FOREIGN POLICY.

Updated 25 March 2006.

THE SOCIETY'S FOREIGN MEMBERSHIP SECTIONS :
1. Historical :
The Society currently has or has had autonomous dedicated Foreign Membership Sections in Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina. The ones in Slovakia and Croatia are now dormant. The Foreign Policy now includes the administrative servicing of the Foreign Membership Sections, where they still exist and it should be said that until recently, we were aiming to dissolve the remaining two such arrangements. 
It can be stated that the Society is under growing pressure, for many practical reasons, to increase its committment and involvement with speleologists in BiH by formalising their full integration into the Society's general Membership arrangements. This at a time when the Society's working relationships with Hungarian speleologists is also rapidly on the increase. 
As a consequence of this and of more domestic issues arising around new Public Liability Insurance in the UK., the whole question of Membership, (UK and Foreign), was under review, with an interim decision having been made to not renew the Society's Public Liability Insurance Cover via the BCRA option and to pursue this via another sourcing option.

2. The Future :
As a result of certain events centred around its domestic Science Programme in the UK, internal developments within the Society since 2005 have favoured moving the status of the Society towards that of becoming a Registered Charity. This move will necessarily consolidate the Foreign Membership Sections and the UK Membership into a single entity, extending many benefits to existing non-UK Members, whilst simultaneously rendering as redundant the concept of dedicated Foreign Membership Sections, which were created to meet the needs of a particular time but which are now no longer necessary. 

THE SOCIETY'S FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME :
1. Historical :
This Policy has arisen and subsequently developed primarily as a result of the 1991-1996 Balkan War which caused the fragmentation of the former Yugoslavia and the eventual creation of the Sovereign Independent States of the Republic of Slovenia, the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Bosnia & Herzegovina and the Republic of Macedonia, leaving a residual Federal Republic of Yugoslavia containing Serbia and a reluctant Montenegro.
Secondarily, the Society was also aware of the problems of speleological and karstological groups and societies in other areas of Central Eastern Europe, such as in Hungary, Slovakia, the Moravian province in the Czech Republic and Romania, especially during the unnaturally rapid change from political systems embracing Communism, with their centrally planned economies to those of Democracy with Capitalism. This has wrought immense havoc on the economic survival of the voluntary sector in each of those countries. It has been possible to target limited resources at specific organizations in each of the countries mentioned above.
The philosophical rationale of the Society's Foriegn Policy during the Balkan War was based on its concerns about the impact of the War on the many speleological and karstological organizations which existed in the FRY prior to the War. By 1994, the savage vehemence and nationalism of the protagonists was apparent to the whole world and detailed enquiries by the Society had elucidated that, in the speleological world, little if anything had been done (or was planned to be done) to help the survival of those fine speleological organizations to whom the world of speleology and karstology owed so much.

The failure of cavers, speleologists and karstologists and their organizations around the world to help and assist the Balkan speleologists and karstologists during this terrible period of their history is shameful. The Society decided to act unilaterally with great determination in an act of fellowship towards our colleagues abroad.
It should also be mentioned here that there were two other individuals, one in the Netherlands and another in Croatia, who were also doing their best to at least maintain contact with the Bosnian speleologists.
The "Foreign Assistance Programme" aspect of the Society's de facto Foreign Policy is detailed in many internal Aide Memoires as follows:-

Addendum to the Report of the Hon. Science Officer to the 1995 A.G.M. "Details of the Society's "Enabling Role" in Charitable Support Work to Foreign Groups, Societies and Institutions in 1994."
Aide Memoire No. AM.110597. "Recommended Policy Guidelines in the Matter of Applying Suitable Criteria when selecting non-UK Speleological / Karstological Groups or Societies as Recipients of i) Aid, from or through the Society, or ii) Formal Permanent Contact Status with the Society."
Aide Memoire No. AM110597 (Attachment No. 1.) "An Example 'Case History' of the Recent Practical Application of the Criteria."
Aide Memoire No. AM110597 (Attachment No. 2.) "FOREIGN POLICY GUIDELINES. 'Case History' Application of the Society's Role as an "Enabler" or "Facilitator" in respect of Foreign Policy Assistance Aid to Speleological and Karstological Societies and Institutions in Eastern Europe."
Aide Memoire No. 011297."Discussion Document supporting the need for a Structured Foreign Policy to further the Aims of the Society abroad."
Aide Memoire No. FP.010898. "Current List of Specific Foreign (ie non-UK) Speleological and Karstological Institutions, Societies or Groups included within the Society's Foreign Policy Arrangements as having a Permanent Contact Status or greater status conferred upon them."

For obvious reasons, we are unable to give within these Public Access Pages, either operational details of this Programme or precisely which recipient organizations benefit or have benefitted from the Programme. The Programme is structured wherever it is applied and is subject to many on-going criteria and to routine inspections, re-evaluations and full accountability. However, with the rapidly growing improvement of the financial situation of the "voluntary sectors" in many Eastern European countries since 2003, such help as we have formerly given to organizations in all but Bosnia & Herzegovina through our Foreign Assistance Programme, has been wound down almost to termination, although active links are maintained for small-scale publications-exchange, publications-support programmes and information exchange.
However, in Bosnia & Herzegovina, a massive expansion of the FAP has taken place and this is planned to continue until 2011, at which time the results of a planned general review of the situation to be undertaken in 2009, will then take effect. The 2009 review may suggest that the FAP continue at the funding level as before, or expand or decrease or even be wound down via a phased termination. The present outlook would suggest a continuation, at least at the current level of funding. 

Through its Science Officer's Membership of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), the Society has been presented with a unique opportunity to further develop its Foreign Policy Aims.
Through the very careful application of the "Sponsored Membership Scheme" of the International Association of Hydrogeologists, which was set up to promote the recruitment of new IAH Members from "economically developing" countries, the Society has donated IAH Membership to specified individuals in Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH), who are recognized karst specialists. This is a medium-term arrangement and has been applied uniformly so as to offer representation to each of the three principal ethnic groupings in BiH to the Membership of the IAH.
We will encourage their participation in the activities of the IAH Karst Commission in which the Society is particularly interested. It is our sincere hope that this arrangement will increase the chances of constructive association and co-operation between these gifted individuals who are presently separated by difficult political and financial barriers. We also hope to encourage them to work together to contribute to the development of international karstology through the emminent medium of the IAH Karst Commission.

2. The Future :
With the move towards becoming a Registered Charity, the Society will ensure that its Foreign Assistance Programme will continue, strengthening both its present management form and the funding for its proposed future direction via our new Constitution, in which the Foreign Policy will be intrinsically included. This has been a non-negotiable issue.

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