[Chapter-delegates] Recent Correspondence from the Cambodian Chapter

[Dave Burstein]

Cambodian colleagues

   I'm a board member in New York and respect your decision but urge you to
keep working to resolve this. The board of ISOC is strongly committed to
working with chapters and directed staff to improve things. If that's
broken down here, as it seems, several board members are surely willing to
help. They are dedicated, committed people who make a point fo responding
to ISOC chapter members. I or a dozen others on this list can connect you
if that makes things easier.

   They are all strong and independent thinkers, most with a no b______
attitude.


Ted

   Thanks for addressing this; leaving it without response would have been
painful. This is a crisis for the goverance model of ISOC that needs to be
resolved at the highest level. As you saw from this list, a dozen other
chapters think this crucial to solve.

   But "The issue of the lack of direct financial transfers is currently
not among the solutions the Internet Society can offer" doesn't seem to the
point. Is there anything in the ISOC charter that makes this impossible? If
so, please point to it and people can bring it to the board.

   "Can" is the word you used. I'm guessing this actually is an
administrative decision made by the senior staff, who can, if they choose,
simply reverse the decision. Staff are constantly making financial
decisions an order of magnitude greater.  If staff feel they can't do this
without board approval, that's easy to obtain if it's important to ISOC. As
many of us know, most of the board members are very accessible and
dedicated to solving ISOC problems if necessary.

   "Should" ISOC provide the seed funding here, necessary to get the
chapter started on the path to independence is the real question. I'm sure
there's a lot more here than the presumably modest sum to share some office
space.  Likely, a shared or cheap office space that fits the legal
requirements can be obtained for less than the cost of sending one more
talking head to IGF Bali. Nothing wrong with IGF, but a slightly smaller
ISOC delegation isn't a fatal wound.

    *I don't know enough to decide whether ISOC should do more here* and
I'm sure there are major issues that haven't been discussed.

    So let's draw in Lynn, Walda or whomever else actually has the power to
make things happen and prevent a deep organizational problem.

db


On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 1:25 PM, Ted Mooney <mooney at isoc.org> wrote:

>  To all Chapter Delegates
>
>  ISOC Staff and, in particular, Membership and Services,  are saddened by
> the recent decision and communication from the Cambodian Chapter regarding
> their desire to dissociate from the Internet Society for administrative and
> other support concerns.  I believe, however, there has been an unfortunate
> miscommunication.  The Chapter Development and APAC staff  have reached out
> to the Cambodian Chapter on numerous occasions.  As many of you know, our
> Chapter Development team has worked with other chapters to help address
> issues nearly identical to what the Cambodian Chapter is experiencing.  Our
> offer of collaboration remains.
>
>  The issue of the lack of direct financial transfers is currently not
> among the solutions the Internet Society can offer.  There are,
> nevertheless many other avenues to address the administrative support of
> the Chapter, which are both local and long term.  Indeed Staff are working
> with Chapter volunteers and have convened a new Chapter Administrative
> Support Working Group to address this issue broadly.  We hope the Cambodian
> Chapter will reassess their position and re-engage with ISOC staff as soon
> as possible.  Our Chapter Development staff will reach out once again to
> the Cambodian Chapter officers.
>
>  Best regards,
>
>  Ted
>  Ted Mooney
> Senior Director, Membership & Services
> The Internet Society
> 1775 Wiehle Avenue
> Reston, VA 20190 USA
> Office: +1 703-439-2774
> Cell: +1 301-980-6446
> eMail: mooney at isoc.org
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
>



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