[Chapter-delegates] Issues facing Chapters

[Vint Cerf]

these are very constructive observations! I hope we can act on them.

vint


On Wed, May 21, 2014 at 6:48 PM, Evan Leibovitch <evan at telly.org> wrote:

> Hello all.
>
> A few comments, not in any particular order:
>
>    1. ISOC Global, whether it is aware or not, has a tremendous pool of
>    untapped knowledge and presence that could be of immense value to chapters.
>    To take just one example, ISOC has a presence at just about every major
>    Internet Governance event (ITU, ICANN, IGF, etc etc). As a participant it
>    is aware of who is at these meetings representing governments, businesses
>    and civil society. Such intelligence can be easily assembled into a
>    database that is usable by chapters at the local level so they know, at
>    very least, who is supposedly representing their local community's
>    interests at the international level. At very least ISOC can provide such
>    local intelligence to each chapter; ideally, they could be helping to
>    introduce their chapters to their representatives.
>
>
>    2. A similar form of intelligence can be useful for sponsorships.
>    While ISOC has relationships with many multinationals as organizational
>    members, it is in the interests of both these members and the chapters to
>    have positive relationships between chapters and these orgs' local offices.
>    Even in (maybe especially in!) countries that don't have a specific
>    presence by the multinational, a relationship with local chapters can be
>    mutually beneficial. It is in the common interest of ISOC Global and its
>    chapters to develop a strategy to engage organizational members (and to
>    extend this into a corporate outreach strategy that may appeal to potential
>    organizational members who need more convincing.)
>
>    Now that ISOC Global is no longer competing with chapters for funding,
>    we have some really good opportunities to create "sponsorship pools" into
>    which multinationals can contribute, that is distributed to chapters and
>    split based on a formula TBD. Such initiative suggests both innovation, and
>    reflects the kind of corporate cultural evolution that ISOC needs to show
>    the world.
>
>
>    3. Far, far, FAR more needs to be done on the policy side, notably in
>    explaining complex Internet issues in simple terms in multiple languages. I
>    would go as far as to say that, in my personal bias, public policy
>    education is the one area in which ISOC is most badly needed by the world,
>    and where it is doing the least. Making Internet technology issues
>    understandable and localized is IMO one of the primary tasks of a chapter.
>    ISOC Global cannot possibly do this alone. But also the Chapters need the
>    support of Global policy staff, as well as a more full commitment to
>    bottom-up policy development as the issues are better understood at the
>    bottom.
>
>    There is much to be learned (and inspired) from the Deploy 360
>    approach which I consider one of ISOC's successes; but that program is not
>    targeted at the public and cannot simply be tuned in that direction.
>
>
>    4. I believe that the annual grant to chapters should not necessarily
>    be earmarked for events, and should be allowed to be used for general
>    outreach, education and operational costs. I would also tie the annual
>    amount to ISOC general revenue, increasing if it rises and falling if it
>    drops. Share the benefit, share the pain. Common interest.
>
>    Having said that, I do not believe that ISOC Global has an obligation
>    to fund chapter staff; nevertheless, there are innovative approaches (such
>    as the "sponsor pool" mentioned above) that ISOC can implement to increase
>    Chapters' ability to attract extra revenues (as well as its own).
>
>
>    5. Regarding media engagement: as ISOC staff know, this is a personal
>    passion of mine as well as my traditional career bent. I have made some
>    proposals on this subject, including one that constituted an unsuccessful
>    community grant application last year. I am continuing to engage staff on
>    this issue and have given it substantial ongoing analysis. ISOC ought to be
>    viewed as the definitive authority on end-user interests in the Internet in
>    every locality in which it has a presence either directly or through a
>    Chapter; IMO a successful media strategy demands that as an objective. I
>    would add that this is not a rich-country/poor-country issue; ISOC's
>    presence in the IT mainstream *everywhere* is far from optimal.
>
>    As one hint: I am an enthusiastic backer of the "Internet Strong"
>    campaign theme and believe that both ISOC Global and ISOC Chapters can and
>    should do far more to leverage this into a global, decentralized media
>    strategy. As a start, I suggest a Working Group that includes media-minded
>    Chapter members and ISOC's own media staff.
>
>
> --
> Evan Leibovitch
> Toronto Canada
>
> Em: evan at telly dot org
> Sk: evanleibovitch
> Tw: el56
>
>
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