[Chapter-delegates] Application to form a Chapter in Yemen
Edwin A. Opare
aeopare at gmail.com
Sat Jul 27 00:37:35 PDT 2013
There is already an ISOC Chapter in Sudan.
Best,
Edwin
On Sat, Jul 27, 2013 at 6:54 AM, Dr. Suhaidi B Hassan <suhaidi at uum.edu.my>wrote:
> Dear Hanna, Sabrina,
>
> During my trip to Khartoum, Sudan recently, I have also seen growing
> interest on forming an ISOC chapter there. But I wonder if Sudanese
> colleagues are allowed to form a chapter there since the country is on the
> US list of embargoed countries.
>
> Regards,
>
>
> ****************************************************************************
> Suhaidi Hassan PhD SMIEEE
> Professor and Chair
> InterNetWorks Research Laboratory
> School of Computing, Universiti Utara Malaysia
> 06010 UUM Sintok, M A L A Y S I A
> W: http://www.internetworks.my; T: +604 928 6040; F: +604 928 4753
>
> ****************************************************************************
>
>
> On 27 Jul, 2013, at 1:02 AM, Hanna Kreitem <hannaq at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Dear Sabrina,
> Thank you for the update, and best of luck to the Yemen chapter, they seem
> to be eager and willing to work on Internet issues in Yemen, which can lead
> as a sample for other similar countries. Kindly pass a note to them that I
> am willing to provide all the help possible, and I am sure the rest of the
> community is willing to as well.
>
> Regards,
> Hanna.
> On 26 Jul 2013 18:20, "Sabrina Wilmot" <wilmot at isoc.org> wrote:
>
>> Dear Hanna, dear Joly,
>>
>> Thanks again for your questions regarding this application. Please find
>> below the information as provided by the founding members of this Chapter:
>>
>> […]
>> 1) Concerning the geographical representation of founding
>> members:
>>
>> We have strived to spread the word and contact all people we know as
>> potential founding members and succeeded in getting representatives from 6
>> other provinces apart from Sana’a. The core group is in Sana’a is basically
>> due to the fact that it is the capital city and has over 80% of the
>> activities, initiatives, and working ground for Internet-related
>> activities. There are other big cities like Aden and Taiz, and many of the
>> members –including myself- are originally from those provinces and have
>> good contacts there. However, Internet services are very limited in most
>> other cities and in some regions, there is barely any internet connectivity
>> due to extremely poor infrastructure.
>>
>> Through the social network group on Facebook and by using the resources
>> and capabilities with founding members, we sought potential members through
>> their own connections. We have attempted to reach out to potential founding
>> members from other provinces but we found very few people that were aware
>> of ISOC and some were not even well acquainted with the Internet at large.
>>
>> For a country with such a low penetration like Yemen, it would be best to
>> use traditional media and other means to introduce ISOC and invite
>> potential members to join but this would not be possible until we get the
>> actual license.
>>
>> We have devised a plan to create the ground for expanding to target less
>> connected provinces and regions that need support to improve Internet
>> connectivity. We believe that it is important to take the first step
>> starting from Sana’a and adding more members from other regions as we grow
>> because the initiative is indeed a national one and covers the whole
>> country.
>>
>> To achieve greater geographical representation, we have the following
>> plans in place:
>>
>> a. Upon the launch of ISOC-Yemen, we plan to launch an official
>> gathering in Sana’a with all founding members present and media invited to
>> cover the event. There we will send press releases to as many parties
>> possible so as to inform residents in various provinces about the
>> initiative and invite members to join.
>> b. Among our projects is to hold regional activities and meetings to
>> introduce ISOC-Yemen and let people sign up on the spot and inform them of
>> the benefits of joining and how together we could work to achieve its goals
>> c. Apart from those meetings, member recruitment activities will
>> include:
>> - visiting colleges, schools, and giving presentations;
>> - publishing announcements and news items in the media (print,
>> radio) inviting members to apply
>> - using various projects (workshops, conferences, etc.) as a means
>> to recruit new members
>>
>> In essence, we are eager to have ISOC-Yemen be inclusive and have
>> representatives across Yemen but find that starting with this group of
>> founding members will be a good start, especially as it is now high time to
>> form such an entity given the rapid growth of Internet usage.
