[Chapter-delegates] Recent Correspondence from the Cambodian Chapter

[Winthrop Yu]

On 9/30/2013 5:49 AM, Grigori Saghyan wrote:
> ...
> If Chapters are branches, ISOC have to pay to keep this branches,
> because there is no any organization with branches, where branches
> are self-financed. In case, if this branches are self-financed,
> they do not need any HQ.
>
   Yes, this is an important point, but we view it somewhat differently.
The voting record of the Philippines is likewise clear.  Much effort went into 
that, ISOC-PH is currently heavily engaged in renewed national debates that will 
build-up in the months to come.

   The point is this -- if we engaged with government and other local 
stakeholders simply as a branch or satellite office of a foreign-based 
organization, the likely response would be -- "Thank you for your 
(international) organization's opinion, send us a position paper and we will 
take it into consideration."  Then the dialogue and engagement ends there. 
Instead, when ISOC-PH comes to the (local) table, we say -- "We are Filipinos 
too, and wish to articulate and convey (some of) the views and concerns of the 
Philippine Internet community."  The resulting continuing engagement is more 
effective.

WYn

P.S.  Yes, we do have the same administrative and financial issues as many other 
chapters.  We are also caught in situations where a handful of individual 
volunteers have to cover too many issues on multiple fronts.  But we are also 
wary of the convenience (expediency?) of direct financial support and how such 
funding may affect the perception of ISOC-PH *locally*.