[Chapter-delegates] How the relation between ISOC and its chapters should be?

[Franck Martin]

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Hi all,

We have two months to come with some resolutions for the next ISOC
board meeting.

As you may know I prepared with Rosa, Veni and Patrick a paper to do a
review of chapters, you can find this paper there:
http://www.isoc.org/isoc/general/trustees/public-agenda-jun-06.shtml

You can also read my comments on the board meeting there:
http://www.peachymango.org/tiki-view_blog.php?blogId=2

I think the minutes of this board meeting will be public soon, and as
most of you are coming back from the july/august holiday period, it is
the right time to start some work...

Now that ISOC HQ is stronger financially and that staff positions will
all be filled in the near future it is time for us to answer this
question: how do we want the relationship between ISOC and its
chapters to be.

I think ISOC staff, is currently going around calling chapters to get
an idea of which chapter is active in its own constituency and why we
never heard from some. What is needed to help those chapters, or
should we simply remove them? What should be the procedures?

As an example, it has been several years that only 50% or so of
chapters are voting to elect a trustee on the board. A lot of websites
are not active and not everybody contribute to the monthly ISOC
newletter. On the other hand ISOC HQ has not been too active to reach
out with the chapters, as an example there is mention of only one
chapter activity in the 2005 annual report, while I know many chapters
that have organised major events.

We have also some policies issues to sort out. How do we syncronise
our policies? How do we ensure the work of Chapters contribute to ISOC
HQ policy setting? We have chapters in developping countries, in
countries which are coming out of conflicts, or are in one. We have
chapters in countries where freedom of speech is not something which
is common. We have chapters in countries where the local policies
affect all of us on the Internet.

We have some membership issues also to sort out. Who is member of
what? chapter or global member? Who collect the fees? Can an
organisational members contribute to both ISOC HQ and chapters?

Well, this is the right time for some *constructive* comments.

I propose, that for a little while we discuss a little bit everything
there, then I will try to summarise and find some volunteers to
prepare a paper for the next ISOC board meeting (or the following
ones). On this subject shall we have a chapter advisory committee as
it exists for Organisations?

Don't forget also that we will need to engage all the stakeholders in
this discussion: IETF, organisations, individuals,... Which will lead
us to some more answer on chapter relations with these other members
of ISOC.

Your input is needed!

Cheers

Some terminology here
ISOC: The whole of ISOC
ISOC Chapter: an ISOC chapter
ISOC HQ: The staff working for ISOC
ISOC Organisation: an organisational member
ISOC Board
IETF: The whole of IETF, which is funded by ISOC (IETF/IAB/IASA/..)
...

- --
Franck Martin
ICT Specialist
franck at sopac.org
SOPAC, Fiji
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"Toute connaissance est une reponse a une question" G.Bachelard
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