>>
>>
>>
>> 2) Opportunities for funding ISOC-Yemen and creating
>> sustainable income
>>
>> We certainly have a plan for the first year to find sources of funding
>> and means of sustaining our operations and implement our projects. There
>> are several avenues that we see most fitting to achieve that:
>>
>> 1) We have agreed on having membership fees of YR 2,000 ($10) per month
>> per member. We will be giving a discount 50% to students so they could
>> afford joining. With over 30 committed members from the start, this would
>> constitute $300 per month, which is good enough to pay for the rent of a
>> small apartment and as we get more members, we will be able to cover other
>> expenses such as accessories, furniture, printing material, etc.
>> 2) We have good connections with several national agencies that support
>> such initiatives. Among them is the Social Development Fund, which could
>> provide capacity building funds to help furnish our apartment, buy
>> equipment, and cover costs of basic services such as Internet and power.
>> 3) We can use the resources of the founding members as means of
>> introducing ISOC-Yemen and creating visibility. Some founding members have
>> pledged to provide space on their prominent websites, provide office space,
>> and other available resources such as computers and other equipment
>> 4) Partners, businesses and international organizations will be
>> approached to help fund workshops and seminars related to Internet issues
>> and some of the budgets will be allocated for capacity building and
>> purchasing equipment and accessories that could be used for future
>> activities.
>> 5) Administrative fees to be paid to ISOC-Yemen for running projects
>> (trainings, field work, researching Internet-related subjects, etc.) will
>> be an added source of income to sustain ISOC-Yemen and help it be
>> productive and creative.
>> 6) ISOC-Yemen Chapter takes into consideration that all its projects
>> should have an element of sustainability in its activities. This is
>> achieved by making the training programs, researches, and other consultancy
>> services paid by the candidates and beneficiaries seeking admission in it.
>> This sector of Chapter generates income that covers some of the running
>> costs of Chapter.
>>
>> In essence, we feel confident that the financial aspect of ISOC-Yemen
>> will be safe and sustainability will not be an issue provided that the
>> commitments shown by founding members and partners will be kept and because
>> the whole country is really witnessing a booming Internet-driven period
>> with many good and positive prospects for success.
>>
>> […]
>>
>>
>> Kind regards,
>> Sabrina Wilmot
>> Internet Society
>>
>>
>> On 22 Jul 2013, at 09:15, Hanna Kreitem wrote:
>>
>> > Dear Sabrina,
>> >
>> > I happen to know one of the founding members, Ahmed AlMarwani, we have
>> volunteered together at Arab Digital Expression Camps, summer camps that
>> expose Arab youth to freedom of expression, use of technology in
>> expression, and open culture. He was a dedicated person with interest in
>> human rights and freedom of expression.
>> >
>> > I have a comment on the application regarding funding, there doesn't
>> seem to be a clear plan on how will they fund their activities, is this
>> required with the application?
>> >
>> > Regards,
>> > Hanna.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On Fri, Jul 19, 2013 at 5:49 PM, Joly MacFie <joly at punkcast.com> wrote:
>> > Hi Sabrina,
>> >
>> > I have in fact spent an extended period of my youth in Yemen, in Aden.
>> A time I remember fondly.
>> >
>> > I notice that all the founding members are based in Sana'a. I wonder if
>> there could be some representation from Aden, or whether there might be a
>> possibility for a separate or sub chapter to later be established there.
>> >
>> > joly
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On Fri, Jul 19, 2013 at 8:42 AM, Sabrina Wilmot <wilmot at isoc.org>
>> wrote:
>> > Dear Colleagues,
>> >
>> > The following application for a Chapter in Yemen has been received. It
>> is being sent to this list for peer comment and review.
>> > Please note that the Chapter is not yet formed and has not officially
>> been recognised by the Internet Society.
>> > If there are people on this list that know the individuals proposing to
>> establish the Chapter, feedback is especially welcome.
>> > The period allowed for comments is two weeks and the deadline is 3
>> August 2013.
>> >
>> > Please do not hesitate to contact me on or off list.
>> >
>> > Thanks,
>> > Sabrina Wilmot
>> > Manager, Chapter Formation
>> > Internet Society
>> >
>> > -------------------------------
>> >
>> > A. Proposed name of the Chapter
>> > ISOC Yemen Chapter (short for Internet Society Yemen Chapter)
>> >
>> >
>> > B. Community of Interest the Chapter will serve
>> > Anyone in Yemen as well Yemeni expatriates abroad could become part of
>> the community of interest.
