[atlarge-discuss] WG-OUTREACH - 001 - Call for Volunteers

["Richard Henderson" <richardhenderson@ntlworld.com>]

WG-OUTREACH

We are establishing a Working Group on Outreach and Membership Recruitment.
This is an Invitation to all interested members of IcannatLarge.com to join
this group and please come and help!

Participating Panelists are : Richard Henderson : Satyajit Gupta : Jefsey
Morfin : YJ Park.
Other members who have already expressed an interest in participating
include: Bruce Young : Joey Borda : Ron Sherwood : Erick Iriarte Ahon
(forgive me if I have omitted others, but please add your name!).

In addition, we seek representatives from every single country in the world
wherever possible or, failing that, regional representatives. It is fine to
have more than one representative from a single country, of course.

Please join or confirm involvement by replying to this email, at my address
above. If you have any additional comments, please make sure to copy to the
discuss list - atlarge-discuss@lists.fitug.de  - until we have a list of our
own (to enable our process to be open to view). Please prefix this mail:
WG-OUTREACH

It would also be helpful, where possible, if you were prepared to list
profession/job/skills/experience but of course, this is only optional.

I am offering to serve as an initial co-ordinator - however I must stress
the word *initial* : it doesn't worry me at all if someone else wants to
volunteer, and because I'm worried about the time which may be involved, I'm
grateful for all support (including co-ordination of particular regions :
for example, Latin America is under-represented - well, it would be good to
establish a regional co-ordinator from outside the panel). I hope that, very
soon, someone else like Bruce or Erick or anyone else, may step forward and
offer to take over the co-ordination role. Most important of all are the
regional, national, and local co-ordinators. In all honesty, I would like to
be "freed up" to co-ordinate UK outreach. And I hope we can shortly identify
volunteers for LatinAmerica Regional Co-ordinator; Caribbean Co-ordinator;
West Coast America co-ordinator; Mid-West America co-ordinator; Southern
States America co-ordinator; East Coast America co-ordinator; Canada
Co-ordinator; Scandinavia co-ordinator; Europe Regional co-ordinator; Middle
East Regional Co-ordinator; North Africa co-ordinator; West Africa
Co-ordinator; East Africa co-ordinator; Southern Africa Co-ordinator (or
simply, Africa Regional Co-ordinator); Asia Regional co-ordinator; Asia
Pacific Regional Co-ordinator; Indian Regional Co-ordinator; South East Asia
Regional Co-ordinator; Australia Pacific Regional Co-ordinator; or much more
focussed, volunteers to take on roles as co-ordinators of each country.

We need the e-mail addresses of our membership to approach members to invite
them personally to consider these dramatic and potentially very constructive
responsibilities. We are embarking on a significant undertaking. We are at
the start of something new : a worldwide network of internet users.

Doesn't that excite you too? Won't you come on board and join in this
idealistic venture? The whole world is our constituency and you are part of
an organisation with the imaginative courage to leap into something vibrant
and new!

DRAFT MISSION STATEMENT for outreach@large:

The mission of the Outreach Working group is to act as a Co-ordination group
to offer help to regional volunteers, as they set out to attract ordinary
internet users to participate in the way the Internet is run by joining
icannatlarge.com. This outreach will operate at global, regional, national
and local levels, and will also operate through the interface of relevant
"issues" of concern to internet users all over the world. Areas of help to
be provided by the Working Group will include: generating publicity
materials in multiple languages, initiating global publicity initiatives,
helping to disseminate the shared experiences of local groups, acting as a
hub for large numbers of local @large organisations. In addition, it will
sustain a structure of Global - Regional/Issues - National - Local outreach,
in a non-directive fashion, with bottom-up initiatives being self-organised
by users at grassroots level.

In summary: publicity materials; interface for sharing experience and
expertise; structure and websites.

BRAINSTORMING:

As a first step, this e-mail sets out to appeal for volunteers, and throws a
cross-section of thoughts and ideas at you, which have been raised in the
short time since the elections. We invite you to consider which are
priorities, and to imagine laterally, and to reply (in due course) with
ideas of your own.

We need to set some INITIAL OBJECTIVES. What should these be?

So, some of the thoughts and issues relating to Outreach:

1. Boundary and scope - we cannot change the world overnight - avoiding
mission creep, what are we really to be about?

2. As I see it, it's all about network. I've listened carefully to Jefsey
Morfin. At first I did not properly understand. But I believe he is right.
Our medium: the internet. Our potential: networks.

3. Access to old @large e-mail lists? Are any still in existence?

4. Branding, marketing, advertising - our name is an issue re. brand and
identity. What name will be accessible and comprehensible to largest numbers
of people? What logo?

5. Lots of brands / regional / diversity ? peru@large france@large uk@large
etc. Yes, of course there is a central/global brand to consider, but we are
trying to build a confederation: a whole world of different, local groups.
One of our first tasks is to try to establish Regional/National Working
Groups for Outreach.

