Development Strategy of the Russian Geographical Society 2011-2015

Russian Geographical Society’s Strategy for 2011-2015 is an overall action plan designed to achieve the Society’s -long-term goals and objectives.

Initiatives described in the Strategy build on the Russian Geographical Society’s long history and experience.

The basic concept of the new Strategy is Russian national geography – comprehensive exploration of the country in all its diversity, to contribute to a fuller implementation of Russia’s and its people’s potential.

We, members of the Russian Geographical Society, would like our work to inspire people to love their country. To love one’s motherland, one must know it well. Accordingly, it’s important to gather and disseminate reliable information about Russia.

We must strive to make the public interested in deep, comprehensive exploration and promotion of Russian geographical, ethno-cultural and historical identity. The Society should promote creative research, education, development of geography and related sciences. It’s important to encourage the public to get involved in environment protection activities.

Preserving our cultural heritage and ecological balance, reviving and promoting the cultures of native Russian peoples, developing the national economy – all that wouldn’t be possible without involving the general public. Accordingly, the Russian Geographical Society’s objective is to bring together people who care about their country.

Russia has unique geography. Our country is the largest in the world, and one of the most ethnically diverse. We have every reason to be proud of our incredibly rich historical, cultural and natural heritage.

We’d like to show the world how unique and distinctive Russia is!

Russian Geographical Society’s key goal is to consolidate the Russian public’s abilities and aspirations to study and promote national geography – to fully implement the country’s and its people’s potential.

To achieve this goal, the Society pursues the following objectives:

• Encourage the public to get involved in comprehensive exploration of Russia’s geographical, ethnic, cultural and historical identity, to obtain a deeper understanding of these aspects; and provide necessary support and assistance.
• Promote and organise active public involvement in environment protection activities; create the culture of responsible attitude to environment.
• Promote Russia’s historical, cultural and geographical heritage, as something to be proud of.
• Gather, process and disseminate reliable geographical, ecological, ethnographical and statistical data about Russia and the world, nationally and internationally.
• Promote creative research, development of geography and related natural and social sciences, contribute to wide dissemination and practical application of Russian scientists’ most valuable achievements.
• Large-scale promotion of Russia’s unique historical, cultural and geographical sites in Russia and abroad, to facilitate development of tourism.

To achieve the best possible results, the Society adheres to the following basic principles:

• Acting in the interests of the Russian public.
  The Russian Geographical Society always pursues Russian national interests
• Commitment to the mission; loyalty to the glorious name of the Russian Geographical Society
  Accepting the Society’s values, and working to improve its reputation
• Conscious participation
  Awareness of the Society’s goals and objectives, and active participation in their implementation
• Promoting each Society member’s potential
  Creating a favourable environment for each Society member’s personal development
• Devotion to traditions and continuity
  Respect to the Society’s past, heritage and experience, passing them from generation to generation
• Careful attitude to nature
  Awareness of the fact that natural riches are unique and finite
• Striving for learning, and comprehensive knowledge
  Encouraging initiative, creative thinking, innovation
• Responsible treatment of information
  The Society works on the basis of reliable data obtained from all available sources
• Openness
  Constructive cooperation and exchange of views between the Society members and with other organisations
• Unity of the organisation

All members and divisions of the Society adhere to its principles, work to achieve common goals and objectives

In order to fulfill its long-term objectives, the Society singles out the following fields of activity.

1. Research

The research initiatives of the Russian Geographical Society will embrace purposeful theoretical and applied research projects, aimed at acquisition, systematisation and interpretation of geographic information, and its use for tackling current challenges facing the Russian society.

The Russian Geographical Society will give priority to comprehensive research projects, whose outcomes are highly applicable after the project is over.

Priority areas for research include:

• Russia’s geographical, ethnical and cultural heritage, unique natural complexes, monuments of history and culture, which constitute the foundation of national identity of Russian peoples in all their diversity.
• Environmental protection and sustainable development, to contribute to conservation of Russian regions’ natural riches and development of a network of specially protected natural areas.
• Legacy of the Russian Geographical Society.
• Regular publication and distribution of specialised and popular reports and cartographic materials.
• Enabling an expert community within the Society, which will provide expert opinion and advice in different fields of activity undertaken by the Society.