>> >
>> >
>> > C. Purpose and scope of Chapter
>> > The chapter will be serving the interests of the Internet users by
>> pursuing the following key areas within the boundaries of Yemen as its
>> scope:
>> > • Raising awareness among the public about the benefits of using
>> the Internet and good practices that would minimize security and other
>> risks to end users as well as promoting the efficient consumption of
>> bandwidth.
>> > • Encouraging websites to implement new services (applies to
>> governmental, commerce, educational, cultural and other service-oriented
>> websites) and hold contests to recognized distinguished websites.
>> > • Promoting technical solutions to obstacles preventing effective
>> use of the Internet such as slow speed, malware, etc.
>> > • Providing opportunities for training, education, networking and
>> knowledge sharing.
>> > • Cooperating and partnering with entities from the government,
>> civil society, private sector, international community and others to
>> promote the free and effective use to the Internet for the benefit of the
>> society.
>> > • Promoting a stronger and more robust infrastructure that could
>> allow remote areas to gain access to the Internet in an easy and affordable
>> manner.
>> > • Promoting reforms and measures to grant allow the private
>> sector to operate facilities, protocols and standards including but not
>> limited to IXPs, DNSSec, IPV6, that promote healthy competition to provide
>> better services to the public.
>> > • Supporting governmental efforts to establish e-government
>> projects to provide citizens with easier access to various public services.
>> > • Participating in decision-making processes on all levels that
>> involve Internet services so as to promote the interests of Internet users.
>> > • Expanding the use of the Internet by lowering costs, enhancing
>> quality of service, and providing a greater array of possibilities.
>> > • Advocating freedom of expression online and opposing oppressive
>> practices that could limit such freedom
>> > • Building the capacity of ISOC Yemen members in internet
>> governance issues, and keep them informed about national, regional and
>> international internet affairs.
>> > • Supporting the development of local content on the web.
>> > • Promoting the growth and evolution of the Internet architecture
>> .
>> > • Initiating and supporting educational and research projects
>> related to the Internet.
>> > • Collection and dissemination of information related to the
>> Internet, including histories and archives.
>> > • Contributing to the localization and building cultural bridges
>> between Yemen and other nations using the Internet.
>> >
>> >
>> > D. Outline of key priorities for the first year of Chapter
>> > For the first year after inauguration, the focus will be on the
>> following areas and the given timelines:
>> > Key priorities for the first quarter (months 1->3):
>> > 1- Creating a not-for-profit entity to represent ISOC Yemen
>> Chapter and give it the required official status and recognition to receive
>> tax-exempted funds to carry out its various activities. This includes
>> renting an apartment, printing letterheads, creating a stamp, printing
>> leaflets and other material necessary to introduce the event.
>> > 2- Forming the Standing Committees that will execute the plan set
>> up for the first year.
>> > 3- Creating a PR campaign about ISOC Yemen Chapter.
>> > 4- Preparing and organizing a conference introducing the chapter
>> under the theme ‘Internet in Yemen: Challenges and Prospects’
>> > 5- Networking and visiting potential partners and supporters as
>> well as future funders and member organizations that will be helpful in
>> supporting the chapter’s future activities.
>> > Key priorities for the rest of the year (3-12):
>> > 1- (months 3-12): Developing a series of workshops in areas
>> related to:
>> > a. Cyber security (best practices in dealing with malware,
>> hacking, DDoS, pirated software. etc.)
>> > b. Internet for beginners (workshops for those who have
>> just started using the Internet and need guidance)
>> > c. Internet for intermediaries (providing tools and tips
>> on using social networking, firewalls, online storage)
>> > d. Website development (basic training in purchasing a
>> hosting plan and starting a small-scale CMS- based website
>> > 2- (months 6-12) Holding meetings with government officials on the
>> needs and aspirations of Internet users so as to address issues related to
>> cost, speed, reliability, infrastructure, etc.
>> > 3- (months 6-12) Launching media campaigns to raise awareness
>> about Internet use as well as visiting educational institutes such as
>> schools and universities and give lectures on the importance of Internet
>> accessibility.
