| 463 | GEODETSKI VESTNIK | 64/4 | UVODNIK | EDITORIAL Anka Lisec glavna in odgovorna urednica | Editor-in-chief ČAS, DA SE ZBUDIMO TIME TO WAKE UP Če bi nam decembra lani kdo napovedal, kaj vse bomo doživeli v letu 2020, in predvsem, kako bo majhen virus spremenil naš vsakdanjik in praznik, bi se najverjetneje le malo nasmehnili in nejeverno odmahnili z roko. Vendar danes smo, kjer smo. Nepredvideni dogodki so obstajali od nekdaj, a zdi se, da zelo hitro pozabljamo izkustva, s katerimi smo se srečali v preteklosti, še manj pa si k srcu jemljemo izkustva pred- nikov. Kot družba smo bili namreč popolnoma nepripravljeni na takšne razmere. Ta nepripravljenost se med drugim kaže v izredni akciji prostovoljcev, ki ustvarjajo COVID-19 Sledilnik. Ravno omenjeni »sledilnik« me je spodbudil k pisanju teh vrstic, saj je neverjetno, da spremljanje širjenja virusa SARS-CoV-2 in koronavirusne bolezni covid-19 poteka skoraj v celoti na prostovoljni podlagi. Prostovoljstvo je sicer nekaj izjemnega v družbi. Iskrene čestitke in pohvale za tak angažma skupine, ki noč in dan bdi nad novimi podatki, neutrudno računa trende in se predvsem trudi, da podatke predstavi čim bolj transparentno in razumljivo širši javnosti. Pri tem nikakor ne moremo spregledati pomena prostor- skih podatkov in geoprostorskih analiz. T oda ali je mogoče, da je država, ki naj bi spadala med sodobne, inovativne in informacijsko (vključujoč geoinformacijske) usposobljene evropske družbe, pozabila na javne storitve, ki so ključne za delovanje družbe, še posebej v tako izrednih razmerah? Prostovoljstvo je odziv civilne družbe na raznovrstne potrebe ljudi, ki v obliki aktivnega in neplačanega delovanja posameznikov prispeva k boljšemu življenju posameznika ali skupine v družbi, ščiti interese tistih, ki so na različne načine ogroženi itd. Toda prostovoljstvo ne sme in ne more opravljati funkcij ključnih družbenih sistemov! Nekje smo očitno naredili veliko napako in pozabili na pomen ključnih dejavnosti (op. ta težava se sicer kaže na mnogih področjih, začenši z zdravstvom), ki bi jih morala vsaka država sistematično pokrivati s svojimi službami in kadri. Problematika je močno povezana z neugodnim okoljem za odlične uveljavljene kot tudi za mlade še ne- uveljavljene strokovnjake, ki v zadnjih desetih letih žal množično zapuščajo Slovenijo. V zadnjih desetih letih smo iz Slovenije »izpustili« na desetine odličnih in zelo sposobnih diplomantov in magistrov, tudi s področja geodezije in geoinformatike – torej tudi s področij, ki so izredno pomembna za upravljanje s tveganji in ukrepanje pri elementarnih in drugih nesrečah. Ali je mogoče, da nismo videli, da te kadre potrebujemo? Kaj lahko storimo sedaj? Dejstvo je, da so človeški viri najpomembnejši del vsake družbe. Odlični vodje, pedagogi, raziskovalci in strokovnjaki so tisti, ki kreirajo delovanje družbe. Res je tudi, da človek rad | 464 | GEODETSKI VESTNIK | 64/4 | UVODNIK | EDITORIAL deluje v območju udobja, kjer se sprejmejo uveljavljene norme in pravila … Zdi se, da so se taka obmo- čja udobja preveč uveljavila. Čas je, da se zbudimo in poskušamo skupaj ustvarjati družbeno okolje, ki bo prinašalo kakovostne delovne in na splošno življenjske razmere. Miselnost, da lahko nekaj storimo z aktivnim delovanjem, ni ravno široko zakoreninjena v naši družbi, a vse bolj opažam, da je somišljenikov vsak dan več – ali pa jih morda le vse bolje prepoznavamo v našem okolju? Če boste le prebrali nekaj res zanimivih prispevkov iz te številke revije, boste hitro našli potrditev te moje domneve. Skrajni čas torej je, da začnemo intenzivneje iskati vire in ustvarjati priložnosti za vse, ki imajo inovativne zamisli in delovni zagon. Jasno je, da nima vsak enakih možnosti, priložnosti ali pa morda ambicij za intenzivno sodelovanje pri tako velikih spremembah. Naš vsakdanjik pač krojijo številni dejavniki – tako v poslovnem kot v zasebnem življenju. T oda veliko bomo dosegli že, če podpiramo in spodbujamo tiste, ki neizmerno energijo vlagajo v spremembe v prepričanju za boljši jutri širše družbe, mar ne? In navse- zadnje – naj bomo v zasebnem sektorju, javnem sektorju ali v akademskem svetu, vsak od nas lahko že s sooblikovanjem kakovostnih delovnih okolij, vključujoč dobre medčloveške odnose, mnogo prispeva k razvoju privlačnega okolja za delo in življenje. Naj bo leto 2021 tudi s teh vidikov posebno, prelomno, optimistično – iskreno želim vsem vse dobro! If last December somebody had predicted all the events of 2020, and especially if they mentioned that a virus would completely change our day-to-day lives, we