The colour of the sun and hope: the 15th anniversary of the LizaAlert movement celebrated at the National Centre RUSSIA

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On 5 November, the National Centre RUSSIA hosted the 11th Interregional Forum LizaAlert, dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the volunteer search-and-rescue team. Participants summed up the results of the year, shared inspiring stories of people saved, and outlined plans for the future. The event brought together over 300 volunteers from across the country, as well as representatives of government bodies and partner organisations of the movement.

A congratulatory message to mark the team’s anniversary was sent by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

"Over the years, LizaAlert has united a large team of like-minded people from different regions of the country – compassionate, strong-spirited individuals devoted to an important and noble cause. Thanks to your dedication and tireless efforts, hundreds of thousands of lives have been saved. You have established systematic training for volunteers ready to lend a helping hand to those in need, and I would also like to highlight your educational initiatives aimed at preventing emergencies. Your powerful, socially significant movement and the responsible approach you bring to your work deserve the deepest respect and serve as an inspiring example for the younger generation," the message reads.

Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation Maksut Shadayev presented a roadmap for cooperation with the team, as well as prospects opened up by technological integration and potential legislative initiatives.

"Cooperation with the LizaAlert movement could become the first case of systematic partnership between the state and volunteer organisations. We already have around 120 million registered users on Gosuslugi, and over 11 million people use our services daily. This is a huge audience willing to help, as proven by our experience in the Kursk region. Our task is to make use of our digital services to help the movement fulfil its mission. First of all, every citizen should be able to give consent to receive notifications about missing persons. We are also developing a set of solutions – from geolocation-based notifications for users to specialised children’s SIM cards with tracking functions. At the same time, we are preparing legislative amendments to make it easier for rescuers to access coordinates in emergency situations," said Maksut Shadayev.

The LizaAlert search-and-rescue team also actively cooperates with the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, assisting in the search for missing persons. A welcome letter marking the 15th anniversary of the team and recognising the high social importance of its work was sent by Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin.

"Today, the search-and-rescue team unites more than 40,000 volunteers who carry out the key mission of rapid response and public participation in the search for missing people. Since 2010, we have received over 325,000 requests and found more than 280,000 individuals. I would like to thank the volunteers for saving lives. Behind every one of these numbers lies the difficult work of rescuing people and restoring hope and clarity to families about the fate of their loved ones. Your work makes a huge contribution not only to safety, but also to the moral foundations of our society – it is an example of compassion and selfless help to others. I wish you strength, unwavering health, and, of course, that as many people as possible return home safe and sound," said Alexander Bastrykin.

Deputy Chair of the State Duma Anna Kuznetsova focused on the methodological development of the search-and-rescue and volunteer movement and its integration into the national system.

"Every tragic case in our practice became a lesson that motivated us to develop more effective protocols. Step by step, we overcame various challenges – from initial mistrust of volunteers to improving their professional skills. It is no coincidence that today more than 167,000 volunteer organisations and over 8.5 million volunteers are in some way involved in initiatives related to the implementation of national projects. The growth rate is such that, thanks in part to LizaAlert, the entire country has turned into a powerful movement that can be trusted. And indeed, the level of public trust largely determines the effectiveness of saving human lives," said Anna Kuznetsova.

Head of the LizaAlert search-and-rescue team Grigory Sergeyev noted the evolution of the organisation. The project has grown from a modest initiative into a large-scale national movement.

"Fifteen years ago, when it all began, I couldn’t have imagined what it would become. We thought we were creating a local initiative, and today our divisions operate in most regions of the country. Just last year, we handled more than 50,000 search requests. However, the actual scale of the problem is much larger – according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the total number of missing-person reports approaches 200,000. So we still have room to grow, and of course, we will continue to do so," said Grigory Sergeyev.

Director General of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives Svetlana Chupsheva spoke about the systemic positive changes in state-level support for volunteer work.

"In 2017, our President for the first time issued a set of systemic instructions that raised cooperation between society, the state, and volunteer teams to a new level. The law on volunteering was adopted. Together with representatives of LizaAlert, we developed a standard for volunteer support for the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, which provides regulatory and infrastructure assistance and ensures cooperation in all areas of volunteer activity. Today, this standard is implemented in every region. Thank you so much for your work! Your selflessness, your readiness to act under any circumstances, has already saved thousands of lives, and the bright orange colour of your uniform has become a symbol of hope and mutual assistance," Svetlana Chupsheva told the members of LizaAlert.

The LizaAlert volunteer search-and-rescue team was established in Russia in October 2010. All search operations are organised on a non-profit basis by volunteers. The number of members continues to grow – today the team unites over 40,000 people and operates in 64 regions of the country. Thanks to the efforts of its members, more than 160,000 people have been found, over 40,000 of them children. Anyone over the age of 18 can join the team.