Red Cross reform

While reforming the Red Cross Society of China, special attention should be paid to its social and managerial aspects, says an article in People's Daily. Excerpts:

Though people want the Red Cross to undergo reforms, public opinion on the methods and measures differs because of its not-so-simple social, global and administrative functions.

The Red Cross reform should thus focus on overhauling its social and administrative sectors, which is a tough task. Since Red Cross societies in many other countries also have close ties with their governments, just delinking the Red Cross Society of China from the government will be of little use. The government connection, however, is the advantage of the Red Cross and should help attract more donations from the public. Otherwise, people will never see it as a real charity organization.

Red Cross societies across the world perform certain government functions. For example, in the US the Red Cross is in charge of allocating disaster-relief funds. In China, the Shanghai branch of Red Cross has launched a medical insurance project for children suffering from serious illnesses, a project which the government can support financially.

The Red Cross reform should also focus on transparency, which should include the publication of all transactions in details. It should invite experts and elites on its board to help make its daily operation and decision-making process more open and bridge the communication gap with the public.

(China Daily 05/16/2013 page9)