would most probably respond with a faint smile and a dismissive wave – but we are where we are. Unpredictable events have always existed, though it seems that past experiences tend to fade into oblivion quickly, even less importance is placed on the experiences of our forefathers. As it turned out, our society was unprepared for the present circumstances. This lack of prepara- tion is also reflected in the considerable efforts of individuals who provide unpaid work for the ‘COVID-19 Sledilnik’ project. It is the ‘sledilnik’ that incited me to write these lines. I really find it hard to believe that the monitoring and tracking of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the COVID-19 disease is done on an almost entirely voluntary basis. Volunteering indeed represents an exceptional social phenomenon. Heartfelt greetings and much praise go to the activities of a group of people that feed fresh data on a 24-hour basis, diligently calculate the trends and, above all, put all their efforts into transparent and understandable presentations for the public. One should not forget to mention the significance of spatial data and geospatial analyses here. However, is it possible that a country, which is considered a fully functioning contemporary, innovative, and information (geoinforma- tion included) European society, should forget its public services that are key for its functioning, especially in exceptional circumstances like we have encountered? Voluntary work is a response of the civil society to a variety of human needs; it is the unpaid labour of indi- viduals who devote their time to building a better life of an individual or a group in a society. It protects the interests of those who are at risk. However, voluntary work must not and cannot replace fundamental social structures! A grave mistake must have occurred along the way making us forget about the significance of es- sential activities (this issue is reflected in numerous fields, health care topping the list) that every state should systematically cover with its services and manpower. | 465 | GEODETSKI VESTNIK | 64/4 | UVODNIK | EDITORIAL This issue is strongly related to the unfavourable environment for experts as well as young professionals that have unfortunately started to leave Slovenia in large numbers in recent decades. It is true that I am not one of the seniors at our faculty, but I have witnessed in the last decade how we ‘let go’ dozens of excellent and highly capable graduates. The fields of land surveying and geoinformatics are no exception here. These are the areas that are extremely important for risk management and elementary and other forms of disaster management. What can we do? It is undeniable that human resources are the most important part of every society. The way a society functions is determined by its excellent leaders, teachers, researchers and professionals. At the same time, it is true that humans have a natural affinity for comfort, a zone where established norms and rules are gratefully accepted. One cannot avoid the impression that comforts zones have gained a really strong footing in our society. It is time we woke up and put some efforts into creating a social environment that creates high- quality working and living conditions. One could hardly claim that a proactive mindset rules our society, but it is becoming more and more obvious that there are more and more people who share my views – or could it be that we increasingly recognise one another in our environment? Several of the really interesting papers in this issue prove that my hypothesis is correct. To conclude, it is high time to start searching actively for resources and creating opportunities for innovative and dedicated individuals. Of course, not everybody has equal circumstances, opportunities, or even ambition to bring about change. Factors that affect our day-to-day lives are numerous – in professional and private lives. Nevertheless, much can be done only by supporting and encouraging individuals who are willing to devote their boundless energy in change, who firmly believe in a better tomorrow for society as a whole. And, last but not least – be it in private or public sectors or in the academic world – each and every one of us is able to contribute to a high-quality working environment determined by good interpersonal relations, and thus help to create attractive working and living environments for everybody. I wish that 2021 be a special, momentous, and optimistic year in all these aspects. With sincere good wishes to everybody!