[Chapter-delegates] Funding and a modest proposal for chapters and events

[Veni Markovski]

+1 on this one, too.
This has been the toughest questions of all - and so far I have not seen 
any way to make it happen. Chapters simply cannot influence on policy, 
as they are minority on the Board. If the current Board is willing to 
listen to the chapters, and take not only "for consideration", but to 
implement some of the suggestions that chapter make, that will be a real 
breakthrough.

However, I'd like to point to the fact that it's been three months since 
the end of the WCIT, which caused major disturbance in the Internet, and 
we have not started (or at least it is not seen) the execution of a 
strategy to work with our eyes on the ITU Plenipot 2014. That should 
keep us all awake at night.


V.

On 03/18/2013 22:40, Carlos Vera Quintana wrote:
> Another +1 how can we influence on this?
>
> Carlos
>
> El 18/03/2013, a las 20:30, Ernesto cruz <ernesto at onelinkpr.net 
> <mailto:ernesto at onelinkpr.net>> escribió:
>
>> Well said... +1
>>
>> Ernesto Cruz
>> ISOC Puerto Rico
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Mar 15, 2013, at 1:18 AM, Dave Burstein <daveb at dslprime.com 
>> <mailto:daveb at dslprime.com>> wrote:
>>
>>> Folks
>>>
>>>     What would happen if ISOC shifted 10% of its current budget to 
>>> low cost local initiatives (as suggested) and modest transportation 
>>> reimbursements to members for international events?
>>>
>>>     I bet the result would be far more bang for the buck than the 
>>> same money spent on staff  and the current travel expenses.  Think 
>>> how much the chapters could achieve with a few hundred thousand, 
>>> much less 10% of the $30M ISOC budget.
>>>
>>>     Currently, ISOC is spending several million dollars each year 
>>> supporting the chapters. It's in the budget as "internal 
>>> communications" and dozens of other titles, as well as those 
>>> specifically assigned to regional/chapter work. Folks like Paul 
>>> Brigner and Sally Wentworth are knocking themselves out to help the 
>>> chapters. This isn't a criticism of their efforts.
>>>
>>>     The current system has a place, but is brutally expensive. It 
>>> appears a few hundred people are "active volunteers" in ISOC, 
>>> although overall events pull more. That means we're currently 
>>> spending several thousand per active volunteer. I think if some of 
>>> that centrally spent money went directly to chapter expenses, the 
>>> results could be extraordinary.
>>>
>>>      How can we make this happen? One possibility is not to hire for 
>>> the senior economics advocate currently listed as an open job, which 
>>> is budgeted at several hundred thousand dollars. There is no 
>>> shortage of economic analysis from ISOC's allies in policy and one 
>>> more economist will add little to the discussion.
>>>
>>>     Think how much more that money could do build the chapters and 
>>> the direct international work of ISOC members.
>>>
>>>     Let's find a way.
>>>
>>> Dave Burstein
>>>

-- 

Best,
Veni Markovski
http://www.veni.com
https://www.facebook.com/venimarkovski
https://twitter.com/veni

The opinions expressed above are those of the
author, not of any organizations, associated
with or related to him in any given way.

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