2. Information

The Russian Geographical Society will undertake steps aimed at development of a system of acquisition, storage and dissemination of geographic information.

Since the foundation of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, collecting, processing and disseminating reliable geographic information about Russia has been an important goal for the Society’s members.

The Society’s information system will be built upon the information hub Rgo.ru, with participation of all regional dicisions of the Society. This system will allow for creation of common standards of handling geographic information, which, in its turn, will ensure better and more cost-effective collection, treatment and analysis of such information.

The obtained data will help form a complete geographical picture of Russia, which will become the launch pad for various educational, outreach and information projects.

To achieve this, the Russian Geographical Society will:

• Continue its work on collecting geoinformation in order to increase people’s knowledge about Russia, enlarge archival and library collections, in particular digital cartographic ones.
• Work out geoinformation standards.
• Disseminate and promote the collected and processed geoinformation, using all available media (both the existing ones, and ones created by the Russian Geographical Society), such as printed publications, radio and TV programmes, exhibitions, lectures, the Internet, etc. Electronic system for data acquisition and treatment – the Russian Geographic Navigator – will play a particularly important role.

In its activities the Society will abide by the principle of responsible attitude towards information and will disseminate and share the data, collected from all available reliable sources.

3. Education and outreach

The education and outreach activity of the Russian Geographical Society will involve advancing geography and raising the public geographical and environmental awareness through sparking interest of the public at large, and students in particular, in geography and related sciences.

For these purposes the Russian Geographical Society will:

• Provide access to educational resources in geography, including resources on sustainable development.
• Encourage development and use of electronic, audio- and video- educational materials and visual aids.
• Support the mass media in development of children- and youth-oriented educational materials in the field of geography and sustainable development.
• Take part in public discussions of school and university textbooks and curriculums in geography, environmental sciences and sustainable development.
• Support informal education and outreach activities, undertaken as extracurricular activities.

4. Environment and conservation

The Russian Geographical Society sees its environmental activity as a range of public measures contributing to conservation of Russia’s nature and sustainable use of natural resources.

The Russian Geographical Society seeks to balance nature conservation with boosting national economy and enabling the Russian society to fulfill its potential.

Fostering an attitude of care towards nature will play a key role in the Russian Geographical Society’s environmental vision.

To achieve this, the Russian Geographical Society will:

• Promote, with the assistance of the mass media, examples of careful attitude to Russia’s nature on the part of citizens, government and public bodies.
• Organise environmental events, both scientific (workshops, forums), educational (lectures, trainings) and practical (ecological expeditions, volunteer cleanup days), and others.
• Develop networks of public geo-ecological monitoring.
• Provide informational support for sustainable, environmentally-friendly industrial practices (green economy).

5. Expeditions and travels

Expeditions and travels undertaken or supported by the Russian Geographical Society involve multi-purpose activities, aiming at exploration of Russia’s natural and cultural heritage.

The Russian Geographical Society unites scientists of different fields of specialisation, as well as public figures, who take part in Society’s multi-purpose expeditions.

Expeditions and travels will be Society’s key tool in collecting and updating reliable geographic information about Russia and its citizens.

The Russian Geographical Society intends to develop and support:

• Scientific expeditions in order to provide information support of research projects in the area of national geography of Russia.
• Educational expeditions, designed to train young geographers and specialists in related sciences.
• Outreach and awareness-raising expeditions and travels with the aim of promoting Russia’s unique historic, cultural and natural monuments.
• Youth volunteer expeditions, including hikes, campfire gatherings, sporting events, etc. A set of expeditions, designed to introduce young generations of Russian citizens to country’s natural riches and culture.
• Regional studies expeditions, aimed at studying natural and cultural heritage of Russian regions.
• Tourism, by helping develop tourism infrastructure and new tourist routes in Russia, including ecological paths, tours around unique natural monuments, etc..

