Whatâ€™s wrong with this picture?

Moira Geddes chats with Australian Red Cross CEO Robert Tickner about the organisation a century on.

OK so their crosses are white, not red ... An example of how the Red Cross symbol is often misused. Source: ThinkStock

IT'S one of the most familiar symbols in the world. But is it becoming a bit too familiar?

The Red Cross, a symbol synonymous with humanitarian and medical aid, is being misused by a range of individuals and companies.

It might be a medical or veterinarian centre wrongly using the cross.

This is so wrong ... The Red Cross has nothing to do with this. Picture: Supplied Source: NewsComAu

Or something outside the medical realm like an appliance fix-it business. It might even be something as simple, not to mention saucy, as a naughty nurse outfit.

Wrong again ... Something has to be done to rptioect the Red Cross's wonderful reputation. Source: NewsComAu

Whatever the case, Australian Red Cross officials warn that any time the Red Cross is misused, it potentially jeopardises everything the iconic symbol stands for.

Really, really, really wrong ... Cashing in on a symbol synonymous with humanitarian and medical aid. Source: NewsComAu

"The Red Cross basically means 'don't shoot'," says Phoebe Wynn-Pope, Director of International Humanitarian Law and Movement Relations at the Australian Red Cross.

"It means that this person or building or vehicle or whatever is not part of the fight. It is a neutral entity providing medical or humanitarian assistance."

This week is the 100th anniversary of the Australian Red Cross. The Australian chapter formed at the outbreak of World War I.

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One of the focuses of this week's centenary celebrations is to promote awareness of the importance of the symbol. The Australian Red Cross says its emblem has come to mean health care to many people, however it specifically means humanitarian aid in war and emergency zones.

This is right . The Red Cross at work. Source: Supplied

"People don't understand what the Red Cross actually means," Wynn-Pope explains. "We find again and again that people are quite surprised when we tell them."

The Australian Red Cross is constantly dealing with people who misuse the symbol, unaware they were doing the wrong thing.

"We find in Australia that if someone misuses it is not such a drastic thing. But if we think of someone in Syria misusing the emblem, there can then be real confusion about what the symbol means. We can't afford even in peacetime to misuse it."

Wynn-Pope's advice to anyone thinking of using the Red Cross symbol is to think twice.

"It's actually illegal to use the symbol. Its use is protected by the Geneva Convention."

Play Doh Red Crosses are acceptable. Source: News Corp Australia

Founded in the 19th century by Swiss businessman Henry Dunant, the Red Cross uses as its symbol an inverse representation of the Swiss flag, which features a white cross on a red background. The Red Cross is often misinterpreted as the Christian cross, which is not the case.

Today, the Red Crescent is used by 33 countries instead of the Cross symbol. Both organisations are part of the same body, known as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. A new symbol, the Red Crystal, has also recently been approved.