About the museum

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum asks a central question:

How does humanitarian action affect us all, here and now?

In order to reflect on this question with our visitors, we invite artists and cultural partners to examine the issues, values and current situation of humanitarian action.

We thus assert ourselves, in an open, agile and warm manner, as a place of memory, creation and debate.

We help bring attention to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the city of Geneva by producing original artistic content and developing ambitious partnerships in Switzerland and throughout the world.

Further details are available in our annual reports:

• View the 2022 Annual Report (in French)
• View the 2021 Annual Report (in French)
• View the 2020 Annual Report (in French)
• View the 2019 Annual Report (in French)

Executive Management

Pascal Hufschmid, Executive Director
 

Administration and Finance

Myriam Doré, Director
Tiffany-Jane Madden, Assistant, Administration and Accounting
Jonas Chereau, Project manager
 

Collections and Exhibitions

Elisa Rusca, Director
Mariano Villalba, Collections and Registrar Manager
Marie-Laure Berthier, Production Manager
Marco Domingues, Technician
 

External Affairs

Julia Dao, Director

 

Audience Development

Carolyn Polhill, Director
Fabienne Mendoza, Manager, Visitor Experience
Cecilia Suarez, Manager, Communication and Digital Content
Annabel Bernardon, Manager, Cultural Engagement
Peace Mury, Store Officer

André Hamelin, Reception Manager

Cherif Amadou, Welcome Officer

Camille Bovet, Welcome Officer
Marcela Cizmar, Welcome Officer

Rama Dwiyana Putera, Welcome Officer
Patrizia Hilbrown, Welcome Officer
Peace Mury, Welcome Officer
Susanne Staub, Welcome Officer

Barbara Angelini, Volunteer Guide
Patricia Bourceret, Volunteer Guide
Emanuele Ceraso, Volunteer Guide
Mariagrazia Gisella Cicciu, Volunteer Guide
Maria Contreras Gutiérrez, Volunteer Guide
Cécile Crassier-Mokdad, Volunteer Guide
Danica Gautier, Volunteer Guide
Nalini Gouri-Burci, Volunteer Guide
Odile Guillaud, Volunteer Guide
Oriana Mazzola, Volunteer Guide
Gail Messenger, Volunteer Guide
Doris Riva, Volunteer Guide
Christine Ruchat, Volunteer Guide
Luz Maria Serrano Estrada, Volunteer Guide
Lisa Widmer, Volunteer Guide
Anita Zwerner, Volunteer Guide

We're proud to have received the following labels in recognition of our commitment to including sexual and gender minorities and to promoting career and employment opportunities.

About the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum :

 

The International Red-Cross and Red-Crescent Museum exists to promote understanding and dialogue around the past, present and future challenges of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and broader humanitarian action.

At the Museum and online, in Switzerland and beyond, it encourages cultural participation and research through the production, sharing and co-construction of innovative experiences at the intersection of everyday life, art and humanitarian action.

It preserves, builds up and enhances a unique heritage.

By collaborating with its audiences and partners from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, it stimulates social and cultural development of communities, and is committed to diversity and sustainability.

 

Why volunteer at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum?

 

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum aims to question humanitarian action by asking this simple question: how does humanitarian action affect us all, here and now?

The aim is to encourage artists, cultural partners and researchers to reflect on the issues, values and relevance of humanitarian action.

Volunteering at our museum is a way of exploring this issue, of passing on the work of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement by meeting those involved in it  and sharing it with others. You will be able to gain professional experience by leading guided tours and participating in numerous initiatives  to make this museum a living place at the heart of the city of Geneva. 

Volunteering has a central place in the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement by being one of the seven fundamental principles: unity, universality, impartiality, neutrality, humanity, independence and voluntary service.

 

Tasks offered to volunteers :

 

Supported by the Cultural Engagement Manager, the guide's mission is to provide a positive experience for the public and to facilitate the transmission the contents related to the visit and to the Museum, while encouraging dialogue and exchanges around the history, issues, values and current affairs of humanitarian action.

 

• Guided tours of the permanent and temporary exhibition.
• Contribute to the implementation of outreach activities : educational workshops, events, etc.
• Assimilate relevant information relating to the Museum's cultural and educational orientations, activity programmes and collections.
• Understand the event scenario and the target audience.
• Welcome visitors and create a context conducive to activities, representing the Museum and conveying a positive image.
• Ensure that visits run smoothly and that participants are safe.
• Record visitors' comments with a view to improving the range of activities on offer.

 

Desired qualities

 

• Energetic, sociable, curious, creative
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team, team spirit
• Ability to work independently
• Sense of responsibility and organisation

 

• French: fluent
• English: fluent
• Other languages a plus

 

Please send your application to

Annabel Bernardon - Head of Cultural Participation :

a.bernardon@redcrossmuseum.ch

 

Information sessions :

• December 6, 2023 from noon to 1:30 p.m.
• March 6, 2024 from noon to 1:30 pm
• June 5, 2024, noon to 1:30 p.m.

 

Training courses :

• January ; February ; April ; May ; June 2024

Chair

Isabel Rochat
 

Representatives of the Swiss Confederation

Félix Baumann (Swiss Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva)
Philippe Kaeser
 

Representatives of the Canton of Geneva

Teresa Skibinska
Michaël Flaks
 

Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross

Gilles Carbonnier
Robert Mardini
 

Representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Christopher Rassi
 

Individual Members

Sandrine Giroud
Loa Haagen Pictet
Catherine de Marignac
Luzius Sprüngli
Anne-Marie de Weck
 

Honorary Chair

Bernard Koechlin
 

Description

This is a unique opportunity to question today's museum and express your vision of tomorrow's museum. As a thinker, you'll be encouraged to reflect on the challenges facing the Museum, and to challenge those involved with your own critical eye. You'll be given a topic to think about; imagine and develop a project proposal to help the Museum achieve its objectives.

This program, which is open to all disciplines, is aimed at students enrolled in a Master's-level course of study for the entire duration of the program, i.e. for the fall 2023 and spring 2024 semesters.

Focus area 23-24: Diversity and inclusion

The Museum invests time, resources and energy to be an inclusive company, both in its offer to the public and as an employer. Through the program, the Museum invites you to reflect and debate with it, to initiate a project proposal on the theme of diversity and inclusion.

 

Young Advisory Board 2023-2024:

• Dzidedi AZUMAH
• Yasmine BAIROUK
• Alessandro BUSSETTI
• Wael CHARIF
• José RODRIGUEZ
• Sevinch RUSTAMOVA

Period and duration

November 2023 to May 2024

Our story began in 1963 – the 100th anniversary of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) – when initial proposals were put forward to establish a Red Cross Museum in Geneva.

Twelve years later, in 1975, ICRC delegate Laurent Marti decided to act, inspired by his time in the field. He wrote to Jean Pictet, the ICRC’s Director-General, setting out his plans for a museum that would trace the major stages of humanitarian history before and after the creation of the Red Cross. His proposal was accepted.

In 1979, an architecture competition was launched to build the Museum close to the ICRC headquarters on the Colline de Pregny in Geneva. The winning design was submitted by Pierre Zoelly, Georges Haefeli and Michel Girardet. The Foundation for the International Red Cross Museum was established in 1981.

The Museum’s first stone was laid on 20 November 1985 at a special ceremony attended by Ursula Furgler, Raisa Gorbachev and Nancy Reagan.

The Museum opened its doors to the public on 29 October 1988. Its founder, Laurent Marti, served as its first director until 1994. He was succeeded by Didier Helg and Christine Müller.

Roger Mayou, appointed as director in 1998, went on to expand the Museum and oversaw a complete overhaul of the site, which reopened on 18 May 2013 after two years of work.

Pascal Hufschmid has served as director of the Museum since 2019.
 

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the largest humanitarian organization in the world. It is composed of three independent parts:

• The International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies IFRC
• 191 individual National Societies
   

It is guided by the Fundamental Principles and united by a central purpose: to help without discrimination those who suffer and thus contribute to peace in the world.
 

The seven Fundamental Principles are:

• Humanity
• Impartiality
• Neutrality
• Independence
• Voluntary service
• Unity
• Universality