Give Geography its Place is Evolving

2007 – a fresh start: Give Geography its Place is evolving.

GGiP is evolving to promote Geography through the work of Geographers. GGiP aims to develop into a stronger and more sustainable organisation by emphasising the strengths and positive benefits of Geography.

After seven and a half months (225 days) of active campaigning on the neglect of Geography, GGiP will in 2007 focus on those positive aspects which will help to ensure a secure future and a higher profile in the media by:

• improving communication within and between all Geographers
• actively promoting Geographical ideas and expertise to each other and the media.
  

Geography is already providing a pivotal role in all our lives – we need to make sure that more people understand and recognise this in 2007.

In order to facilitate these changes, the structure of GGiP is also going through positive change. The co-founders of GGiP Dan and Dave would like to invite Geographers and supporters of Geography to nominate themselves during January 2007 to be part of a new GGiP Action Committee. There will then be an election to decide on six people to take GGiP forward during February with an election result on the 1st of March 2007. GGiP needs students, teachers, academics, professional Geographers and anyone else with a keen interest in securing the future of Geography as an academic subject.

If you are interested in helping to promote the work of GGiP in 2007, please click HERE.

While future policy and decisions will be made by the new GGiP Action Committee, GGiP will maintain its original mission of promoting Geography to the public, especially within the media.

Let us celebrate what GGiP has achieved so far in 2006…

• nearly 2000 people signed the petition of support and this will continue to grow in 2007

• e-mails and supportive comments came from over 30 countries around the world

• GGiP coverage in local, national and international broadcast and print media
  

• a letter of warning was sent to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport signed by over 100 leading Geographers from more than 50 different UK universities and educational organisations
  

• public support from the Geographical Association, the Field Studies Council, politicians and tens of famous geographers
  

• 50,000 participants in the transatlantic Geography Cup with coverage on the BBC, within the Guardian and the Reuters news agency

• a Geography team winning the competition to edit the listener's edition of the BBC Radio 4 New Years Day Today programme

• a five by fifty metre aerial sign, one hundred GGiP t-shirts (and more to come), online videos and many more smaller 'big' things…

• strength by numbers, debate and a greater sense of pride for many Geographers

Are you willing to help continue the work of ‘Give Geography It’s Place’ (GGiP) in 2007?
Please click HERE.

Note:

• GGiP is still taking orders for T-Shirts and Blank Maps

• The Global Geographer newsletter, the Passion4geography website and givegeographyitsplace.blogspot.com are suspended until elections are complete

Sign the Petition

Over 1,750 Signatures of Support for GGiP

Give Geography its Place has now had 1,750 people sign its online petition. Geographers and Geography supporters from all over the world have logged on and signed up... have you? Sign up here.

THE PETITION

The petition aims to draw support from parents and members of the public in order that young people develop the necessary geographic knowledge of the physical world and the human world and the ways that they interact to influence our daily lives.

As news reports of famine, global warming, the energy crisis, transport issues, urban growth, immigration and natural disasters hit the headlines, young people need to be well informed so that they can understand these issues and give a reasoned opinion - amongst the academic subjects, only Geography gives that vital overview that develops the necessary knowledge and understanding of how we can cope with these key issues.

Geography is rightly regarded by universities and employers as a valuable academic subject to study - not because it trains you for a particular job but because it develops useful transferable skills such as analysis and synthesis and provides young people with a context for understanding issues which affect us all at work and in our daily lives.

We need to encourage more students to join the quarter of million students who already opt each year to study this valuable subject. Help us to achieve this aim by showing your support. The initial GGiP teacher petition which we launched in May attracted 1,500 signatures. We have now moved over to this online petition to make management of the larger public petition more straightforward and efficient. Join those 1,500 geography teachers and supporters from across the UK and beyond and show your support for modern Geography

DESIRED OUTCOME

1. To raise the public profile of Geography as an academic subject in all forms of the media (newspapers, magazines, tv, radio, the internet, advertising, etc).

2. To increase awareness of the importance of Geography and the vital role that it plays in schools, colleges and universities in preparing young people for the complexities of life in the 21st century.

3. To reach the point where major media outlets give recognition that geography is distinct and an essential part of our children’s education. The main indicator for this is that the print, TV, radio and online organisations employ key people with responsibility for explicitly geographical content and for commissioning geography works.

Sign up now here!

Use your Geography to change history...

Your links to people and places can change them forever.
Use your Geography to change history.

Make a difference to the people, places and environments of 2007 in 7 daily steps to…

MONDAY
…control the global trade of weapons
The 'Million Faces' is a visual petition - a way for you to show your concern about the spread of arms. Our aim is to collect one million photos and self-portraits of people from around the world.
http://www.controlarms.org/

TUESDAY
...call an end to modern slavery
Today slavery affects millions of people around the world. By signing the Declaration you can be part of a new mass movement for change. We are collecting signatures to show support for the fight for freedom campaign.
http://www.antislavery.org/2007/actionsign.php

WEDNESDAY
...increase freedom of information for people worldwide
Chat rooms monitored. Blogs deleted. Websites blocked. Search engines restricted. People imprisoned for simply posting and sharing information.
http://irrepressible.info/

THURSDAY
…educate conflict effected children
Over 43 million children living with the effects of conflict can't go to school. Yet education is the very thing that could keep them safe, give them and their countries hope, and transform their lives. Help us rewrite the future and bring quality education to the children who need it most.
http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/scuk/jsp/resources/details.jsp?id=4512&group=getinvolved&section=campaign&subsection=details&pagelang=en

FRIDAY
…increase people’s access to HIV medicine
In poor countries nearly 7 million people have developed HIV to the extent they urgently need medicines. Half of those that get the drugs they need rely on cheaper generic medicines made in India. Giant drug company Novartis is challenging Indian Patent Law in the courts. If they win, this will limit India’s ability to produce and export cheaper drugs to other developing countries. http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_you_can_do/campaign/mtf/actions/novartis.htm
http://www.maketradefair.com

SATURDAY
…fight climate change
The UK government is failing to take the necessary action to prevent the chaos that climate change will cause. That's why together we have launched the I Count campaign.
http://www.icount.org.uk/my_actions/

SUNDAY
…educate the decision makers of tomorrow to understand our world
Geography as a subject has never been more relevant than it is now. Modern Geography engages people in debates about issues that are constantly headlining the media - migration, water shortages, natural hazards, famine, globalisation, sustainable energy, transport policy, employment, crime, urban deprivation, global warming. Sadly Geography is undervalued by decision makers and the media. Help change this by showing your support for the subject.
http://www.passion4geography.co.uk/

Give Geography its Place, December 2006. Pass it on.