6. Publishing

Publications supported or undertaken by the Russian Geographical Society will comprise a wide range of printed materials, dedicated to national geography of Russia.

Upholding its long-lasting publishing traditions, the Russian Geographical Society will:

• Publish a wide range of materials, including scientific treatises, periodicals, popular science books, materials from expeditions and field research.
• Publish cartographic materials and atlases, including electronic ones, using data collected on a voluntary basis.
• Reprint major works in geography and related sciences, as well as works by distinguished members of the Society.
• Issue reference books, albums, calendars and other printed materials.

7. Grants

The Russian Geographical Society will allocate grants to support projects in the field of national geography of Russia.

In 2011-2015, the Russian Geographical Society will give priority to projects in the following fields: eco-geographical education, theoretical and applied research, expeditions and travels, nature conservation, preservation of Russia’s historical and cultural heritage, youth-oriented geographical projects, publishing.

The Russian Geographical Society intends to award grants annually on a competitive basis. Grant projects must be of high social significance with the anticipated results easily applicable for the benefit of Russia.

In its granting policy, the Russian Geographical Society will abide by the principles of openness, fairness and transparency.

8. Public events

The Russian Geographical Society is intending to organise and hold various scientific, environmental, awareness raising, charitable and recreational events.

The Russian Geographical Society’s public events are to become a platform for constructive dialogue between government authorities, business leaders, academia and the general public, willing to promote Russia’s interests.

The Russian Geographical Society will also focus on mainstreaming tourism, sport and healthy lifestyle.

9. International cooperation

International projects of the Russian Geographical Society will embrace a set of events, directed towards promoting national geography of Russia abroad, both among the international professional community and the general public.

International projects of the Russian Geographical Society are to play a significant role in accomplishment of Society’s aims and objectives.

These involve:

• Establishment and development of Society’s overseas representatives centres, which will promote Russia’s historical, cultural and natural heritage abroad.
• Revival and extension of the network of like-minded persons abroad. The Society intends to increase the number of its members abroad. Such cooperation will facilitate exchange of experience and geoinformation.
• Participation in various international events. The Russian Geographical Society will take part in and act as organiser of international events, whose themes correspond with the Society’s Development Strategy.
• Partnership and joint projects with geographical societies of other countries, international bodies, scientific centres, universities and NGOs. This will contribute to the advance of geography and related sciences, alongside with large-scale dissemination and practical application of most important scientific achievements.

The system of regional offices is the backbone of the Society.

Regional offices are established in administrative regions of the Russian Federation; thus the Society’s regional network covers the whole country.

Uniform regional management standards ensure the organisation’s integrity, efficiency and commitment.

Regional offices are encouraged to show initiative and self-reliance.

The Russian Geographical Society’s regional offices actively contribute to achieving the Society’s long-term goal and objectives, in accordance with its principles and the Charter.

Each regional office of the Society strives to become the national geography centre of their respective regions. This means that regional offices’ priority is careful, in-depth and comprehensive studies of their regions.

Working to achieve the ambitious, complex objectives of the Society implies involving a wide circle of like-minded individuals. Regional offices will recruit new members, promote involvement of all people who share the Russian Geographical Society’s values, and are willing to contribute to its activities.

Regional offices will maintain close links with each other, networking within the frameworks of various projects and events.
To implement projects, all of the Society’s regional offices have equal rights to apply for its grants; they are also authorised to raise funds from alternative sources.

Regional offices will develop and implement their own grant allocation programmes, to finance research projects, expeditions and journeys, publishing activities and various public events including environment protection work.

Regional offices will actively promote basic and applied research, take part in training and educational activities aimed at encouraging regional studies.

Each regional office of the Russian Geographical Society, as well as the Society as a whole, will regard working with young people as a major priority; to this end, regional offices will implement training and educational projects, support initiatives to extend and develop curricula for secondary schools and universities.

