The IFRC Global Innovation Summit in Nairobi

Digital transformation and concern for sustainable development – these are the main topics of the recently concluded The IFRC Global Innovation Summit in Nairobi (June 26 – 28).

The International Red Cross is celebrating its 160th anniversary this year. This distinguished humanitarian movement based in Geneva is now one of the most modern in the world, considering: methods of operation, values held and promoted, approach to social issues, and environmental protection problems. "We face the challenges of the 21st century. I encourage you to be even bolder and more open in trying new solutions, taking initiatives, and thinking innovatively about our mission and activities," said Shaun Hazeldine, innovation leader and head of the Solferino Academy, opening The IFRC Global Innovation Summit in Nairobi. The summit focused on new technologies, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development. As emphasized, changes are important, but they should only be a means to an end. The goal is the person.

Over 270 Red Cross activists from 74 national societies participated in the global summit in Nairobi. The Polish Red Cross was represented by Joanna Ciepielewska, who was invited as the winner of the international competition for innovation concepts for volunteers. Together with colleagues from the PCK in Lublin, she proposed a dual approach aimed at creating, on one hand, a place for interactive exchange of the latest information (newsroom), and on the other hand, a volunteer school that would operate in a hybrid mode and be accessible to all, regardless of their place of residence or type of work.

Currently, there are 16 million volunteers from 192 countries working within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Skills can often only be expanded in free time. "We want information to be delivered in easily digestible pills. Sessions cannot last too long. The material should be properly prepared and presented," explains Joanna Ciepielewska. The summit organizers encouraged participants to share successes, but also mistakes and failures, so that the picture of transformation would be true.

During the concluded The IFRC Global Innovation Summit, lectures, workshops, and discussions concerned, among other topics, the use of new tools in humanitarian aid, such as drones, virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI). An application created specifically for volunteers (Chat RCRC) was presented. The Kenyan Red Cross, one of the hosts of the summit in Nairobi, showcased recent successes in the area of employment activation for people in a crisis of unemployment. Thanks to willing people and the use of technology, it is possible to recycle unnecessary plastic into furniture. Cartons can also be recycled: they are used to create elements of scenery for the Hamishibai group theater. "Implementing changes in the area of digital transformation is necessary, but they do not have to be revolutionary changes. The most important thing is a well-thought-out plan and gradual implementation of the plan. This is the main message of the concluded summit in Nairobi," summarizes Patrycja Smolińska, a volunteer specialist from the Headquarters Office of the Polish Red Cross.

Global summits organized by the International Red Cross dedicated to innovations occur irregularly in different parts of the world. In addition to the exchange of knowledge and experiences, they become a good opportunity for integration within the Movement.