Royal Geographical rumpus
6th April 2009
The prestigious Royal Geographical Society (RGS) has come under fire from its own fellows.
150 years on from receiving its charter “for the advancement of geographical science”, the Society has been heavily criticised for not mounting an expedition of its own since 1998.
A group of over 80 fellows, including such world-famous explorers as Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Pen Hadow, Chris Bonington and Robin Hanbury-Tenison, have submitted a resolution calling for a Special General Meeting.
This meeting, to be held on 18 May at the RGS’s headquarters in Kensington, London, will put the issue to a vote.
The resolution states: ‘The Royal Geographical Society with IBG should, in keeping with the express wording and the clear spirit of the Royal Charter of Incorporation, carry out its own expeditions which will contribute to the progress of geographical knowledge; and that it should resume the regular organisation of its own sponsored multidisciplinary research projects, in geography and related disciplines in cooperation with scientists in host countries, to study different terrains and objectives to a high standard.’
The campaigners, who’ve named themselves The Beagle Group after Darwin’s famous ship, are now attempting to pool support, both from within and outside the RGS.
One Fellow told us: “A growing number of Fellows believe the Royal Geographical Society has lost its way, and that the whole spirit of the place – the inspiration and ethos of exploration – could disappear if not challenged now.”
In a statement on its website in response to the resolution, the RGS says: “In the last four years, the Society has supported more than 250 field-based research projects and scientific expeditions, involving 1,250 researchers, in 118 countries. These have included work on climate change, conservation and biodiversity, and desertification as well as international migration and urban regeneration.
“Its (the Society’s) work has expanded across all its activity areas including research, expeditions and fieldwork, education, public engagement and policy outreach. It has also invested in making its collections available for public access. To successfully achieve this, along with an increased profile and broadly-based reputation, the Society has acted strategically in its fundraising efforts across all these activities in a more balanced manner.”
If you’d like to show your support for the Beagle Campaign, the campaigners have set up a
www.thebeaglecampaign.com