[Chapter-delegates] Celebrating 15 years at the Internet Society

[sc.leung at isoc.hk]

Dear Lynn,

Thank you for your message. Thanks for your dedication to Internet
Society in the past days.

The Internet has come across many changes since it was invented. It has
become an indispensable part of everyone's life, a business tool, and an
engagement platform of many different interested parties. Unfortunately
it is also under more challenges of control, censorship and
fragmentation. As a chapter born in 2006, we have seen the importance of
the Internet Society in responding these changes. Please be around with
us to fight the tough battles.

Wish you a happy new year 2014!

Regards,
SC Leung
ISOC Hong Kong

於 1/1/2014 7:37, Lynn St.Amour 提到:
> Dear Members, Friends, and Colleagues,
>
> It doesn’t seem possible that 15 years have come and gone.  When I joined the Internet Society in 1998, the Internet reached less than 4% of the world’s population.  While much progress has been made and the Internet is now accessible to nearly a third of the world’s population, there is still a long way to go.
>
> While change has been a constant, the mission of the Internet Society remains just as relevant today.  Now more than ever, we need to strengthen our efforts to support the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet in order to ensure its benefits extend to all mankind. 
>
> When the Internet Society was first started, it was created to ”… facilitate the technical evolution of the Internet, specifically to be the institutional home to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF); to educate and advocate on behalf of the Internet; and to foster collaboration among organizations in their operation and use of the Internet.”  During my time at the helm of the Society, I am proud that we were able to realize and significantly impact these early goals, especially while keeping true to our principles; all as a result of the hard work and relentless dedication of so many people across the globe.
>
> Supporting the IETF has always been a priority, and over the years our relationship has expanded and grown - quite significantly – reflecting the IETF’s continuing importance.  The IETF has been central to virtually everything we do online today, and open standards continue to be critical to the Internet’s development.
>
> In 2003, the Internet Society won the bid to operate the .ORG registry and subsequently established an independent “Supporting Organization” named Public Interest Registry (PIR), to carry out that responsibility in line with the Internet Society’s principles.  This marked a turning point in our history, and gave us the sound financial footing to more fully address our Mission. 
>
> Specifically, ISOC was able to expand our physical presence across the globe through increased support for chapters and members, as well as the establishment of regional bureaus.   Through this deepened engagement we significantly increased our impact – locally and globally.  Today, we collaborate with our 100 Chapters, 60,000 Members, 152 Organization Members, partners within the Internet Ecosystem, Civil Society, Business Community, and with many International and regional intergovernmental organizations, such as APEC, ATU, CITEL, EC, ECOSOC, ITU, OECD, and UNECA, to name a few.
>
> We built our own strategic technical capability and increased our efforts in the area of development, and these programs continue to be some of the most impactful.  Finally, we built up a very well-respected Policy expertise tackling many critical issues across the world – inter alia net neutrality, intellectual property, human rights, security, and of course, Internet Governance.
>
> What I will most vividly recall and cherish from my time at the Internet Society are the smart, passionate, creative, and dedicated people I’ve had the privilege to meet and work alongside.   Together, we are doing no less than building a new world fully enabled by the Internet.   We are fortunate to have world class Staff, Members, and Chapters, all very dedicated to our Mission; and have been very well guided over the years by successive Board of Trustees.
>
> While the Internet continues to face new challenges, the Internet Society is well positioned in an essential role as a powerful advocate for an open, global Internet.  I am confident that with Kathy Brown’s leadership and the great collaboration across our global network, the Internet Society will make an even greater impact in the days and years ahead.
>
> In closing, I would like to convey my heartfelt appreciation to the Internet Society Members, Chapters, Staff, and Board of Trustees, for their immeasurable commitment and contributions, as well as to the Board and staff at the Public Interest Registry (PIR), and the work of our colleagues in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), and the Internet Research Task Force (IRTF).   It has truly been a joy and a privilege to work with all of you.
>
> I will continue to aid in the transition through the month of January and remain at the Society’s disposal for any and all matters.    Thank you all for your support over the years.  I am deeply grateful, and sincerely hope that our paths cross in the future.
>
> Wishing all of you and your loved ones the very best for 2014 and the years to come.
>
> Lynn St.Amour
> President & CEO, Internet Society
>
> PS. I am reachable ex-ISOC at:  Lynn at LStAmour.org
>
>
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