NationStates Jolt Archive

Tanaka: Greetings. I'm Mitsuki Tanaka, for the Eurasian Broadcasting Group. Today, EBG interviews Dr. Alexander Robinson, director of the Independent Red Crystal Organisation, or IRCO, an Aunesian humanitarian group. [turns towards Robinson]. Sir, it's a pleasure to have you here.

Robinson: Thank you for having me, although I must point out that the IRCO is not an Aunesian humanitarian group, but an international independent organisation based in Aunesia. Fully independent.

Tanaka: My mistake. Thank you for the clarification. Again, it's a pleasure to have you here. First, could you explain to our viewers and listeners what the purpose of the IRCO is?

Robinson: The IRCO exists to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for the human being, and to prevent and alleviate human suffering. To accomplish this, our volunteers and staff work in some of the poorest and most deprived nations in the world, as well as war zones, to offer healthcare to civilians caught in the cross fire, refugees and displaced persons.

The IRCO's charter specifically demands that we remain neutral and offer our aid to all peoples.

Tanaka: Quite noble a cause. How did your organisation come to being?

Robinson: It was initially founded in the early 1970's by a group of Aunesian doctors, who'd been abroad trying their best to assist the peoples of the neighbouring mainland after the massive earthquake that occurred there. At the time, there were little in the way of properly-organised international response organisation's in the region....so they began one themselves.

Since then we've grown exponentially, and are now widely known and recognised for our neutrality and hard work.

Tanaka: All right, then. Isn't it difficult to maintain neutrality when your funding comes from outside sources?

Robinson: No - our donors pay into our trust fund, which is controlled and managed entirely independently of the operational organisation. The board of trustees run the accounts, whilst the Secretariat manages the operations. As we remain neutral and aid anyone, we never act contrary to anyone's interests.

Tanaka: For the sake of our audience, could you list some places your organisation has helped in the past?

Robinson: The Republic of Hochberg, the Empire of Macaronia and Raviolia, The Republic of Kostanic, Republic of Andred...Kingdom of Andredswald...those are some of the ones that spring to mind as good examples.

OOC: Obviously this is back story to a new-to-RP organisation

Tanaka: Just for clarification, what did the IRCO do in those nations, and how sucessful were those operations?

OOC: Naturally.

Robinson: I'll use the Republic of Kostanic as an example, if I may. They were struck by a major tsunami, causing a lot of damage. Our initial disaster response team's were some of the first to land in those nations, dispatched within a matter of hours.

From our hospital ship's anchored in their harbours, and inland triage posts nearer the disaster zones itself, we provided emergency surgery to those most in need, with evacuation if neccessary.

Following this, our teams worked to ensure safe supplies of drinking water, and helped the Kostanian's to build sanitary emergency shelters and camps out of what we could find, and basic materials that could be brought in. This is always our main concern, as waterborne disease can double a death rate.

We offer counselling and support for individuals for as long as neccessary, after the incident, and after the situation is...as settled as can be, our reconstruction teams get sent out. Their main aim is to help the people to rebuild themselves, rather than rebuild for them, by offering consultation, training and funds - these skills can help them in the future.

As for our success rate...we're only unsuccessful when we are not allowed to work independently as we need to, for instance by ongoing warfare.

Tanaka: Impressive. But how do you handle a warzone situation? Certainly, those in war-afflicted areas need aid too.

Robinson: Our primary concern in any warzone situation is for civilians, regardless of nationality. Operating under the banner of the Red Crystal, it would actually be considered a War Crime to fire on our personnel during the course of their duties.

As we're neutral, we are also obliged to treat any wounded combatants who we come across. Our hospital ships are recognised under international law as inviolable also.

Tanaka: Does the Red Crystal operate under the Geneva Conventions to gain such protections? If so, does the Red Crystal inspect POW facilities to ensure basic levels of care?

Robinson: We do indeed operate under the Geneva Conventions, these are the fundamental building blocks for International Law which we work under. As for inspecting POW camps, part of the IRCO's mission is to ensure respect for the human being, although we have yet to be called upon to inspect POW camps, this would fall under our remit.

Tanaka: Well, you certainly have displayed some amazing work in the past. But where are you operating now, and why?

Robinson: Currently the Paco, one of our two mercy vessels has been dispatched to The Sexy Empire of Frenzia, to assist the civilians there during their time of need.

Our other hospital ship is currently engaged in a scheduled cruise around various nations delivering basic health clinics to their citizens, who would otherwise be unable to afford treatment.

Tanaka: Could you tell us what's happening in Frenzia?

Robinson: Unfortunately I have yet to communicate with our Mission Leader down on the ground, as they have yet to arrive, therefore I am unable to comment at the present time.

Tanaka: Dr. Robinson, it seems that we are rapidly running out of time. Is there anything you'd like to say before we conclude?

Robinson: Only that I would like to invite any and all of your viewers to join the Friends of the IRCO, to help support our work.

Tanaka: Thank you for your time, sir. [turns toward camera] This has been Mitsuki Tanaka, for EBG News. To find a complete transcript of this interview, please visit news.ebg.co.eu.