Red Cross / EU Office

Danish Red Cross

Address:

Blegdamsvej 27
2100 - Köbenhavn Ø
Tel: +45 35 25 92 00
Fax: +45 35 25 92 92
Email: drc@drk.dk
Website: www.drk.dk/

Legal Basis:
Mission:

The Danish Red Cross set out its mission and statement of goals in its plan of action for 2002-2005. This was adopted at the General Assembly in 2001 and is revised by the assembly every second year.The Danish RC is an auxiliary to the Danish government in the fields of humanitarian assistance, relief work and education, either alone or in co-operation with state bodies or other organisations. The Danish RC and the government also co-operate in the area of asylum seekers and international humanitarian aid and rehabilitation.

Constituency:

District level: 240 local branches, which co-operate actively within the boundaries of a county.

Special statutes: Reydi Krossur Føroya (the Red Cross of the Faroe Islands) and Kalaallit Røde Korsiat (the Red Cross of Greenland) have the statutes of independent organisations under the Danish RC, reflecting their statutes as largely self-governing entities within the Kingdom of Denmark. Danish Red Cross Youth is an independent children’s and youth organisation under the aegis of the Danish RC.

Organisation/planning:

Plan of action: the Danish RC is working according to the 2002-2005 Plan of Action. The draft plan is prepared by HQ, submitted to the Central Committee for review and then presented at the General Assembly for approval.

Humanitarian co-ordination: Danish RC is a member of various groups bringing together NGOs, the authorities as well as the military. Issues include ensuring co-ordination in humanitarian activities, civil-military co-operation, questions of international humanitarian law, health education, and first aid.

Leadership:

The General Assembly is the Danish RC’s supreme body, comprising 1 member from each local branch (4 from Copenhagen RC) and representatives of the 14 country districts. The Faroe and Greenland sections,and RC Youth, each have a representative. The Assembly meets every second year. Between meetings the Central Committee is responsible for Danish RC governance. Elected members of Danish RC organs are unpaid.
The Central Committee consists of the Danish RC President, two vice-presidents and 12 members, all elected by the General Assembly. The Committee meets approximately once a month.  
The Secretariat (paid staff) contributes to policy-making and is responsible for day-to-day administration.

Challenge:

Integrating ethnic minorities into Danish society, fighting cultural and racial prejudice, fighting loneliness and promoting health are some of the challenges faced by the Danish RC.

Paid staff:

126 at HQ (65 women and 44 men), 17 part-time support staff (17 women).

Volunteers:
The number has remained steady in the Danish RC at 15,000 volunteers at regional and branch level, while 20,000 help the annual fund-raising campaign.

Members:

There are approximately 79,000 members.

Domestic Activities
Refugees and immigrants
Around 65 local branches and 890 volunteers are involved in integration activities for refugees and immigrants. Among the initiatives are help with school work, a network of contact families, a ‘city-guide’ where new citizens are introduced to their surroundings, cultural events, a café used as a meeting place for refugees and locals etc. The overall aim is to make integration into Danish society as smooth as possible.

Asylum seekers
Since 1984 the Danish RC, in a contractual arrangement with the Danish government, has handled all humanitarian, social and medical tasks connected with care of asylum seekers in Denmark over the period people are awaiting a decision on their application, which can take several years. These tasks include accommodation, education and training, medical and health services, social services, psychosocial treatment and support. Since asylum seekers do not have access to the normal social institutions, the Society has taken on the task of providing those services within the asylum system.
The Danish RC trains more than 65,000 people each year in physical first aid. 800 volunteers are members of first aid teams, on duty at major public events such as rock concerts and football games; in 2003, they treated over 26,000 people. Psychological first aid courses, given by specialized trainers, aim at helping people to cope with situations such as accidents, serious illness and death. Training is available to individuals and companies, while volunteers offer support to victims of crime or violence. 1500 people were trained in psychological support in 2003.

Social Services

Home visitors: 5,500 volunteers make weekly visits to mentally ill, disabled and elderly people living alone.

Prison visitors: offer prisoners humanitarian support.

International Activites: Development Activities
Countries of Operation:
Membership in RCRC networks:
Country Information




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