<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Walid, Jason</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><div class="gmail_default">I'd be delighted if it works out that the Chapters Committee can take care of business. I have much more interesting things to do than ISOC politics. I'm a tech reporter, not a bureaucrat.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">So I'd urge all those who care about the issues to join and light a fire under the Chapters Committee. We particularly need those who can improve our program for development. If we don't have better proposals than talk, talk, talk and almost trivial action we should stop pretending we can make a difference. </div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">It was very encouraging to hear the common sense and deication of the board members. There is a North-South divide in Internet Policy as well as a staff/chapters divide within ISOC itself.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">We must build bridges, as U.S. Ambassador Phil Verveer said at the WCIT.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">Dave </div></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Apr 10, 2016 at 10:34 AM, Walid AL-SAQAF <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:walid@al-saqaf.se" target="_blank">walid@al-saqaf.se</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Thanks again Dave for your frank and constructive comments.<div><br></div><div>The BoT is hearing you and I personally believe that we could together work on addressing them through incremental and steady steps to develop a WORKING bottom-up model. </div><div><br></div><div>As Jason and Gihan had indicated, the start is the Chapters Advisory Council, which is heading in the right direction and has our support.<br clear="all"><div><div><br></div><div>Sincerely,<br><br>Walid Al-Saqaf</div></div></div><div>Member of the Board of Trustees, ISOC</div><div><div class="h5">
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Apr 10, 2016 at 11:08 AM, Gihan Dias <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:gihan@uom.lk" target="_blank">gihan@uom.lk</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
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<div>Dave,<br>
<br>
Thanks.<br>
<br>
I wish you all success in this effort.<br>
<br>
Gihan<br>
<br>
On 2016-04-10 පෙ.ව. 6:02, Dave Burstein wrote:<br>
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<div>Folks</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Bob Hinden and the board heard some
important, frank comments. The other board members made clear
they are thoughtful, dedicated and want an effective
organization. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>A member of the Puerto Rico chapter
declared ISOC<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:14.6667px;white-space:pre-wrap;line-height:1.38;background-color:transparent"> is not bottom-up. There are two systems staff & chapters. He asked, "</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:14.6667px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Will ISOC become </span>a
bottom-<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:14.6667px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">up org?" </span> Anyone
who follows the email list knows this is a major problem. I
believe most of the staff and the board agree that is the way
to go. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>But a former board member tells me
this has happened every two or three years for a decade.
Despite good intentions, decisionmaking remains top down with
a few executives powerful. Robert Atkinson explained to me how
the FCC is controlled by a permanent government of the staff,
"Commissioners come and go but we're still here."<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>So I circulated two proposals that I
believe can win support and be easily implemented. Watching
the dynamic at the board, I realized it didn't even need a
resolution. Bob Hinden as Chair can take President Kathy Brown
aside for a few words. Brown has the skill and authority to
make this work.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Hinden might say, "Many of us on the
board want better relations with the chapters. We have two
proposals that in general make sense.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>First, that we review with the
relevant chapters policy positions and alliances before they
are made, unless there's no time. We have active mailing lists
that can make it quick and easy. Every politician knows you
get stronger support if you consult the people involved.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Second, let's start providing the
chapters some minimum funds for their operations. We do that
very inefficiently now, with too much staff time involved with
the requests. The chapters are unhappy needing to beg and
cajole to get even small operating expenses. I think we can
move quickly to distributing to the chapters say 3% of our
budget. We need to be careful the program isn't abused, but
I'm sure you can work closely with the chapters committee and
get this well begun over the next month or two,"</div><span>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I hope Bob or some of the other board
members make this happen. Even better, Brown has supported the
principles here many times. It would be great if she led the
change. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
</span><div>Kathy, at board direction, has done a
great job encouraging members to speak up. But the
organization risks becoming a hollow shell if we don't respect
our chapters. Let's start by sharing the (very modest)
proposals here.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I raised my hand too late but will
make sure to be early for the session in the morning, (9:15
New York time)</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Dave Burstein </div>
<div>New York Chapter</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br><span><font color="#888888">
</font></span></div><span><font color="#888888">
<div><br>
</div>
-- <br>
<div>
<div dir="ltr">Editor, Fast Net News, Net Policy News and DSL
Prime<br>
Author with Jennie Bourne DSL (Wiley) and Web Video: Making
It Great, Getting It Noticed (Peachpit)</div>
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</font></span></blockquote>
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<br>_______________________________________________<br>
As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed<br>
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<br>_______________________________________________<br>
As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed<br>
to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society<br>
Chapter Portal (AMS): <a href="https://portal.isoc.org" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://portal.isoc.org</a><br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">Editor, Fast Net News, Net Policy News and DSL Prime<br>Author with Jennie Bourne DSL (Wiley) and Web Video: Making It Great, Getting It Noticed (Peachpit)</div></div>
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