[Chapter-delegates] Issues facing Chapters

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Nabil Bukhalid

President

ISOC Lebanon

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From: Chapter-delegates [mailto:chapter-delegates-bounces at elists.isoc.org] On Behalf Of Evan Leibovitch
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2014 1:49 AM
To: Rudi Vansnick
Cc: Delegates Chapter Delegates
Subject: Re: [Chapter-delegates] Issues facing Chapters

 

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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