6. Preparing outreach material, with different messages for different
audiences. Let us be clear. We need to target a multiplicity of groups, and
many of these need to be "accessed" at their own point of interest. We need
a collection of materials which will work for a variety of targets. And we
need translations of these materials.

As Jeff Williams wrote: "If only a few
are actually doing outreach, than capture is more likely." We need
grassroots initiatives and multiple targets.

And as David Schutt put it: "What the panel can do is try to put together a
framework
to support the efforts of many, many people." Exactly. This Working Group is
the slave of all the ordinary people around the world.

7. It's about Individuals AND organisations. Let us not forget the
organisations! They are the gateway to mass-registrations. There are many
organisations to interface with and to "infiltrate": for example...

Judyth Mermelstein: "October 2002, the World Congress of Citizens' Networks
will permit the  articulation of a platform on the digital divide which will
represent the interests of civil society and to fuel the debate leading up
to the World Summit on the Information Society in 2003" This agenda and
congress shares a convergence with ours, and that's just one example.

8. Local internet communities - strongly endorsed by JFC (but note YJP's
difficult experiences in Korea) - we need to establish relations with
existing local groups - identify them and target them and involve them. The
issue of local internet communities, which Jefsey has drawn attention to, is
very important. We need to be building (and building upon) a worldwide
network of local internet communities. We need a common website interface,
and use of sub-domains, and we need to help construct a whole web of local
internet communities. But take heed of YJP's warnings - this is not simple
or straightforward. Nevertheless, it is the future. It is the heart of our
project.

Jefsey Morfin puts it this way:  " peru@large argentina@large etc... we
create a structure, take the name, create a
site, meet people with the business card, try to setup an icann.meetup,
talk to a fews journalist, start a local mailing list, contact the ccTLD
etc.
The real thing is to start local@large. So we start having a net and a
credibility. Then we can buildon personal international relations and
existing networks. When someone travel he can meet people. He can lecture a
foreign group on the situation and ideas in his country."

Bruce Young expresses the same vision: "It will be vital that we have
members "on the
ground" in every region of the world willing to talk to the press,
professional organizations, labor unions, etc., if we're ever going to build
our membership."

It's about a network of local communities. This Working Group has been
entrusted with the task of making contact with local volunteers who will
build this vision.

(Notice one thing here, as you pause : we are a world away from ICANN. There
is no profit issue, no vested interests, just the idealism of individual
human beings and the indomitable human spirit - and... community!)

9. ccTLDs : Jefsey Morfin has propose these should constitute an entirely
separate working group. This indicates the significance he attributes to our
interface with them. And I agree. The network of local communities will
attempt to work closely with the ccTLDs. These ccTLDs should (ideally) work
for the cause of local internet users (against the intrusive powers of ICANN
or global corporate organisations).

As Jefsey has stated: "The @large
organizations will have to join with ccTLDs and probably with Govs and
consumer organizations to develop a global concerted gouvernance."

10. De-centralisation : should we have one website or multiple websites? Of
course, we hope websites will spring up all over the place! Some will be
individual and independent. Others may lock into our world@large website.

Jefsey Morfin has proposed this: "Maybe could we use sub-addresses with
separated ftp access. This way we
would actually have several specialized webmaster. Less risks. More
motivations. And an existing structure and practice for embedding national
parts."

This will however require protocols.

As Giampaulo Bonora says: "The main issue with outreach, IMO, is not the
target, but
decentralization. Now we have only a website with forum, a list and a
panel, and sometime there are problems of communication.
 A regional-based or country-based volunteering approach needs not only
volunteers, but 'a communication protocol' from the panel and local
volunteers - as simple as is possible (and discusses JFC's sub-address
comments)"

The central website does need some management if it is to act as the
worldwide interface and identity for the organisation.

As Michael Geist wrote: "Student groups are a good start for specific
projects, but I think we
need a single responsible individual for the site.  Spreading
responsibility among several groups may lead to trouble."


11. We need to identify and authorise a central spokesman/press/publicity/pr
officer - for news releases - acting proactively ... and at the same time we
need de-centralised officers doing the same at different locations all over
the globe.

12. Membership fees - or no fees, to avoid losing members - alternatives to
fees : this is a significant issue for outreach. I personally argue the case
for no membership fees because I think we should just be open to all
idealistic individuals without demanding a "tribute". If we want largescale
membership growth, then I am very concerned about putting membership fees in
the way. I favour voluntary contributions and support from sympathetic
external contributors. But what are other people's views?

13. Satyajit Gupta has expressed concern about diversity and gaps in
representation:  "I would like to express my concern at the lack of
representation of Africa, and South America in the panel."  This is, indeed,
a concern - and may need to be addressed by the Working Group on Bylaws and
the planning for future elections. In the meantime, and in the context of
the Outreach Working Group, representation for any of us comes through
participation! There are so many positions available to be filled. And to be
honest, we are a bottom-up grassroots organisation. What will really count
is: who can attract the most exciting membership in their own locality. They
then become (de facto) the leaders. The leaders by example.

