[Chapter-delegates] [European-chapters] ISOC 2022 Action Plan

[Andrew Sullivan]

Hi,

On Sat, Dec 11, 2021 at 01:32:34PM -0500, Veni Markovski via Chapter-delegates wrote:

>On Fri, Dec 10, 2021 at 10:37 Andrew Sullivan <sullivan at isoc.org> wrote:

>about “building local communities”, so that I don’t comment on the one
>called “community programs”, for example, just to find out you had another
>one in mind.

I guess I think that "running community programs" is part of "building local communities".  Perhaps you don't, in which case perhaps we can set this aside as a terminological quibble.

>Great, that’s called “train the trainers”
[…]
>That’s awesome!

I just thought that was what a society of like-minded people did with their knowledge, but I'm glad we both agree it's great!

>> Internet, but I don't really understand what that has to do with a totally
>> new program that is attempting to engage with US courts, which (owing to

>Of course that the USA is influential, though as we know from the GDPR, the
>EU is on the same page. I wasn’t asking for an explanation why ISOC is
>engaging, I was asking why it is announcing this concrete engagement, but
>is not paying attention to other places, where major developments around
>the Internet are taking place.

I thought I stated it in the bit that you quoted (which I reproduce above), but in order to make it crystal clear: this is an entirely new program, that the Internet Society has not had before, and that we are now announcing, to make it plain that we will continue our efforts to build, promote, and defend the real Internet for everyone, in every way we can think of.  There is no intention to back off our traditional efforts; but we have identified this new vector where we think the Internet way of building networks needs to be defended, and we intend to take the argument there, too.  That's why it's a highlight of the plan: it's new.

>I wasn’t implying anything, just sharing a fact, which some chapters have
>noticed, but others might have not.

Well, then, I will re-iterate my observation that I believe the _whole_ Internet Society engagement in Europe is positive, and I believe that is in part down to hard work by staff in Europe.  We can always do better, of course, and if the Internet Society Bulgaria Chapter does not believe that our engagement in Europe is working we certainly want to know what the issues are.  I believe that we continue to have staff whose job it is to support chapters, and I trust that you have raised any concerns you might have about how we are not meeting your desires with the relevant staff.  If so, perhaps you could send me some more particulars so that I can ensure the appropriate follow-up happens.

>It is based on the facts from the ITU - eg, the WTPF will take place next
>week. The IGF just finished yesterday.

Yes, and we are engaged with the WTPF -- indeed, I am on the agenda on Thursday.  Those particular examples seem strange complaints about a 2022 plan, though, since they're happening this year.  In any case, we continue our engagements as ever.

>Well, you have certainty about participation in up to 6 court cases, but
>you don’t know if there will be 6 cases or not.

In my ideolect of English, "up to" means "fewer than or as many as", so it is entirely possible that the amicus program will result in 0 cases because none justify the investment.  But, as I said in the previous mail and again above, this is called out because it is new.

>that is mentioned anywhere. So, where can the chapters find out what’s
>actually planned, if not in the action plan, I don’t know.

Chapters will be engaged with our other activities in the same way as ever, though the community engagement staff members that will continue their excellent work.

>My claim is that the AP doesn’t mention any planned actions by ISOC with
>regards to this, as I wrote it.

I guess I don't know what the "this" is, then.  If you mean that the 2022 Action Plan does not have a section on, "What are we going to do about the multistakeholder model?" then I agree that it does not.  If you mean that it doesn't say that we want to make sure everyone gets to be involved in how the Internet evolves -- that is, that the Internet way of networking is somehow something we're turning away from -- then, respectfully, I disagree.  If you cannot see our intent in this plan, then I will take that on board as feedback for our future communication efforts.  But I think our intent in this plan is plain, and I think it is one where we have made quite explicit and testable commitments to the community and indeed the world.  I mean for you all to hold us to it, so I feel a certain amount of chagrin that you do not see the commitments you believe we should be making in it.

Best regards,

A


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