Add Strategy.md and Align Governance Documents with RuFaS Strategic Direction

[JuanTricarico]

Context

Issue(s) closed by this pull request: closes #

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What

This pull request adds a new Strategy.md document to the root of the repository and updates related governance documents to align with the approved strategic direction of RuFaS.

The strategy document establishes a shared vision, mission, strategic pillars, core values, and operating principles that guide decision-making across the RuFaS ecosystem. The intent is not to prescribe specific projects, roadmaps, or implementation plans, but rather to provide a durable framework that helps contributors, maintainers, sponsors, and leadership make coordinated decisions while preserving flexibility and autonomy.

Why

RuFaS is a collaborative initiative involving multiple organizations, disciplines, and contributors. As participation grows, a shared understanding of the program's purpose, direction, and expectations becomes increasingly important. The purpose of this PR is strategic alignment.

This strategy provides:

• A common understanding of why RuFaS exists.
• Long-term direction through Strategic Pillars.
• Explicit Core Values that define the culture and identity of the program.
• Shared Operating Principles that help contributors navigate trade-offs and make decisions without requiring centralized control.
• Alignment between governance, contributions, and project evolution.

How

Changes Included
New File = Strategy.md
Vision
Mission
Strategic Pillars
Core Values
Shared Operating Principles

Updated Files

README.md

Align Vision and Mission statements with the strategy document.
Add a reference to Strategy.md as the source for RuFaS strategic direction.

CONTRIBUTING.md

Add references to RuFaS Core Values and Shared Operating Principles.
Clarify that contribution categories and responsibilities operate within the strategic framework established by Strategy.md.

FORKING.md

Clarify the role of forking as a legitimate outcome within an open-source ecosystem.
Reinforce principles of openness, shared stewardship, and voluntary participation.

This PR does not modify:
The Code of Conduct.
Licensing terms.
Release processes.
Branching strategy.
Technical development workflows.
Versioning policies.

Expected Outcome following this PR:

• The repository will have a single, explicit source for RuFaS strategic direction.
• Governance documents will be aligned with that strategy.
• Contributors will have clearer guidance on the values and principles that inform decision-making.
• Future discussions about priorities, governance, partnerships, and project evolution can reference a shared strategic framework.

Test plan

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Input Changes

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Output Changes

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Filter

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[JuanTricarico]

This PR intentionally focuses on establishing strategic direction and alignment. It should be evaluated based on whether the proposed Vision, Mission, Strategic Pillars, Core Values, and Operating Principles accurately reflect the intended long-term direction of the RuFaS ecosystem and provide useful guidance for future governance and project decisions as discussed by the PML.

[github-actions]

Current Coverage: 99%

Mypy errors on add-strategy-document branch: 1136
Mypy errors on dev branch: 1136
No difference in error counts

[github-actions]

🚨 Please update the changelog. This PR cannot be merged until changelog_WIP.md is updated.