[Chapter-delegates] Revised Chapter Agreement

Thu Aug 3 08:15:14 PDT 2017

Thanks – I would very much like to join, as you may imagine from my emails J

Regards,

Brandt Dainow

brandt.dainow at gmail.com

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brandt_Dainow

http://www.imediaconnection.com/profiles/brandt.dainow

From: Eduardo Diaz [mailto:eduardodiazrivera at gmail.com] 
Sent: 03 August 2017 15:21
To: brandt.dainow at gmail.com; Richard Hill
Cc: chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org
Subject: Re: [Chapter-delegates] Revised Chapter Agreement

Brandt:

The list exists in the mailman system and not in Connect so you will not find it there.

I did send a call for volunteers to join MIMBU in May 2017 through Connect to the Community Leaders List. You were planning to join but did not want to use Box as the document repository. Now we are using Google Docs which others have problems with that too.

In any case, let me know if you are interested in joining the group. I think you have much to add to the discussion.

---0---

For others interested in joining: please send me a private email. I will be glad to add you. The group is open to anyone interested in helping to make ISOC More Bottom-Up.

---0---

-ed

PD: You can check the email archives of the group here: https://elists.isoc.org/pipermail/mimbu-wg/

On Thu, Aug 3, 2017 at 7:21 AM Brandt Dainow <brandt.dainow at gmail.com> wrote:

Hi - I cannot find any such group in the list of communities/chapters etc in
my ISOC system.  The only thing a text search reveals is a link to Box for
the charter.  Since I cannot create a Box account due to privacy concerns, I
can't even access that.

Do you know how many other ISOC groups are in existence, but cannot be found
in the system?  It seems to me making all active groups findable in the My
Communities section, especially those members can join, should be the first
priority for any group who wants to make ISOC more bottom-up.

Regards,
Brandt Dainow
brandt.dainow at gmail.com

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brandt_Dainow
http://www.imediaconnection.com/profiles/brandt.dainow

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Hill [mailto:rhill at hill-a.ch]
Sent: 03 August 2017 11:51
To: brandt.dainow at gmail.com
Cc: 'Eduardo Diaz'
Subject: RE: [Chapter-delegates] Revised Chapter Agreement

Dear Brandt,

It seems to me that your thoughts below regarding the role of chapters in
ISOC should be input to group on Making ISOC More Bottom-Up (MIMBU).

I copy Eduardo, Chair of that group.

Best,
Richard

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chapter-delegates [mailto:chapter-delegates-
> bounces at elists.isoc.org] On Behalf Of Brandt Dainow
> Sent: Thursday, August 3, 2017 12:47
> To: chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org
> Subject: Re: [Chapter-delegates] Revised Chapter Agreement
>
> I think the reaction of many indicates the clause is problematic.  It
> is clearly open to different interpretations.  Many governments are
> antagonistic to "foreign lobbying" and, many governments resent any
> independent civic group which wants a say in policy, often using the
> claim of "foreign influence" as an attack.  Furthermore, ISOC is part
> of a fight against restricting internet access and mass surveillance,
> both of which are actively pursued by many governments.  As a result,
> many local ISOC chapters must be sensitive to the possibility of
> hostile reactions in their countries, and pursue the aims of ISOC in
> less direct fashion than may be possible in places like the USA and
> Europe.  Given that we have seen how this clause can be interpreted as
> directing chapters to lobby on behalf of central (US/EU) office aims,
> it seems prudent to remove it or reword it, and so eliminate the
> possibility it could be used as an attack.  The clause is pointless
> anyway, since all funding has to be a  pplied for and approved
> centrally.
>
> This tension between government policy and ISOC ideals will only get
> worse.  I am not convinced everyone in ISOC has recognised that the
> internet has changed from a technical backbone, running relatively
> distant from society, to a mainstream and central activity at the
> heart of social development in every country on earth.  Every
> organisation - government, commercial, civic, religious, etc., now has
> an interest in the internet and a position on how it should develop.
> Every organisation which seeks power in society, government,
> commercial or otherwise, will try to influence internet policy to their
advantage.
> ISOC now exists as a player in that sphere, something which was not
> the case 15-20 years ago.
>
> This situation will only get more intense over the coming years.   ISOC
> must evolve to keep up.  This means evolving decision and
> policy-making processes so that they become more informed about local
> circumstances, more responsive to local needs and variations, more
politically aware.
> It means ISOC decisions must be informed by a great deal more
> information.  This cannot be achieved by the same number of people as
> currently run most policy development.  Much more of the policy
> decision process needs to be initiated and developed at chapter level,
> where there is detailed local knowledge and more people available.
> And there needs to be more open discussion between chapters, rather
> than the current top-down approach.  This means the chapters need to
> run ISOC.  Chapters should be able to organise policy between
> themselves, then pass it up for central dissemination.  Central
> committees should not be able to initiate discussions of initiatives
> without pre-approval of chapters.  Should a  funding application by a
> chapter be refused, there should be a formal, documented, open
> mechanism for appeal - with adjudication by independent people.
>
> I am sure there are other changes which should be implemented which I
> have not thought of.  However, my central point here is that we need
> to upgrade our processes to allow local intelligence to drive ISOC policy.
> We can start by removing, or rewording, this problematic clause.  I
> would recommend removing it, because it achieves nothing new and is
> clearly open to arguments over its meaning.
>
> Regards,
> Brandt Dainow
> brandt.dainow at gmail.com
>
> https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brandt_Dainow
> http://www.imediaconnection.com/profiles/brandt.dainow
>
>

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