[MemberPubPol] [chapter-delegates] ISOC and WGIG report

[Gene Gaines]

I strongly agree.

The WGIG and WSIS are very important, and I think work a
substantial effort on the part of ISOC chapters and
headquarters.

I have read all the emails, and IMHO they are going in a
good direction.

My comment.  An observation.

With organizations such as WGIG, preparing a policy statement is
good, and it will be politely listened to. If it is very good,
very creative, we will receive compliments. But, the statement
may have little effect among so many other voices.

If ISOC takes the additional step of reaching out and explaining
WGIG decisions and reports TO OUR MEMBERS AND TO OTHER GROUPS IN
THE WORLD, and we do a good job of this, including explaining
different views rather than taking a partisan position -- then
we will be listened to, and our voice will have more impact.

I will repeat the above in simpler terms.

We will have more impact on the WGIG/WSIS outcome if we spend
our resources explaining the WGIG/WSIS to others than if we
create a beautiful policy statement.

Following this thinking. I suggest the survey questionnaire
receive the widest possible distribution -- to all ISOC
members and chapter members we can reach.

Outreach.  Talking to others.  Interesting new members in ISOC.
Reporting, in simple terms, what is happening with WGIG, and
stating the very simple principles espoused by ISOC.

That will make a difference.

Gene
gene.gaines at gainesgroup.com

On Wednesday, June 29, 2005, 7:17:57 AM, polly wrote:



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Patrick Vande Walle [mailto:patrick at isoc.lu] 
> Sent: 29 June 2005 08:16
> To: chapter-delegates at lists.isoc.org; memberpubpol at elists.isoc.org
> Subject: [chapter-delegates] ISOC and WGIG report

> Dearl all,

> This is a proposal I have made to the board and I willing to test it
> with the ISOC membership to see if this effort might be worth it, as  I
> keep hearing that "ISOC does not have a position" or "we cannot find a
> consensus", etc regarding public policy. 

> My  starting point is that ISOC is a *membership* organization. At the
> end of the day, the membership should have the last word. You elected
> the board members but that does not mean you gave us a blank cheque to
> do whatever we want during our 3 year mandate.  The board may not have
> the replies to all the issues and it should regularly go back to those
> who have elected them for advice, especially if we are not sure what our
> members think.

> WGIG will publish its report at the beginning of July. This report will
> suggest different approaches and ISOC should determine which of them it
> is agreeing on and which do no fit our vision of the future of the
> Internet. ISOC should poll is membership on the document and ask it to
> evaluate the WGIG proposals. Staff would compile statistics and
> comments. The results would then become an official
> ISOC position. 

> Ideally, this would allow ISOC to have clear, unambiguous, and
> forward-looking positions in time for the next PrepCom and the Summit in
> Tunisia at the end of the year. I am well aware that the end results of
> this poll  may not please everyone, but this is the rule of the game. As
> Churchill once stated: " democracy is the worst form of government
> except for all the others".

> Best regards,

> Patrick Vande Walle