The Royal Geographical Society

This is a funny Blog spot. I have interrupted my usual deadline of stories to inclde something that is close to my heart. As an inveterate traveller and indeed part time explorer, I am a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. A proud fellow who seeks to give information and the results of observations made, I now find myself, like many members shut out from the society.

The society that was the home of explorers such as wilfred thesiger, has now become nothing more than a corrupt arm of a geography collecge. Moral corruption, mismanagement, and disgrace are now at the heart of the Society. I publish here, an open letter to the director of the Royal Geographical Society, and some images to remind us all of why we travel, and what the RGS should stand for.

I will not bore you with the previous emails, save to say that I made positive suggestions to Dr Gardner and all were rebuffed. Holding emails sent from minions, that ended with personal attacks on me, saying that I was rude and offensive. I am neither rude nor offensive.

In the light of these calculated attacks against my person, I call for the resignation of the discredited President (Sir Gordon Conway) and Director (Dr Rita Gardner) of the now morally corrupt Royal Geographical Society.

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AN OPEN LETTER TO THE COMBATATIVE DIRECTOR..........................




Dear Dr Gardner,


In the light of these horrid emails that keep flying around, there seems to be some confusion as to my thoughts on your role in the RGS.



I think perhaps it is time to clear the air and to clear up.



Let me start by saying that most fellows/Members (herein after referred to as fellows)are in the know. We all know roughly what is going on. Most of us became fellows young and will remain fellows till we die. Staff will come and go, and we see them all.



We know the society is dreadfully short of money.



We know that the board and the director of the society would like to see the Society become nothing more than a faculty of Imperial College .


We know the story behind geographical magazine, the loss making, and we know all about the "shoe out" of the excellent previous editor Mr. Nick Smith.



We know about the RGS's lack of interest in real research and expedition.


Fellows talk, and the word gets out. I hear more gossip from fellows in Tanzania about 1 Kensington gore, than you would care to hear. Should anyone think my emails are offensive, I dare not forward the thoughts of others to you.



The point Dr Gardner, is that we fellows we don't talk about it in public, we don't complain. We don’t bother you. We realise that the society is a race of people. The nation state may come and go, governments may change, but the people will continue. The board and director may come and go, but the fellows, our children and grandchildren will carry the society on. A blip of discomfort here will be smoothed over by your successors. Let me give you an example: Every 3 years or so the British High Commissioner in Dar es Salaam is changed. I look at each one, and try to engage them. If one seems particularly useless, I do not fret and write written complaints to the FCO saying

"Change our man, he's a goon" I simply bide my time until he or she is replaced. I know, that I will see the High Commissioner out. I will wave him goodbye with a smile, and wave the new one in with a smile.



The reason I am so upset with my treatment at the society, and the reason I see your behaviour as so disgraceful, is simple. I was not writing to complain. I was writing to share some of my worldly experience with you and your officers. This was not the product of me sitting in some café in Cairo , thinking "Oooh I'll annoy Dr Gardner today and send her a rude email". These emails were the product of much thought and discussion by a number of fellows.



Rather than say, “do come in and lets walk around the society, and show me what you think.” Or “Perhaps you would like to put some concrete plans on paper” you fobbed me off with a British Airways style complaint letter from your PA. I do not wish to show your PA any disrespect, (even though she seems to have none for me), but I want a reply from you. Even if your PA drafts the letter, you could at least sign it. I would then feel that I had been replied to by the director, and that some form of dialogue could be opened. Indeed, I would have felt some degree of “ownership” of the society and felt rather proud of suggesting something positive. Instead, I feel deeply insulted by you, and patronised by your staff. I find myself now thinking “Ooooh what a difference a signature makes”. Right well I’ll put that one down to experience and use it more often in my own company.



Now you are probably thinking “What a pain in the neck this chap is, I’ve got so much on, why on earth does he keep bothering me with his stupid ideas”



Well the simple answer Dr G, is that I care about the society. What for you may simply be a job or a career, is for us fellows, a labour of love. We don’t spend days after our expeditions, during work days, writing reports and articles into the early hours for fun. We do it because we care. Running around the Sahara, Siberia or India is the fun part. Laboriously writing up the reports is not. I have often considered donating a digital copy of all my images from 1989 to date to the RGS library. Images of the Berlin wall during destruction and before, images of the mud city of Bam now destroyed, Images of previously closed areas in Sudan and Turkey . And my entire underwater documentary of Pemba ’s coral reefs, showing the rebirth of coral after el Nino. In the light of your emails however, this plan is on hold.



As I have said in my previous emails, the society is about the fellows and for the fellow, and the beneficiaries. Its not a club house for the staff and board. How many times have I walked into the society, and been made to feel as if I am the intruder. The map room is gone, the library is too quiet to talk, the tearoom too small. The large open spaces under utilised. There is so much unlocked potential in the society, I wonder if perhaps you like it that way? Quiet and airy?



Now all of this would be just one bloke on the end of an email bleating on. But its not just that is it Dr Gardner. Its not just me, it’s a bunch of fellows that share my views.



Then there is the beagle campaign. Some of Britain ’s Biggest hitters wrote to the board and asked for a change. “NO” they were told. You and your board ignored them. Told Sir Chris Bonnington, amongst others, point blank to shut up. Have you seen the damage that you have done to the society by refusing to talk to these people? Have you considered the negative impressions that have been created about the RGS, because of a refusal to discuss issues? Most wars happen around the world because people refuse to discuss things.


So rather than have this email conversation go backwards and forwards, with your minions firing broadsides at me, and making personal attacks upon me, I think it would be better if we could start again, and perhaps discuss, openly of course, the improvements that need to be made in the RGS. For the RGS is desperately in need of improvement, and leadership. (And dare I say it, communication skills!)



Yours Sincerely






Farhat Jah





Images: www.farhatjah.com
Words: www.mytb.org/turkishraf
Diving: www.swahilidivers.com

+44 7736 87 22 59 UK
+90 531 592 05 08 TC

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AN EXCERPT FROM A PREVIOUS EMAIL:

Perhaps you forget, that fellows come from diverse backgrounds, and bring with them skills that you or your team may lack. We are often happy to share those skills and advice for nothing. Our only reward is the enhancement of the society. We, the fellows and members, are the society. We are the ones who sponsor schools, we are the ones getting our feet dirty in the sands of the Sahara, we are the ones who study in small villages for months and years. We are the ones who can see what development is sustainable, and what is not. We are the ones who run businesses and expeditions. Who ride bycicles and drive 7 tonne trucks. We use solar power daily, and the tube frequently. We know the meaning of balance sheets and abject fear. Fear of going bust, and fear of slipping off the edge of the himalayan ledge. Our older fellows teach and encourage the young, our younger fellows listen learn, and take the torch of research deep into the bush or jungle or sands or into the depths of the ocean. As we travel or conduct expeditions, we encourage fellow geographers, anthropologists, photographers,
writers, travellers and students around the world.

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