>> > 4- (months 6-9) Writing proposals for projects that call for
>> establishing e-government services in some sectors of the government (we
>> shall start with small-scale operations and move to bigger ones in the next
>> years)
>> > 5- (months 9-12) Preparing for the annual summit and preparing
>> with surveys and questionnaires to be sent to members to set up the agenda
>> of the meeting and potential projects to be carried out in the next years
>> towards achieving the goals of the chapter.
>> >
>> >
>> > E. Founding members of the Chapter
>> > Below is the full list of the 31 founding members of ISOC Yemen
>> Chapter. A meeting took place on July 3, 2013 with many of those founding
>> members and the plan, bylaws, resources, etc. were all agreed upon and it
>> was also agreed that it was time to submit the application to ISOC for
>> consideration. The list includes their names, affiliations and contact
>> information as well as the username they used to register as individual
>> members at Internet Society’s website.
>> >
>> > Full Name, Affiliation & Location:
>> > Abdellah Fayea, Engineer, Tafeel for IT Co. Ltd. - Sana’a
>> > Abdulsalam Arif, Student, U. of Science & Technology - Sana’a
>> > Abrahim Alahdal, IT Engineer, Yemen Net - Sana’a
>> > Adli Al-Kharasani, Trainer and activist (Sana’a)
>> > Ahmed Alashawl, Web Programmer, Yemen-Hosting - Sana’a
>> > Ahmed Almarwani, Logistics Assistant, WFP, Hodeidah
>> > Ahmed Abdulsattar, Computer Engineer - Aden
>> > Aiman Al-Wasai, System Analyst, Ibda'a Soft - Sana’a
>> > Akram AlMulsi, Marketing Manager, Yemen Net - Sana’a
>> > Ala’a Assamawy, Lecturer, Sana’a Community College – Sana’a
>> > Ameen Algithi, Freelancing network engineer - Sana’a
>> > Ammar Alareefi, Sana’a University Student - Sana’a
>> > Amr Sattar, Network Assistant, Orient House - Sana’a
>> > Aws Aleryani, General Manager, Design Group - Sana’a
>> > Ebraheem Al-Moayed, TEDxSanaa Volunteer - Sana’a
>> > Hizam Alahdal, IT Engineer, Ministry of Telecom. Sana’a
>> > Ibtihal Muharram, Billing Support Engineer – Y Telecom - Sana’a
>> > Madiha Kamal, Management Assistant & PR officer, AlKurby Co for Oil
>> Services - Sana’a
>> > Mishaal Thabit, Security Engineer, Y. Telecom., Sana’a
>> > Mohamed Abdulmalek, YouTube clip presenter and producer (Coosh Malek),
>> Sana’a
>> > Mona Alhadadi, Radio anchor on Yemen FM - Sana’a
>> > Mulk Khaleel, Software engineer, Yemen Soft - Sana’a
>> > Nagib Abse, Executive Manager, Socotra Holidays - Socotra
>> > Osama Mostafa, Software developer, WHO - Sana’a
>> > Sami Qhtani, Trainer, General Telecom. Institute - Hodeidah
>> > Waleed Saleh, Charging Engineer, Y Telecom - Sana’a
>> > Walid Al-Saqaf, University Lecturer & Software Developer (Sana’a, Yemen
>> and Orebro, Sweden)
>> > Yusri Alathwari, CEO of Warzan E-Marketing - Sana’a
>> > Zakaria Alaya, Freelance designer and photographer - Sana’a
>> > Zakaria AlKainai, Software Developer - Sana’a
>> > Mohammed Rashed Al-Dhaifi, Head of System and Hosting Department - ,
>> Yemen Net - Sana’a
>> >
>> >
>> > F. List of supporters and partner organizations
>> > Below is a list of organizations and bodies will believe will be
>> supporting or partnering with our chapter. We have established preliminary
>> contacts with those organizations and have received encouraging statements
>> of support from key staff members once ISOC Yemen Chapter is launched.
>> > - Corporate
>> > • YemenNet – Official Internet Service Provider for Yemen
>> (Run by Ministry of Telecommunication)
>> > • TeleYemen – Registrar of .ye domains and international
>> carrier
>> > - Educational
>> > • Computer Science Department – Sana’a University
>> > • General Telecommunication Institute
>> > • Darassalam International University
>> > • University of Modern Sciences
>> > • Limkokwing University (Yemen).
