[Chapter-delegates] Application to form the Internet Society Chapter on Internet of Food

Wed Apr 8 06:23:51 PDT 2015

Evan

Thanks for you’re further elaboration on our conversation. To be clear, when I first suggested that Chapter status was not really appropriate within the structure of ISOC because Chapters’ strength and purpose lies in their combination of the local (representing the needs of their community and being an advocate for the Internet there) and their participation in the international Internet community through ISOC and collaboration with each other, I was working off Evan’s ideas.  So I would like to thank Evan fir that and for his further elaboration below.

Personally I find the SIG concept very attractive — in part because it would allow for the development by those most interested in projects and concepts that would be made available to Chapters for their use locally and collaboration on an international basis.

Thanks also to the contributions of others on this thread.

John More

> On Apr 3, 2015, at 3:44 PM, Evan Leibovitch <evan at telly.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all. Forgive my lateness in participating, I've been somewhat ... distracted ... this month.
> 
> But this topic is of significant interest to me.
> 
> Sometime back, when working on the Chapter Advisory Council charter, John More and I already had quite the extensive discussion on this topic. Being rather newish to ISOC, I was inquiring about the origins of the Interplanetary Networking and Special Needs Chapters. They seemed, to me, incongruous with the general nature of Chapters which are geographically based. While one could have an affinity, interest, or even passion for other locations, one (generally) was located in realm of a single geographically based chapter. In other bodies in which I have participated, there has been the dual concept of geographical groups (often called Chapters or Locals) and subject-based groupings (which in many instances are known as Special Interest Groups (or SIGs). (Within ICANN At-Large, the equivalents of the geographical and subject groupings are RALOs and Working Groups respectively.)
> 
> There are often significant structural differences between Chapters and SIGs:
> Chapters are intended to be very culturally-specific, tuned to the mores, languages and institutions of the local environment except for interactions with other Chapters (and in our case with ISOC Central). They are focused to communicate with the local public and (when applicable) advocate the group's interest within local political structures.
> 
> SIGs, on the other hand, are global in nature (to the extent generally reflected by its membership). They tend to standardize on a single language (usually English, for better or worse) for their communications, however the commonly embed the topic-specific jargon that might be just as strange to an outsider as a foreign language. Focused on specific interest, each SIG provides a global forum and tends to focus on research and education rather than political advocacy.
> 
> When Chapters and SIGs are at their best working together, the SIGs develop policy and education on topics of global interest which are then localised and communicated (to the public, Internet community, policy makers, etc as required) using locally-relevant language and methods. Meanwhile, Chapters use local events and topical issues to help increase SIG membership (which often helps then grow themselves too).
> So in this sense I think of Chapters as vertical and SIGs as horizontal, not only usefully complementary but (IMO) necessary. It's the best embodiment of ISOC's service to both parts of the phrase "think global, act local".
> 
> In addition to "Interplanetary Networking" and "Disability and Special Needs" (which are really functioning as SIGs though chartered as Chapters) and "the Internet of Food", I could easily see a number  of other SIGs that might attract attention. Some, such as "ISOC Francophonie <http://www.isoc-francophonie.org/>" have already been envisioned but not yet able to find an appropriate place in the current infrastructure.  I myself would have a very high interest in an "ICT for Development" SIG, and I'm sure than many of you can think of others.
> 
> SIGs, IMO, should not have such strict rules for formation (or dissolution) as Chapters. If a minimum number of people are interested, to me, that's enough to set up a mailing list and an entry in a directory for interested members so long as they adhere to ISOC goals and principals. In fact, I personally would extend SIG participation to organizational members that share common cause with appropriate SIGs.
> 
> Arguably, one of the stumbling blocks so far has been the lack of structures within ISOC for accommodating SIGs. That will chance once the Chapter Advisory Council charter is approved, for the CAC will have the ability to create subgroups. This process, to me, can be the perfect method for maintaining a number of SIGs which are independent, yet work with the Chapters to further advance their own goals. And that is why John and I were having this discussion in the first place, many months ago.
> 
> I welcome the support of the SIG concept and hope it is advanced. It has the potential to help turn individuals' personal passion into ISOC's global action.
> 
> - Evan
> 
> 
> On 3 April 2015 at 13:47, <apisanty at gmail.com <mailto:apisanty at gmail.com>> wrote:
> Vint,
> 
> While there will still be opportunities for gaming the system, this seems to be the way forward.
> 
> Let's see that staff proposal - listening, as has been said, to other voices; not the least, the Board of Trustees, esp in our case those elected by the Chapters. And, IMO, get the SIGs in motion so we can see form follow function.
> 
> Yours,
> 
> Alejandro Pisanty
> Enviado desde/Sent from BlackBerry®
> 
> ! !! !!! !!!!
> 
>      Dr. Alejandro Pisanty
> UNAM, Av. Universidad 3000, 04510 Mexico DF Mexico
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> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vint Cerf <vint at google.com <mailto:vint at google.com>>
> Sender: "Chapter-delegates" <chapter-delegates-bounces at elists.isoc.org <mailto:chapter-delegates-bounces at elists.isoc.org>>Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2015 13:25:04
> To: Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond<ocl at gih.com <mailto:ocl at gih.com>>
> Cc: Chapter Delegates<chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org <mailto:chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org>>
> Subject: Re: [Chapter-delegates] Application to form the Internet Society
>  Chapter on Internet of Food
> 
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> 
> -- 
> Evan Leibovitch
> Toronto Canada
> Em: evan at telly dot org
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