[chapter-delegates] Re: Encouragement and information from today's meeting with Lynn

[Veni Markovski]

Irwan,
I agree with you.

Here are several points, which I made today morning, during a meeting with 
Lynn St. Amour - CEO/President of ISOC. Also present at that meeting were 
chapter presidents or members of Board of South Africa, Luxembourg, UK, 
Sweden, Niue, France, Morocco, Bulgaria, George Sadowsky, Richard Delmas... 
and may be I am missing one or two names, as I was not taking notes.

I proposed that ISOC European chapters should work together, in consortium, 
to apply for funding from the EU programs (I had in mind the 6th European 
Framework, but there could be others, too).

I advise the African countries to start research on the WorldBank 
activities. The new chief of the WB - Paul Wolfowitz, is claiming the next 
5 years will be dedicated to Africa, bridging the digital divide, etc.

Someone suggested that wherever there's an ISOC chapter, it should be the 
natural channel for ISOC, when there are events, related to ISOC. The 
example was with the IETF, which is to take place in August in Paris, but 
the local chapter is not involved in the work around the meeting, and will 
not be getting any credit from this event.

Many of us several times, insistingly, pointed out that ISOC listens, but 
does not hear the chapters. The discussion included also general weaknesses 
of relations between ISOC HQ and chapters. All of us said that this 
communications needs improvement.

Sharing experience between chapters is considered good, but sometimes it 
just needs understanding that there are cross-cultural differences, and the 
majority of the chapters do not use English as a native language. Also, 
sometimes passion is being incorrectly accepted as insult. Sometimes 
reactions against chapters is being provoked by remarks, which would be 
considered totally appropriate in other environments.

One thing, which I was kind of wondering... Could someone here make a 
calculation how many of the chapters have actually posted something in the 
last 4 months? I think it's around 20 chapters, someone else said 5-6.

Another proposal was to have another mailing list, where only projects will 
be discussed, so that we can continue to exchange information here, but 
focus on real funding there.

What do you say?

best,
veni


At 01:13 06-04-05  +0700, you wrote:
>Dear Chapter Delegates,
>
>Even though I am not the expert on fund raising, I encourage each and every
>chapter officers to share in our activities in raising fund. We know and we
>admit that the amount of income that our chapter is currently receiving is
>micro-dwarf if compared to the money produced by P.I.R., but we are also