14. We are seeking help with translations. This is very important. We need
all the help we can get, from almost every nation.

15. One of our first tasks is to establish liaison/contact with
representatives in EVERY country - for this we need mailing lists - and we
need to do this in the coming weeks. My hope is that these representatives
in each country will now develop plans and strategies for increasing
membership wherever they are. Where this fails, we need to fall back on
regional co-ordinators.

16. ISSUES. As well as geographical-based outreach, what ISSUES can we build
recruitment around?

Jefsey Morfin has touched on this: "Local  culture, women interests,
sustainable development, actions to reduce
the digital divide, practical actions against the digital control,
information on the digital dependance, etc.. are certainly ways for us to
touch a large number of people. Another subject is certainly the "digital
exposure", and privacy problems."

And the point is picked up by Bruce Young: "Jefsey and Judyth bring out a
good point here: since the Internet is such a
universal tool, it impacts virtually every other interest in the world to
one extent or the other.  If we can idea the subject where our interests
intersect with others' we can get instant allies in numerous groups
world-wide!"

17. Personalities and Skills. Joe Bordo has offered to serve as a
"registrar", which as I understand him, would include building up
personality profiles of members who were happy to submit info. He's also
raised the concept of "chat" and informal ways of developing the integrity
and "real" aspects of our virtual organisation.

David Schutt developed this:  "Perhaps we can create a Forum
topic titled 'Volunteering', where we can collect expressions of
interest from folks willing to donate a bit of time or expertise."

18. Allies. Offering affiliate membership to the members of other
atlarge-style organisations already in existence = joining forces. There is
cross-over with other organisations. We have much in common with various
similar organisations.

19. Schools, Colleges, and Students: Education : getting the message into
schools and colleges : making our existence known worldwide : creating a
student confederation. I believe this could be a major initiative. The
Internet is a familiar component in the lives of so many young people, and
they have idealism and independence.

I advocate the use and involvement of students and students organisations,
city by city, across the world. They may also have skills which would be of
great value to us. But most important really is the already-established
"network" that exists between students from different colleges within a
country, and even worldwide.

In addition, part of Outreach involves education. Many of us knew little
about ICANN or the DNS before we fell victim to corrupt processes or
policies.

Bruce Young agrees that educating the public is integral: "I view this as an
essential part of the outreach process.  We need to
explain what (ICANN) / DNS is, and *why* the shady dealings VeriSign,
NuLevel, etc.,
are conducting are not in *users'* best interests!"

20. Setting targets for recruitment is a reasonable internal (and maybe
confidential) process to undertake : and then monitoring the success in
certain countries and learning from their experiences.

21. The use of e-mail and Mailing-lists and Newsgroups that people belong to
: mentioning our organisation in context of our normal participation in some
of these groups. This needs cautious discretion. Spamming nearly always
backfires. But I have often found if you send a preliminary personal mail
saying "I'm writing to ask if I could have permission to discuss 'x' with
you, please disregard if you don't want to..." that quite often people reply
"Sure, go ahead".

On the use of e-mail, Judyth Mermelstein wrote: "The networks for widely
distributing information are there and ready-to-use.  They have proven their
value in dealing with every kind of issue that matters to the public but is
not adequately covered by the mass-media, and enabled the formation of
world-wide coalitions and collaborative efforts like this list." Judyth also
has extensive media contacts mailing-list (for when we have a name and
clearer press release?)

Contacts can be obtained - women for example - Judyth Mermelsteinhas also
offered: "If anyone wants me to, I could certainly come up with the names of
some women in those regions (Africa/Latin America) who could sensitize us to
their Internet needs..."

22. Involving organisations: Inviting representatives of 1000's of
organisations to join us as "advisors" in their particular field of
expertise. Then hopefully making inroads into their own memberships too. As
Eric Dierker says-

"Well absolutely we should invite underrepresented folks to sit as advisors.
We should beg them.
Geographics is only one criteria.  I see several others.
Children, Students, Race, language, Religion, Atheism, Handicapped, Various
Alternative lifestyles, Ancient ones."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
These 22 categories are just topics for brainstorming puposes. As a Working
group we need (A) volunteers from all over the world to step forward - in
many cases we may need to use the mailing list to make personal approaches;
(B) to decide our initial priorities.

Please feel free to add your own additional topics and ideas.

Best of all, put WG-OUTREACH - 001 - in the Subject field, and e-mail:
atlarge-discuss@lists.fitug.de

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Finally, as a reminder, there is a list of the country-by-country membership
details at www.theInternetChallenge.com
This is an interim provision while we await a new website and identity.


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