IBC, a young and dynamic NGO, was initiated by a handful of idealist
businessmen, who wanted to provide input in improving the lives of the
people suffering, especially the most disadvantaged section of the world
population.
The formation of IBC is based on the cooperation that had been established
with the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) on April 1999 in
Albania . Within the scope of this cooperation, bakery ovens had been set
up in the refugee camps sheltering thousands of Kosovan in Albania and
daily bread distribution program had been implemented for 3 months. Just
after the NATO taking the control of Kosova, the program was expanded to
support 64 local bakeries for production of bread in Ferizaj,
Djakova, Pristina and Mitrovicha cities of Kosovo and t also continued the
distribution of 300.000 loaves per day to the returnees. During the working
period in Kosova, it has been acquainted with various international relief
organizations and it had been witnessed to several successful activities.The
insufficien quantity of similar organizations in Turkey was an incentive and
encouragement to reach to the decision of a formation that would
participate in domestic and international relief operations. Therefore by the
inspiration of taking the crescent as a new rising and the blue as the color
of peace and prosperity the decision to establish, International Blue
Crescent Relief and Development Foundation had been taken.
The two devastating earthquakes that took place in Kocaeli on 17 August
1999 and in Düzce on 12 November 1999 caused a delay in the official
procedures of foundation. On the other hand, the already gained
experiences on relief activities and international solidarity relationships
established during the Kosovo program that ended on January 2000,
enabled the implementation of several relief activities as hot meal
distribution in tent camps, medical equipment donations to hospitals even
though not having an official foundation presence. The necessary official
procedure had been started again in May 2000 and International Blue
Crescent Relief and Development Foundation was officially founded
according to Turkish legislations with registration number 4820 on 8
November 2000.
Since more than 20 years, IBC has been working to help in alleviating
human sufferings, hunger, illiteracy among all people regardless of
nationality, ethnicity, race, color, social origin, religion, belief, language,
political opinion, gender, age, and sexual orientation, genetic and physical
features. With the aim and intention to increase its effectiveness
internationally, IBC became a member of ICVA International Council of
Voluntary Agencies having its headquarters in Geneva on April 2003. On the 13th General Assembly held on March 2006, IBC was elected to the Board of Directors of the organization. IBC has applied to UN Economic
and Social Council to have Special Consultant Status in order to contribute
to the work of ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies in cooperation with other
NGOs. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) serves as the central
forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for
formulating policy recommendations addressed to Member States and the
United Nations system. "The Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations" of IBC has been approved on July 2006.