>> > - Private Sector
>> > • Sahafa.net – Yemen’s most widely viewed website (news
>> aggregator)
>> > • Warazan – An e-marketing and e-commerce portal
>> > • Design Group – For website design and development
>> > • Yemen Sat – VSAT Service provider for Yemen
>> > - Civil Society
>> > • Lawyers Syndicate – advocating for Internet access as
>> one of its main points of their concern
>> > • Teachers Syndicate – advocating for Internet access to
>> schools including staff and students
>> > • Labor Union – advocating for reducing cost of access to
>> laborers
>> > • International organizations (there are several
>> international organizations and bodies that will be approached for support
>> including UNDP, Oxfam, Mercy Corp) for support in projects that involve
>> using the Internet for development
>> > • Democracy School in Yemen – advocating promoting
>> democracy by expanding access to the Internet to all sectors of the Yemeni
>> population
>> > • Yemeni Women Union – advocating for gender equality in
>> access to the Internet
>> > • Youth Leadership Development foundation (YLDF) for
>> support in projects that involve using the Internet for development, also
>> advocating for gender equality in access to the internet.
>> > • Yemeni Association for IT (yait.org)
>> >
>> >
>> > G. Membership
>> > Members will be invited to join through a number of methods including
>> the following:
>> > - Social networking: A Facebook page will be created to invite
>> members and ask them to join by indicating the benefits and dues to join
>> > - Media coverage: Some of the founding members have good
>> connections to the media and they will be producing news reports and press
>> releases about the chapter and will use the media to invite members to join
>> and support the chapter.
>> > - The conference to kick start the activities of ISOC Yemen
>> Chapter will be a great opportunity to introduce the chapter to potential
>> members and call upon attendees to sign up for membership on the spot and
>> introduce them to the Internet Society as well as ISOC Yemen Chapter.
>> > - Various training activities that will involve non-members will
>> be used to attract members and explain to them the advantage of joining
>> > - Students will be approached via university and high school
>> visits and banners as well as other similar activities to invite them to
>> join, indicating the 50% discount for full-time students.
>> > - There will also be other creative methods to get members to
>> join and those will be developed and encouraged as time progresses.
>> >
>> >
>> > H. List of requirements
>> > The requirements to form a not-for-profit organization includes having
>> all the required documents (application, bylaws, etc.) plus a fee and a
>> bank deposit of around $5,000 (YR 1 million). There is also an annual
>> renewal fee of less than $100. The founding members of ISOC Yemen Chapter
>> would also be the founding members of the organization.
>> >
>> >
>> > I. Additional information
>> > Yemen is among the countries that are well below the world average in
>> terms of Internet penetration and quality of service. The Web Index 2012
>> showed Yemen on the bottom of all surveyed countries, reflecting an urgent
>> need to help improve Internet services and expand access to the whole
>> population. The poor infrastructure, stringent regulations, slow speed, low
>> bandwidth, low awareness, service monopoly, and high costs are some of the
>> obstacles keeping the Internet from growing and prospering in the country.
>> Although there were a few ad-hoc events and appeals to address those severe
>> problems, there was really no institutional effort to do so and we feel
>> that ISOC Yemen Chapter could be the real start of such an effort.
>> > Our efforts will focus primarily on making the Internet used more
>> effectively to serve development and progress and to make it more
>> accessible, free and of high quality by pursuing the goals set forth in the
>> application and bylaws. Luckily, Yemen has a large youth population that is
>> increasingly interested in using the Internet for various purposes such as
>> education, career advancement, work, etc. and hence, ISOC Yemen Chapter
>> comes at a very good time to help bring the Internet to its true potential
>> for Yemen’s development.
>> >
>> >
>> > J. Your contact information >
>> > Name: Walid Al-Saqaf
>> > Affiliation: Director/Founder, Alkasir (alkasir.com) - Lecturer,
>> Orebro University
>> > Yemen
>> >
>> > ----------------------
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
>> > to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
>> > Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > ---------------------------------------------------------------
>> > Joly MacFie 218 565 9365 Skype:punkcast
>> > WWWhatsup NYC - http://wwwhatsup.com
>> > http://pinstand.com - http://punkcast.com
>> > VP (Admin) - ISOC-NY - http://isoc-ny.org
>> > --------------------------------------------------------------
>> > -
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
>> > to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
>> > Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
> As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
> Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
>
>
>
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