movement is one of the world’s largest humanitarian organisations. We are millions of people in 191 countries who have come together to ensure that people are not left alone in the midst of crisis – to prevent and alleviate human suffering, without discrimination, and to protect human dignity. To work as a Swedish Red Cross Delegate means working at the centre of events. Red Cross and Red Crescent is on location when the disaster hits; earthquakes, drought, conflicts, hurricanes, epidemics. Delegates are ordinary people acting in extraordinary ways to support, aid and give relief to others in crises, working mainly in emergencies, in conflict and in natural disasters, or in long term programs promoting recovery and resilience.
The Handbook is divided into 7 chapters:
- Chapters 1 to 3 briefly summarise the work of the SRC and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, as well provide a brief overview of what a Delegate mission is and what different missions may look like.
- Chapters 4 to 7 dive deeper into details and explain the steps and procedures involved when working as a Delegate. The chapters describe what is expected of you as a Delegate, provides you with practical information and define what you can expect from SRC, before, during and after your
mission. - Annexes 1-4 provide you with useful information such as: contact information, useful links, glossary
and chosen paragraphs from SRC’s International Security Framework.
The Handbook serves as a practical tool and general description for all Delegates and does not regulate
individual employments with SRC. There may be variations in employment conditions and you should
always see your employment agreement as first source of reference together with the document called
Terms and Conditions for Delegates on Long-Term/Short-Term Mission, referred to as Terms and
Conditions in this Handbook. If you have questions that the Handbook does not cover, you are
welcome to address the SRC International HR Unit. You find our contacts in Annex 1.