[Chapter-delegates] Recent Correspondence from the Cambodian Chapter

[Elver Loho]

Hi all,

I haven't kept up with this email list, but from what I can gather the
Cambodian Chapter wants to disassociate from ISOC due to lack of
direct financial support for the basic running and operation of the
Chapter.

I do not speak for my Chapter here, but personally I wholeheartedly
support this gesture. If this happens, then maybe, just maybe, ISOC
senior staff will start taking the issue of providing support for
Chapters around the world seriously.

Right now Chapters seem to exist more as a way for ISOC HQ to show
that they have support and members around the world. We're all
providing a sort of legitimacy for the people at the HQ. Do we get
something back for this? Sort of. I mean, maybe. To some degree.
Though here in Estonia very few people have heard of the Internet
Society while our own local language brand carries a lot of weight.
Your situation may be different.

Meanwhile we're battling with basic organizational issues, because we
can't even afford to keep up basic maintenance. At times we're even
unable to reply to government's requests for comments on pending
legislation, because we all have regular jobs or businesses to run.
This has to end. If what it takes is for one or more Chapters to
secede from the union, then so be it. If the Cambodian Chapter goes
through with this, I'm willing to put the question of secession up for
debate in our own Chapter.

I urge other Chapter leaders to consider the same.

Best,
Elver
.ee

elver.loho at gmail.com
+372 5661 6933
skype: elver.loho


On 25 September 2013 22:56, Dave Burstein <daveb at dslprime.com> wrote:
> 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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>
> _______________________________________________
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