Regional offices’ members will do everything they can to make information about their activities as widely accessible as possible.
Information about each regional office’s activities, and data about their regions will be published at the office’s website in the rgo.ru domain name space. Regional offices will also publish information about local scientific achievements; works by and opinions of the regional office members; coverage of discussions and debates about locally important matters.

Activities of the Russian Geographical Society’s regional offices should have the following results: increased public awareness and better knowledge about the region where they live; increased number of the Society’s active supporters; more active participation in environment protection events and expeditions.

As national geography centres, the Russian Geographical Society’s regional offices should contribute to development of their regions, and the whole of Russia.

• Organising and supporting youth research projects, including innovation initiatives, as well as geography enthusiasts in their efforts at collecting and disseminating reliable geographic information about Russia.
• Encouraging youth to fulfill their creative potential by organising various contests, competitions and other events.
• Fostering among youth an attitude of care and a sense of responsibility towards nature.
• Involving youth into the Russian Geographical Society’s activities.

The Russian Geographical Society is open to long-term cooperation and partnership with both nonprofit and profit making organisations, government authorities, and individuals, who share the Society’s values and objectives.

The Russian Geographical Society attaches great importance to communication and collaboration with environmental and charitable organisations, educational institutions, research centres, and NGOs, working in the fields of education, green economy and tourism.

Cooperating with partner organisations, the Russian Geographical Society seeks long-term relationships and joint projects that will ensure the success of the common cause.

The Russian Geographical Society thinks it crucial to establish an effective communication system as a means of interaction between the Society’s members, partners and supporters. The communication system will allow the Society to reach the largest audience possible.

The Society has already set up and will continue to develop and update its website – an important vehicle through which it will inform the public about its activities, attract partners and supporters, and maintain contact with citizens of Russian regions. The Society will also develop the English version of its website in order to establish and maintain contact with overseas audience.

The Russian Geographical Society’s information hub is also a means of communication between members of the Society and a tool for coordination of their activities. Each regional division of the Society has its own website within the domain rgo.ru, which will contain information about their activities.

The Society’s information hub will provide to members of the Russian Geographical Society – scientists, experts, students and public activists – a practical and reliable platform for exchange of information and opinions. The information hub will enable them to unite in communities according to their region, interests and field of specialisation, in the framework of various programmes and projects designed to achieve the Society’s objectives.

Adopting the Development Strategy for 2011-2015, the Russian Geographical Society announces the following commitments:

• to become an organisation whose activities cover the whole Russian territory;
• to recruit new members, especially young people;
• to establish close partnerships with organisations sharing the Society’s goals and objectives;
• to base its activities on comprehensive approaches and innovative technologies.

We’ll work to turn the Russian Geographical Society by 2015 into a versatile centre for Russian national geography studies.

We’ll create a unified network to gather, process and disseminate geographical information, accessible to all interested parties. The Society will establish a major regional network to put together a comprehensive representation of Russian national geography.

We’ll use the Society research and educational potential to give every Russian an opportunity to obtain reliable environmental and geographical knowledge.

We’d like the Russian Geographical Society to become a source of public initiatives to preserve Russia’s natural heritage; to bring together and coordinate the work of various organisations and enthusiastic individuals engaged in environment protection; and to involve more people in this work, especially members of the younger generations.

We’ll do everything we can to ensure that expeditions sponsored by the Russian Geographical Society would generate more useful knowledge about Russia and its territorial development, and promote Russian natural and cultural sites.

Our publishing activities will be aimed at putting together an advanced library comprising detailed and relevant data about Russian national geography, major research results in geography and related sciences, and achievements of Russian Geographical Society members.

We’ll develop the Society’s grant policy, to support scientists, students and schoolchildren – gifted enthusiasts proposing Russian studies projects.

We’ll be presenting our results at leading international forums on the most relevant aspects of exploring the planet, protecting its environment and advancing international cooperation.

We’ll do our best to put the Russian Geographical Society into a leading position among other geographical societies of the world, and among internationally recognised civil, research and environmental organisations.