[Chapter-delegates] Message from Internet Society Audit Committee Chair

Mon Nov 9 01:08:18 PST 2020

Indeed, and an example was the California AG’s letters to ICANN regarding the proposed sale of PIR.

Best,

Richard

From: Chapter-delegates [mailto:chapter-delegates-bounces at elists.isoc.org] On Behalf Of vinton cerf via Chapter-delegates
Sent: Monday, 9 November, 2020 02:59
To: sivasubramanian muthusamy
Cc: ISOC Chapter Delegates
Subject: Re: [Chapter-delegates] Message from Internet Society Audit Committee Chair

AGs are worried about abuse of non-profit organizations.

v

On Sun, Nov 8, 2020 at 6:13 PM sivasubramanian muthusamy <6.internet at gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Vint,

Somewhat of a pointless question: Why does the Attorney General constrain and disadvantage purpose not-for-profits ?  Renders not-for-profits weak. 

On Mon, Nov 9, 2020 at 3:14 AM vinton cerf via Chapter-delegates <chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:

the USG sets conflict $ limits at $25!!! 

v

On Sun, Nov 8, 2020 at 4:42 PM Veni Markovski <veni at veni.com> wrote:

I don’t remember (it was perhaps 15 years ago), but the issue today is different. It is normal to expect that active people in their respected countries may decide to join a chapter and its board. I don’t say “staff”, as I don’t know how many chapters actually have budget to hire staff. Boards are usually non-paid position. 

I find it counterintuitive from ISOC to put such a request to the chapter-elected trustees. 

Note that I’m not talking about other organizations that may provide people from their leadership to serve on the BoT, just about the chapters. 

Surely an admin support of $2K cannot be considered seriously as such a big conflict that a Trustee won’t be allowed to... what? Vote ISOC budget? 

May be there’s some very simple explanation, which I just can’t see in the text of the document or in Andrew’s emails. It may be my problem alone, but I see other comments, by other people, who have even more questions. 

On Sun, Nov 8, 2020 at 16:31 vinton cerf <vgcerf at gmail.com> wrote:

veni,

at the time you were on the ISOC board and chair of ISOC Bulgaria, it might be that there were no pecuniary considerations provided by ISOC to the Chapters. In that case, perhaps no conflict?

v

On Sun, Nov 8, 2020 at 4:09 PM Veni Markovski via Chapter-delegates <chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:

Hi. 

On Sun, Nov 8, 2020 at 15:35 Andrew Sullivan via Chapter-delegates <chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:

On Sun, Nov 08, 2020 at 11:06:35AM -0500, Veni Markovski via Chapter-delegates wrote:

>— run for the BoT of ISOC and give up the work they do in their own
>countries
>— never run foe the BoT, and keep work with their chapters foe the good of
>the national Internet.

That appears to me to be a false dichotomy.  As I have said repeatedly, there is no requirement to give up membership in a Chapter.

And I didn’t talk about membership in a chapter. 

The requirement is that one not be a Trustee and an officer of any Chapter at the same time. 

Right. That’s what I was talking about. 

I believe that there are many examples of people working in a Chapter -- indeed, very actively -- without being an officer of that Chapter.  

That’s correct, too. 

I find it somewhat distressing, indeed, to read the apparent implication that the only important people in a Chapter are its officers.

I don’t think I’ve ever used the word “important”, but we are in a mailing list, which is called “chapter delegates”. If one is not a member of the chapter leadership, (s)he won’t be able to read it. That doesn’t make these people important (not sure why you came up with this word?), but just what the name suggests - chapter leaders. 

The idea that someone cannot be a chapter leader and a Trustee of ISOC is definitely new (I was a Trustee and chair of the board of ISOC Bulgaria at some point), and to me makes no sense. Let’s not forget — as many have pointed out — that sitting in the chapter leadership is usually a volunteer position (same as being an ISOC trustee, right?), so I’m still not sure what conflict of interests there might be, and also not sure why one wouldn’t excuse themselves from issues that may be perceived as conflicting.

Actually, one could argue that if there are no interests, the chapter-elected trustees won’t even run for the BoT. 

Perhaps someone at ISOC could provide us with a short list of where former and current Trustees are coming from with regards to them being members of chapter leadership? It may turn out that you are right, and then that won’t be an issue at all? Or may be the majority of them come from the chapter leadership and that’s normal as they have shown long-term interest in serving not only their countries’ Internet community,  but the global one, too?

Best regards,

A

-- 
Andrew Sullivan
President & CEO, Internet Society
sullivan at isoc.org
+1 416 731 1261
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-- 

Best regards,
Veni Markovski
http://www.veni.com <http://www.veni.com/> 

pgp: 5BA1366E veni at veni.com 

The opinions expressed above are those of the author, 
not of any organizations, associated with or related to 
the author in any given way. 

_______________________________________________
As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society Chapter Portal (AMS):
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View the Internet Society Code of Conduct: https://www.internetsociety.org/become-a-member/code-of-conduct/

-- 

Best regards,
Veni Markovski
http://www.veni.com <http://www.veni.com/> 

pgp: 5BA1366E veni at veni.com 

The opinions expressed above are those of the author, 
not of any organizations, associated with or related to 
the author in any given way. 

_______________________________________________
As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society Chapter Portal (AMS):
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View the Internet Society Code of Conduct: https://www.internetsociety.org/become-a-member/code-of-conduct/

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