[Chapter-delegates] Internet Society Accountability: a response to a message on the thread of making ISOC multi-stakeholder, with the subject line renamed.

[Dave Burstein]

Folks

Susannah was right to correct this. Andrea made a good faith mistake saying
ISOC-NY "drives the other chapters." She's new to the chapter this year,
and presumably assumed the *hopes talked abou*t in the New York chapter in
2018 reflected actual accomplishments. I've been a board member for several
years; it just isn't so.

Actually, until a few months ago, the New York chapter hadn't even had a
meeting in over a year. Under our previous chapter president, the chapter
was all but defunct. We hadn't had a major event in years and were down to
fewer than 20 active members. I don't remember more than one board meeting
per year. In 2017, we had only one or two board meetings (the minutes are
unclear) and no membership meetings.

About the only visible things that were being done were Joly doing videos
and me writing to this list and speaking up at ISOC events. Avri was active
in the Chapters committee but didn't report to the local chapter and a few
people went to events with ISOC funding.

I laughed when I heard the staff had given the NY Chapter an excellent
rating even though we weren't having meetings, elections, or doing very
much. Being friendly with a few staff people paid off.

Joly couldn't have done the videos without regular pay from ISOC and
they received little support from the chapter if I remember correctly. I've
spoken up on ISOC issues because I tilt at many windmills, and received no
support from the chapter to do so. (In fact, I was told to be more positive
about ISOC, although my facts were almost never questioned.)

In the last year, the funding for video went up; they are great ISOC pr.
That may have given the impression "New York" was doing a great deal but
actually that was ISOC central funding a dedicated video person, not a
chapter activity.

People not active in the chapter put together an interesting project, NY
MESH. ISOC provided $20K and the chapter is now providing "fiscal agency"
for a fee. That's good.


------------------

Things started to improve when the previous president resigned and Joly
took over. A proposal to support Net Neutrality was pulled back in the name
of consensus when the acting President opposed the idea.

The results so far are minimal but I hope that will change. In 2018, we've
had three board meetings that put forth many ideas. Google paid $20K which
funded two events.

So I hope we'll actually lead in the future, but we haven't so far.

Editor, http://Fastnet.news http://wirelessone.news http://massivemimo.rocks
gfastnews.com
Author with Jennie Bourne  DSL (Wiley) and Web Video: Making It Great,
Getting It Noticed (Peachpit)

On Fri, Mar 30, 2018 at 1:39 PM, Susannah Gray <susannah.gray at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Andrea,
>
> On 30/03/2018 07:59, Andrea Romaoli Garcia wrote:
>
> I don't feel the work hampered by the participation of others but a little
> bit control will be positive.
> The way ISOC is set up today allows a work oriented to local needs.
> I add that Chaptor NY has a greater responsibility and visibility because
> it drives the other chapters and brings new subjects to discuss for other
> instituitionscaround the world.
>
> - What do you mean by ISOC NY 'drives the other chapters'?
>
> Susannah
>
> -
> President
> San Francisco Bay Area Internet Society Chapter
> www.sfbayisoc.org
>
>
>
>
> A little bit of control is needed but volunteers  input can identify new
> solutions  that the meetings routine extinguishes.
> I don't live in the United States but I've been serving shelters in
> Washington for volunteering...  Well... stakeholders and member must work
> together
> There are volunteers  and stakeholder with technical ability that is
> helpful. But I think we should control a hight level  to maintain the
> quality of the discussions and close the doors to those demagogues who do
> nothing but just wish put their name in the highlightner
>
> ANDRÉA ROMAOLI GARCIA
> OABSP 332.542
> Director ISOC-NY
> ICANN Latin American and Caribbean
> United Nations NY
> +55 14 99162-3774 <+55%2014%2099162-3774>
>
>
>
> On 30 Mar 2018, at 10:37, Sivasubramanian M <6.Internet at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> While ISOC has been successful, we do not know if the current structure
>> has contributed to that success, or if ISOC could have been more successful
>> if member-driven.
>>
>
> ​Agreed. We can not possibly deny that ICANN would be more successful nor
> assert that it would be less successful in a member-driven scenario. What I
> said was that it worked.
> ​
>
>>
>>
>> While I agree with Dave completely, the reality is giving members control
>> is contrary to the founding documents and formal structure of ISOC.  ISOC
>> is not, and never has been, a community of members, or democratic.  It is a
>> Trust, organised around managing a perpetual flow of income.  Members do
>> not contribute to that income, and are therefore powerless.  Article V.1
>> states “Individual members shall not have any voting rights with respect to
>> the Society.”
>>
>
>
> ​The founding documents probably did not anticipate ISOC to take shape as
> a Community with several hundred 'volunteers' of good Technical and Policy
> expertise. ISOC unwittingly imparts the impression of a Community driven
> organization, and it is this perception that renders credibility to ISOC's
> policy advice.
> ​
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
> Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
>
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