Jean+Henri+Dunant

__Subject Matter Background:__ Jean Henry Dunant was the recipient of the first ever Nobel Peace Prize in the year 1901. He hailed from Switzerland where he was a businessman and social activist. After witnessing the Battle of Solferino while visiting Italy, Dunant was flabbergasted by the aftermath, causing him to convince the local population to aid without discrimination. Therefore, Dunant won the award for his role in founding the International Red Cross Movement (ICRC). He also initiated the Geneva Convention which is "the basis on which rest the rules of international law for the protection of the victims of armed conflicts." His work helped organize relief for those individuals injured on the battlefield. Some people say that if it was not for the creation of the Red Cross, the supreme humanitarian achievement of the nineteenth century would never have been established. However, Dunant became a controversial candidate because some say war became more appealing and attractive since some of the suffering accompanying war was being eliminated. Dunant actually received his Nobel Peace Prize with an economist from France named Frederic Passy. This decision was made after controversy regarding Dunant's advanced age and illness such as depression and paranoia. In addition, Dunant's birthday, May 8th, is celebrated as the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day to honor his contributions.

Dunant was from Switzerland, specifically Geneva, which is the second most populated city and a worldwide center for diplomacy. Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons and is located in Central Europe. It is bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein. Switzerland contains the famous Alps and is the home to approximately 7.8 million people. In addition, Switzerland remains one of the richest countries in the world, and has a long history of neutrality because it has not been at any international war since 1815. Many international organizations exist within this country, making this area have three major linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, and Italian.

__Instructional Ideas:__ There are many possible ideas for teaching Switzerland, along with the very first Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jean Henry Dunant. First, Switzerland is known to be the home to many renown international organizations. These include the International Olympic Committee, the Red Cross, the World Trade Organization, the second largest United Nations office, and the European Free Trade Association. Students could break up into groups and research international organizations, seeing how they may impact Switzerland itself and other countries such as the United States. Students could simply research basic facts about each and produce a poster board, or even use a tech tool, if the classroom has computer access, such as www.glogster.com. Another option would be to span this lesson over 2-3 days where students would intently study each organization. Then, in small groups, students would be assigned a specific organization and create a news report which could be filmed using a flip camera. This would be very brief, but students could highlight the advantages of having this organization in Switzerland and then link it back to how the entire world is affected. I would determine if they are learning the material by observing the content used in the poster/video, seeing if the students will be able to talk/present about their topic.

Another possible idea surrounding Jean Henry Dunant is to focus in on the Battle of Solferino which was part of the Second Italian War of Independence in 1859. This was the battle witnessed by Dunant, making him create the Geneva Conventions, along with the International Red Cross. I could present students with images from this battle, displaying the destruction and wounded soldiers, and have students imagine they were Jean Henry Dunant. Students could write their feelings, emotions, and possible ways that they could resolve such issues as Dunant. In addition, in 1862 Dunant produced the book //Memoir of Solferino//, which helped capture the horrors of the battle he witnessed//.// As a class, we could analyze certain excerpts, make inferences, and trace the thought patterns of Dunant and his decision to create the Red Cross. Another option would be studying the Geneva Conventions, 1-4 from the 19th and 20th century, having students understand their purposes then comparing these to the conventions today.

I think one could even have a broad lesson, linking the students back to being citizens of the country which they live within-the U.S. For instance, all of the Nobel Peace Prize winners sacrificed things in their lives to be the people they were/are, however they made a difference and implemented change for the better in society. Students could focus in on specific winners and try to brainstorm ways they could largely, or very minimally, impact their communities and cultures. This lesson would certainly need to include Dunant for his efforts to support wounded soldiers and students would be able to apply their background knowledge on an individual like him to creating their very own change in the world.

__References:__ __-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Geneva_Convention__ __-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland__