August 19, 2025 • 26 mins
Inside Geneva’s fourth summer profile – not a person, but a much-loved museum.
“In this museum, we ask an essential question: what does humanitarian action have to do with me, in my life, here and now?” says Pascal Hufschmid, director of the Red Cross Museum.
This month there’s a special exhibition, “Tuning in” … to the sound of humanity.
“It’s an exhibition conceived as an exploration of sound archives – particularly humanitarian sound archives – preserved here in Geneva at the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) and at the museum,” says curator Elisa Rusca.
“It’s also a way of saying that, no matter who we are or where we come from, the way we feel is the same and our internal voice is just as important as the one that comes out,” Rusca says.
The museum reminds us of our shared humanity.
“We really bend over backwards to explain humanitarian principles, international human rights and humanitarian law, and to show that these are lived experiences we can all relate to.”
Listen to the full episode on our Inside Geneva podcast hosted by Imogen Foulkes.
Get in touch!
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- Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en
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Host: Imogen Foulkes
Production assitant: Claire-Marie Germain
Distribution: Sara Pasino
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
This is Inside Geneva .
I'm your host, imogen Foulkes,and this is a production from
Swissinfo, the internationalpublic media company of
Switzerland.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
In today's program, In this museum, we ask a central
question, which is what doeshumanitarian action have to do
with me in my life here and now?
Speaker 4 (00:33):
It's an exhibition that was thought as an
exploration of the soundarchives, in particular the
humanitarian sound archivespreserved here in Geneva at the
ICRC and the FIRC and also atthe museum.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
We really bend over backwards to explain
humanitarian principles,international humanitarian law
and to show that there areembodied experiences we can all
relate to.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Hello and welcome again to Inside Geneva.
I'm Imogen Fowlkes.
Regular listeners will knowthat over the summer we run a
series of summer profiles, froman aid worker in Gaza to an
international lawyer hoping tobecome a judge on the
International Court of Justice.
Today we're doing a profile too, but it's not of a person, but
(01:26):
of a much-loved Genevainstitution which has in recent
months faced some existentialchallenges.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
My name is Pascal Hofschmidt, I'm a passionate
museum director, and we'rehaving a drink in the cafe of
the International Red Cross andRed Crescent Museum in Geneva in
the cafe of the InternationalRed Cross and Red Crescent
Museum in Geneva.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
This is, for me, anyway, an amazing museum.
I've always loved it, but it'sfaced some challenges recently.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Yes, it has faced major challenges that questioned
its very existence and had usface possible closure in 2027
due to cost-cutting measures onthe federal level in Switzerland
, the consequences of whichmight not have been fully
estimated on the museum.
And for the past year or so,we've been really, really
(02:22):
reminding public authorities ofthe key role we play in many
different realities Daily life,humanitarian action, culture,
diplomacy, education, research,tourism and fighting for this
institution, which is useful andimportant.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Just tell me, for your own personal conviction,
why this museum is important.
I mean, it's not your CondonGarden Art Gallery or Natural
History Museum.
It's something different.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
When you connect with world news every day, at least
from this part of the world, yousee information that is
connected somehow or another tohumanitarian principles and
international humanitarian law.
It can be the devastatingconsequences of climate change,
it can be conflicts, wars.
(03:18):
It can be so many situations inwhich our shared humanity is at
risk.
And in this museum we ask acentral question, which is what
does humanitarian action have todo with me in my life, here and
now?
And to establish thisconnection on a personal level,
we really bend over backwards toexplain humanitarian principles
(03:41):
, international humanitarian lawand to show that there are
embodied experiences we can allrelate to.
It's not something you onlyhear about on TV or in the news.
It's something that makes sensein the way you behave in your
own community, how you connectwith your neighbors, how you are
an active citizen and all thesefundamental ideas and questions
(04:04):
that are deeply, deeplyconnected to Geneva's history,
to Switzerland's history, to thevision of Henri Dunant, the
founder of the international RedCross and Red Crescent movement
.
And we tell these stories andmake these connections to a
great variety of people, goingfrom five-year-old kids I gave a
(04:25):
tour this morning to throughoutthe exhibition to heads of
state that come here on aregular basis.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
And I can confirm that the Red Cross Museum really
is worth a visit.
Its permanent exhibition givesvisitors an insight into what
humanitarianism is and what theRed Cross movement does, from
the incredibly moving filesdocumenting the prisoners of two
world wars and how the RedCross kept them in touch with
(04:53):
their families, to aninteractive look at disaster
risk reduction, to a sectionwhich asks the simple question
what is human dignity and howcan we all protect it.
But the museum of course hasspecial temporary exhibitions
(05:15):
too, and that's what I've cometo see today.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
My name is Elisa Ruska.
I am the Director ofCollections and Exhibitions here
at the International Red Crossand Red Crescent Museum in
Geneva, and we are standing infront of the entrance of the
Tuning In exhibition.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
The reason I'm here is because the title grabbed me
Tuning In.
This is an exhibition that isnot just visual.
In fact, its foundation isactually sound just visual.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
In fact, its foundation is actually sound.
Yes, it is, and it's anexhibition that was thought as
an exploration of the soundarchives, in particular the
humanitarian sound archivespreserved here in Geneva at the
ICRC and the FIRC and also atthe museum.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Well, let's just have a look at this first case here.
Listeners who can't see this.
We're looking at an exhibitioncase with files, but also blast
from the past quarter inchrecording tape which still lay
around studios.
When I first started, nobodytouched them, but they were
(06:22):
there.
What's on these things?
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Well, it's certainly a lot of different things that
we found.
There were not onlydocumentation of different
recordings, but also recordingof official meetings, recordings
of radio program, recordingsfrom the fields.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Well, I mean, you've got some of these recordings
over here.
Tell me a little about them.
They are aimed at, you know,public health, things like that.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Yeah, well, you have to remember that this history of
the Red Cross and the radiogoes a long way, because
humanitarian was born in 1860sand then the radio in the 1890s.
So since the very beginning ofthis new technology, the
National Societies and the ICRChas been using the radio to
(07:13):
spread messages, messages ofawareness, messages for health,
to communicate where to go in amoment of crisis, to find help,
to find food, etc.
Speaker 5 (07:35):
Your.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Nigerian Red Cross presents a message for your good
health.
This one in particular that Ireally like is the Fly is your
Enemy.
From the Nigerian Red Cross in1966.
Speaker 5 (07:43):
My baby is ill.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
I have just come from the village.
We were listening to a man fromthe Nigerian Red Cross who told
us that flies bring sickness.
The Fly is your Enemy is, inparticular.
The idea behind is to giveawareness of the fact that flies
and insects can carry diseasesand so you should keep them out
(08:10):
of your house.
So use fly nets.
So the way the program is madeis quite playful.
There's a museum in a way.
It's very constructed.
We can hear the radio drama, soeverything is written down and
very theatrical in the style itis.
But nevertheless the message ofhealth was really well brought
(08:32):
out and effective.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Voice hurricane warnings 11 am Eastern Standard
Time.
Voice of Hurricane.
Voice of Hurricane.
Voice of Hurricane.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Voice of Hurricane.
Voice of Hurricane.
Voice of Hurricane for possiblenatural disasters, storms,
things like that, haven't you?
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Yeah, we also have that, and there is an example
here that you cannot see but youcan hear is the song Be
Prepared.
That was created in 2012 by agroup of artists from Granada in
collaboration with theGranadaet Cross.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Eclipse, german Edison.
Yeah, I say you got to beprepared in this time of your
life.
Got to be prepared in this timeof your life.
You don't know what it's like.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
And the song is thought to tell you what to do
if a hurricane hits the island,and so, in a very playful way,
we start to get this earworm inthe ear that is transmitted
through the radio, and then,when the actual crisis arrives,
people are supposed to beresponsive and be already
(09:49):
trained in a way.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
And that's a strategy that has been used since the
very beginning of thecollaboration between the radio
and the Red Cross.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
One of the things that I was really interested in
when I was reading about thisexhibition that public service
announcements, etc.
How to stay healthy, all good,but you've also got things about
how music plays a role inhumanitarianism.
We've got some pictures overhere maybe have a look at.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
Yeah, so the idea was to create an exhibition that is
not just sound, to make it moreinclusive and more also open to
a larger understanding on whatdoes it mean to deal with music,
and so this section is focusingon our collections and we are
presenting images in particularhere, photos, prints from from
(11:02):
our collections, showing how thepresence of music is really
important in what we call thepreservation of human dignity.
because it may be something thatis not usually think as a first
aid element, but in fact wemight say it is because it helps
(11:24):
us feel better, it helps us torelate to the other, it helps us
maybe forget also a moment ofdistress, and that's why here we
can also see how music isperformed in prison by prisoners
for other prisoners, but alsoby Red Cross volunteers.
Here's a volunteer of the RedCross playing guitar for a group
(11:45):
of children in Memphis after aflood in the 1930s.
And in this next picture youcan see wounded soldiers in
Vietnam playing with an ICRCnurse who is playing this.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
She's got a banjo, I think, and one of the wounded
soldiers has got a guitar andclearly it's doing them good.
You can see from their faces.
We were here a little earlierlistening to this.
This really interests mebecause these are the outtakes
(12:21):
of your archives and it's allmusic, and yet it was like, oh,
we don't need this.
Why.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Yeah, it's also very interesting for me to be here,
because this is a part thatshows how communication and
non-verbal noises are also partof these humanitarian recordings
, and so, in a broader sense,what's outside the picture is
(12:53):
also important, and here theseare sounds that have not a real
label.
We don't really know what theyare, but they were selected and
put together in a loop of threehours by three students of the
idea.
So there is the school of artin sierra, which whom we
(13:15):
collaborated for the exhibition.
The material that comes fromhere also includes some parts
that were in a non-dual cassette, which was labeled Don't Keep,
just Music.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Don't Keep Just Music .
So these are recordings takenby the Red Cross in different
places all over the world ofpeople making music.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
and then somebody wrote don't keep just music,
yeah and that's the point of thestudents and that's why they
wanted to focus on that aspectand create this beautiful loop,
to give it a new life, becausefor them, these sounds were kept
for many, many years in thedarkness of cold archives,
underground, and this was a wayto make them alive again.
Kept for many, many years inthe darkness of cold archives
(14:00):
underground, and this was a wayto make them alive again.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
One of the things that really interested me is
that this exhibition includesnot just things that aid
agencies the Red Cross movementhas produced to try and keep
people safe or healthy.
It's got the sounds of what theemotions of aid workers in
difficult situations might soundlike.
(14:33):
Tell me how that came about,because it's really fascinating.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
Yeah well, something that came out exploring this
sound archive was the fact thatdelegates and Red Cross
volunteers recorded a lot ofthings At the same time.
They are exposed to landscapesthat are very particular and
that stick to them even whenthey came back.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Things they can't forget.
Yes, and that can also be sound.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Yes, of course, sound is something that really
unleashes your memory, maybemore than images, you know.
And so this piece in particular.
And so this piece in particularhas been created in
collaboration with 42 volunteersfrom the so-called
International Geneva, so 42people working at the ICRC,
(15:25):
médecins Sans Frontières, ifrc,and here at the museum, who were
interviewed by the artist,piero Mottola, who is an artist
researching on the relationbetween emotion and sound, and
he asked them to emit thevocalism of 10 so-called basic
emotions.
So you know love, joy, fear,excitement, etc.
(15:49):
And the result is thisinstallation where we can hear
these different voices,humanitarian voices, and relate
to the emotions that arepresented, and suddenly being
amazed as well by the fact that,even though these people are
not musically trained, there's aharmony that presents.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
We can hear it right now.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
And so it's a way to say as well no matter who we are
or where we are from, the waywe feel is the same, and also
our internal voice is alsoimportant as the one that comes
out.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Well, let's go in.
I should explain to ourlisteners.
It's a darkened room and these10 emotions are in a kind of
wheel around the room and whenyou stand on one you will hear
that one, and if lots of peopleare in, you're hearing them
together, but they range fromanguish to calm, to joy, to fear
(16:49):
, sadness, all sorts.
Let's go in.
Let's go in.
So I'm standing on calm andyou're standing on excitement.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Excitement.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Okay, you're moving to amazement and I'm going to
move to joy.
Why not?
So we've each chosen a cheerfulone joy and pleasure.
(17:38):
And over this side it's not sojoyful.
I'm on sad Right well before Ileave.
I'm going to go back topleasure just to cheer myself up
a bit.
It's absolutely fascinatingthat he got aid workers who've
(18:12):
been in difficult parts of theworld to vocalize emotions, and
that's the mixture.
I mean, that is fascinating.
So what are your visitorstelling you about it?
You're doing really well withthe number of visitors.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
Yeah, we are doing very well.
We have a lot of peoplevisiting more than 10,000 every
month and everyone is surprisedand then happy because of course
it's a topic that is intriguing.
Yeah, and through this paththat we create, we can feel and
(18:55):
maybe think differently aboutthe connection between
humanitarianism, emotion andsound.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
What do you think people will take away with them
about humanitarianism whenthey've been to this exhibition?
Speaker 4 (19:16):
Humanitarianism is a plurality of voices and should
be also a way to make thosevoices heard.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
That special exhibition runs only until
August 24th.
So if you're in Geneva and youhaven't seen and heard it, come
and take a look and a listen.
But a reminder the museum isfull of rewarding exhibitions
that are here all year round and, as director Pascal Houschmidt
tells us, they have an importantmessage for all of us.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
When you visit the museum, you instinctively
understand that you would wantto have your, your dignity
protected, that people you seeon the screen of your iPhone or
on the anything your televisionor in the papers aren't just
(20:08):
images and aren't juststatistics, but they're people
like you, like me.
We all just want to have normallives, because that's such a
huge privilege.
And making sure that there aresome boundaries, making sure
that there are some ways ofprotecting this fundamental
right to be a human being and tobe respected in one's humanity,
(20:32):
I think that is essential andthat's what we talk about here
in this museum, and it is a very, I think, important reminder of
how, then, to apprehend allthese stories we hear every day
about conflicts and disastersaround the world, and just
remember that.
Well, what would I do, howwould I react, if I were to be
(20:56):
in that situation?
I'd surely want to be respectedin my dignity, I'd want to have
someone who helps me, and it'snothing more than that, but
that's already huge.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
So, let alone Geneva or Switzerland, I mean, the
world would be poorer withoutthis museum, you think?
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Well, we do tell a story that resonates all around
the world, that of theInternational Red Cross and Red
Crescent movement, and we aretelling this story at the heart
of the world, capital ofhumanitarian action and
multilateral diplomacy, beingalso in the state that's the
depository state of the GenevaConventions, the very rules of
(21:37):
war.
So, yes, I do think that, hadthis museum closed, or if we'd
lose this museum, we'd besending a very confusing message
and this would certainly be aloss for Switzerland and a loss
for Geneva.
We also have, you know, keyitems of world heritage in this
(21:59):
museum the first ever NobelPeace Prize medal that was given
to Henri Dunant, the cards ofwar prisoners of the First World
War that are considered worldheritage, and losing this
collection would be a loss forpeople way beyond Switzerland.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
And that brings us to the end of this edition of
Inside Geneva.
My thanks to Pascal Hufschmidtand Elisa Rusko for taking the
time to give me such a wonderfultour of the museum, to give me
such a wonderful tour of themuseum.
Join us again next time for ourfifth summer profile, where we
have a fascinating conversationwith an aid worker who is on the
(22:47):
brink of retirement.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
When I was young, I very quickly realised that there
were many, many people who didnot have this equal opportunity,
who did not have equal chances,and for me, that was
fundamentally wrong.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
His career started in Gaza, took him to former
Yugoslavia and much, much more40 years ago, in the mid 80s,
gaza was already bad.
Speaker 5 (23:16):
at that time there were curfew every night.
There were raids by the Israeliarmy.
They would break into houses,arrest mainly young people.
Just the idea that we wouldhave a conflict in the middle of
Europe was, I think, we're notready for that and we were not
(23:41):
ready to see the violation.
So it was a very awful conflict.
We had a real ethnic cleansing.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
That episode will be out on September 2nd.
Don't miss it.
And a reminder our profilesfrom last summer are all still
available.
Hear from Chris Lockyer,secretary General of Médecins
Sans Frontières, or EstherDingemans, of the Global
Survivors Fund, which supportspeople who have suffered sexual
(24:16):
violence in conflict.
You can hear those and morewherever you get your podcasts.
A reminder you've beenlistening to Inside Geneva, a
Swiss Info production.
You can subscribe to us andreview us wherever you get your
(24:37):
podcasts.
Check out our previous episodeshow the International Red Cross
unites prisoners of war withtheir families, or why survivors
of human rights violations turnto the UN in Geneva for justice
.
I'm Imogen Folksowkes.
Thanks again for listening.
This is Inside Geneva .
I'm your host, imogen Foulkes,and this is a production from
Swissinfo, the internationalpublic media company of
Switzerland.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
In today's program, In this museum, we ask a central
question, which is what doeshumanitarian action have to do
with me in my life here and now?
Speaker 4 (00:33):
It's an exhibition that was thought as an
exploration of the soundarchives, in particular the
humanitarian sound archivespreserved here in Geneva at the
ICRC and the FIRC and also atthe museum.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
We really bend over backwards to explain
humanitarian principles,international humanitarian law
and to show that there areembodied experiences we can all
relate to.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Hello and welcome again to Inside Geneva.
I'm Imogen Fowlkes.
Regular listeners will knowthat over the summer we run a
series of summer profiles, froman aid worker in Gaza to an
international lawyer hoping tobecome a judge on the
International Court of Justice.
Today we're doing a profile too, but it's not of a person, but
(01:26):
of a much-loved Genevainstitution which has in recent
months faced some existentialchallenges.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
My name is Pascal Hofschmidt, I'm a passionate
museum director, and we'rehaving a drink in the cafe of
the International Red Cross andRed Crescent Museum in Geneva in
the cafe of the InternationalRed Cross and Red Crescent
Museum in Geneva.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
This is, for me, anyway, an amazing museum.
I've always loved it, but it'sfaced some challenges recently.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Yes, it has faced major challenges that questioned
its very existence and had usface possible closure in 2027
due to cost-cutting measures onthe federal level in Switzerland
, the consequences of whichmight not have been fully
estimated on the museum.
And for the past year or so,we've been really, really
(02:22):
reminding public authorities ofthe key role we play in many
different realities Daily life,humanitarian action, culture,
diplomacy, education, research,tourism and fighting for this
institution, which is useful andimportant.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Just tell me, for your own personal conviction,
why this museum is important.
I mean, it's not your CondonGarden Art Gallery or Natural
History Museum.
It's something different.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
When you connect with world news every day, at least
from this part of the world, yousee information that is
connected somehow or another tohumanitarian principles and
international humanitarian law.
It can be the devastatingconsequences of climate change,
it can be conflicts, wars.
(03:18):
It can be so many situations inwhich our shared humanity is at
risk.
And in this museum we ask acentral question, which is what
does humanitarian action have todo with me in my life, here and
now?
And to establish thisconnection on a personal level,
we really bend over backwards toexplain humanitarian principles
(03:41):
, international humanitarian lawand to show that there are
embodied experiences we can allrelate to.
It's not something you onlyhear about on TV or in the news.
It's something that makes sensein the way you behave in your
own community, how you connectwith your neighbors, how you are
an active citizen and all thesefundamental ideas and questions
(04:04):
that are deeply, deeplyconnected to Geneva's history,
to Switzerland's history, to thevision of Henri Dunant, the
founder of the international RedCross and Red Crescent movement
.
And we tell these stories andmake these connections to a
great variety of people, goingfrom five-year-old kids I gave a
(04:25):
tour this morning to throughoutthe exhibition to heads of
state that come here on aregular basis.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
And I can confirm that the Red Cross Museum really
is worth a visit.
Its permanent exhibition givesvisitors an insight into what
humanitarianism is and what theRed Cross movement does, from
the incredibly moving filesdocumenting the prisoners of two
world wars and how the RedCross kept them in touch with
(04:53):
their families, to aninteractive look at disaster
risk reduction, to a sectionwhich asks the simple question
what is human dignity and howcan we all protect it.
But the museum of course hasspecial temporary exhibitions
(05:15):
too, and that's what I've cometo see today.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
My name is Elisa Ruska.
I am the Director ofCollections and Exhibitions here
at the International Red Crossand Red Crescent Museum in
Geneva, and we are standing infront of the entrance of the
Tuning In exhibition.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
The reason I'm here is because the title grabbed me
Tuning In.
This is an exhibition that isnot just visual.
In fact, its foundation isactually sound just visual.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
In fact, its foundation is actually sound.
Yes, it is, and it's anexhibition that was thought as
an exploration of the soundarchives, in particular the
humanitarian sound archivespreserved here in Geneva at the
ICRC and the FIRC and also atthe museum.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Well, let's just have a look at this first case here.
Listeners who can't see this.
We're looking at an exhibitioncase with files, but also blast
from the past quarter inchrecording tape which still lay
around studios.
When I first started, nobodytouched them, but they were
(06:22):
there.
What's on these things?
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Well, it's certainly a lot of different things that
we found.
There were not onlydocumentation of different
recordings, but also recordingof official meetings, recordings
of radio program, recordingsfrom the fields.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Well, I mean, you've got some of these recordings
over here.
Tell me a little about them.
They are aimed at, you know,public health, things like that.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Yeah, well, you have to remember that this history of
the Red Cross and the radiogoes a long way, because
humanitarian was born in 1860sand then the radio in the 1890s.
So since the very beginning ofthis new technology, the
National Societies and the ICRChas been using the radio to
(07:13):
spread messages, messages ofawareness, messages for health,
to communicate where to go in amoment of crisis, to find help,
to find food, etc.
Speaker 5 (07:35):
Your.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Nigerian Red Cross presents a message for your good
health.
This one in particular that Ireally like is the Fly is your
Enemy.
From the Nigerian Red Cross in1966.
Speaker 5 (07:43):
My baby is ill.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
I have just come from the village.
We were listening to a man fromthe Nigerian Red Cross who told
us that flies bring sickness.
The Fly is your Enemy is, inparticular.
The idea behind is to giveawareness of the fact that flies
and insects can carry diseasesand so you should keep them out
(08:10):
of your house.
So use fly nets.
So the way the program is madeis quite playful.
There's a museum in a way.
It's very constructed.
We can hear the radio drama, soeverything is written down and
very theatrical in the style itis.
But nevertheless the message ofhealth was really well brought
(08:32):
out and effective.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Voice hurricane warnings 11 am Eastern Standard
Time.
Voice of Hurricane.
Voice of Hurricane.
Voice of Hurricane.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Voice of Hurricane.
Voice of Hurricane.
Voice of Hurricane for possiblenatural disasters, storms,
things like that, haven't you?
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Yeah, we also have that, and there is an example
here that you cannot see but youcan hear is the song Be
Prepared.
That was created in 2012 by agroup of artists from Granada in
collaboration with theGranadaet Cross.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Eclipse, german Edison.
Yeah, I say you got to beprepared in this time of your
life.
Got to be prepared in this timeof your life.
You don't know what it's like.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
And the song is thought to tell you what to do
if a hurricane hits the island,and so, in a very playful way,
we start to get this earworm inthe ear that is transmitted
through the radio, and then,when the actual crisis arrives,
people are supposed to beresponsive and be already
(09:49):
trained in a way.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
And that's a strategy that has been used since the
very beginning of thecollaboration between the radio
and the Red Cross.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
One of the things that I was really interested in
when I was reading about thisexhibition that public service
announcements, etc.
How to stay healthy, all good,but you've also got things about
how music plays a role inhumanitarianism.
We've got some pictures overhere maybe have a look at.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
Yeah, so the idea was to create an exhibition that is
not just sound, to make it moreinclusive and more also open to
a larger understanding on whatdoes it mean to deal with music,
and so this section is focusingon our collections and we are
presenting images in particularhere, photos, prints from from
(11:02):
our collections, showing how thepresence of music is really
important in what we call thepreservation of human dignity.
because it may be something thatis not usually think as a first
aid element, but in fact wemight say it is because it helps
(11:24):
us feel better, it helps us torelate to the other, it helps us
maybe forget also a moment ofdistress, and that's why here we
can also see how music isperformed in prison by prisoners
for other prisoners, but alsoby Red Cross volunteers.
Here's a volunteer of the RedCross playing guitar for a group
(11:45):
of children in Memphis after aflood in the 1930s.
And in this next picture youcan see wounded soldiers in
Vietnam playing with an ICRCnurse who is playing this.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
She's got a banjo, I think, and one of the wounded
soldiers has got a guitar andclearly it's doing them good.
You can see from their faces.
We were here a little earlierlistening to this.
This really interests mebecause these are the outtakes
(12:21):
of your archives and it's allmusic, and yet it was like, oh,
we don't need this.
Why.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Yeah, it's also very interesting for me to be here,
because this is a part thatshows how communication and
non-verbal noises are also partof these humanitarian recordings
, and so, in a broader sense,what's outside the picture is
(12:53):
also important, and here theseare sounds that have not a real
label.
We don't really know what theyare, but they were selected and
put together in a loop of threehours by three students of the
idea.
So there is the school of artin sierra, which whom we
(13:15):
collaborated for the exhibition.
The material that comes fromhere also includes some parts
that were in a non-dual cassette, which was labeled Don't Keep,
just Music.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Don't Keep Just Music .
So these are recordings takenby the Red Cross in different
places all over the world ofpeople making music.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
and then somebody wrote don't keep just music,
yeah and that's the point of thestudents and that's why they
wanted to focus on that aspectand create this beautiful loop,
to give it a new life, becausefor them, these sounds were kept
for many, many years in thedarkness of cold archives,
underground, and this was a wayto make them alive again.
Kept for many, many years inthe darkness of cold archives
(14:00):
underground, and this was a wayto make them alive again.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
One of the things that really interested me is
that this exhibition includesnot just things that aid
agencies the Red Cross movementhas produced to try and keep
people safe or healthy.
It's got the sounds of what theemotions of aid workers in
difficult situations might soundlike.
(14:33):
Tell me how that came about,because it's really fascinating.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
Yeah well, something that came out exploring this
sound archive was the fact thatdelegates and Red Cross
volunteers recorded a lot ofthings At the same time.
They are exposed to landscapesthat are very particular and
that stick to them even whenthey came back.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Things they can't forget.
Yes, and that can also be sound.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Yes, of course, sound is something that really
unleashes your memory, maybemore than images, you know.
And so this piece in particular.
And so this piece in particularhas been created in
collaboration with 42 volunteersfrom the so-called
International Geneva, so 42people working at the ICRC,
(15:25):
médecins Sans Frontières, ifrc,and here at the museum, who were
interviewed by the artist,piero Mottola, who is an artist
researching on the relationbetween emotion and sound, and
he asked them to emit thevocalism of 10 so-called basic
emotions.
So you know love, joy, fear,excitement, etc.
(15:49):
And the result is thisinstallation where we can hear
these different voices,humanitarian voices, and relate
to the emotions that arepresented, and suddenly being
amazed as well by the fact that,even though these people are
not musically trained, there's aharmony that presents.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
We can hear it right now.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
And so it's a way to say as well no matter who we are
or where we are from, the waywe feel is the same, and also
our internal voice is alsoimportant as the one that comes
out.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Well, let's go in.
I should explain to ourlisteners.
It's a darkened room and these10 emotions are in a kind of
wheel around the room and whenyou stand on one you will hear
that one, and if lots of peopleare in, you're hearing them
together, but they range fromanguish to calm, to joy, to fear
(16:49):
, sadness, all sorts.
Let's go in.
Let's go in.
So I'm standing on calm andyou're standing on excitement.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Excitement.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Okay, you're moving to amazement and I'm going to
move to joy.
Why not?
So we've each chosen a cheerfulone joy and pleasure.
(17:38):
And over this side it's not sojoyful.
I'm on sad Right well before Ileave.
I'm going to go back topleasure just to cheer myself up
a bit.
It's absolutely fascinatingthat he got aid workers who've
(18:12):
been in difficult parts of theworld to vocalize emotions, and
that's the mixture.
I mean, that is fascinating.
So what are your visitorstelling you about it?
You're doing really well withthe number of visitors.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
Yeah, we are doing very well.
We have a lot of peoplevisiting more than 10,000 every
month and everyone is surprisedand then happy because of course
it's a topic that is intriguing.
Yeah, and through this paththat we create, we can feel and
(18:55):
maybe think differently aboutthe connection between
humanitarianism, emotion andsound.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
What do you think people will take away with them
about humanitarianism whenthey've been to this exhibition?
Speaker 4 (19:16):
Humanitarianism is a plurality of voices and should
be also a way to make thosevoices heard.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
That special exhibition runs only until
August 24th.
So if you're in Geneva and youhaven't seen and heard it, come
and take a look and a listen.
But a reminder the museum isfull of rewarding exhibitions
that are here all year round and, as director Pascal Houschmidt
tells us, they have an importantmessage for all of us.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
When you visit the museum, you instinctively
understand that you would wantto have your, your dignity
protected, that people you seeon the screen of your iPhone or
on the anything your televisionor in the papers aren't just
(20:08):
images and aren't juststatistics, but they're people
like you, like me.
We all just want to have normallives, because that's such a
huge privilege.
And making sure that there aresome boundaries, making sure
that there are some ways ofprotecting this fundamental
right to be a human being and tobe respected in one's humanity,
(20:32):
I think that is essential andthat's what we talk about here
in this museum, and it is a very, I think, important reminder of
how, then, to apprehend allthese stories we hear every day
about conflicts and disastersaround the world, and just
remember that.
Well, what would I do, howwould I react, if I were to be
(20:56):
in that situation?
I'd surely want to be respectedin my dignity, I'd want to have
someone who helps me, and it'snothing more than that, but
that's already huge.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
So, let alone Geneva or Switzerland, I mean, the
world would be poorer withoutthis museum, you think?
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Well, we do tell a story that resonates all around
the world, that of theInternational Red Cross and Red
Crescent movement, and we aretelling this story at the heart
of the world, capital ofhumanitarian action and
multilateral diplomacy, beingalso in the state that's the
depository state of the GenevaConventions, the very rules of
(21:37):
war.
So, yes, I do think that, hadthis museum closed, or if we'd
lose this museum, we'd besending a very confusing message
and this would certainly be aloss for Switzerland and a loss
for Geneva.
We also have, you know, keyitems of world heritage in this
(21:59):
museum the first ever NobelPeace Prize medal that was given
to Henri Dunant, the cards ofwar prisoners of the First World
War that are considered worldheritage, and losing this
collection would be a loss forpeople way beyond Switzerland.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
And that brings us to the end of this edition of
Inside Geneva.
My thanks to Pascal Hufschmidtand Elisa Rusko for taking the
time to give me such a wonderfultour of the museum, to give me
such a wonderful tour of themuseum.
Join us again next time for ourfifth summer profile, where we
have a fascinating conversationwith an aid worker who is on the
(22:47):
brink of retirement.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
When I was young, I very quickly realised that there
were many, many people who didnot have this equal opportunity,
who did not have equal chances,and for me, that was
fundamentally wrong.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
His career started in Gaza, took him to former
Yugoslavia and much, much more40 years ago, in the mid 80s,
gaza was already bad.
Speaker 5 (23:16):
at that time there were curfew every night.
There were raids by the Israeliarmy.
They would break into houses,arrest mainly young people.
Just the idea that we wouldhave a conflict in the middle of
Europe was, I think, we're notready for that and we were not
(23:41):
ready to see the violation.
So it was a very awful conflict.
We had a real ethnic cleansing.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
That episode will be out on September 2nd.
Don't miss it.
And a reminder our profilesfrom last summer are all still
available.
Hear from Chris Lockyer,secretary General of Médecins
Sans Frontières, or EstherDingemans, of the Global
Survivors Fund, which supportspeople who have suffered sexual
(24:16):
violence in conflict.
You can hear those and morewherever you get your podcasts.
A reminder you've beenlistening to Inside Geneva, a
Swiss Info production.
You can subscribe to us andreview us wherever you get your
(24:37):
podcasts.
Check out our previous episodeshow the International Red Cross
unites prisoners of war withtheir families, or why survivors
of human rights violations turnto the UN in Geneva for justice
.
I'm Imogen Folksowkes.
Thanks again for listening.
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