Re: Re. Starting an Internet Society (ISOC) Chapter in Malawi.

[Josiah Chavula]

Thanks Victor for the email and introduction. True, many attempt have been made to setup a Malawi ISOC chapter.

I think we need to achieve at least three things in the interim to get started with Malawi ISOC Chapter:

1) Finalize a Chapter constitution in line with the ISOC bylaws templates. (In 2015, we attempted to revive the process of finalising the bylaws, but somehow we couldn't just get through. We had problems getting people to meet [online or otherwise],  but we did get what I think are sufficient comments to move towards adoption of bylaws and chapter registration.)

2) Register at least 25 initial chapter members, who are should also be members of the global Internet Society

3) Get registered as an organisation in Malawi.

If people are keen, I am happy to consolidate the comments and to a circulate a final edit of the bylaws and call for adoption. 

[A little about myself: I am Computer Scientist specialised in Networks / Internet Systems, and for the past 1 year I have been working for AFRINIC as a research engineer. From 1 July, I will be moving into a lecturer position at the University of Cape Town Computer Science department. I am based in Cape Town, and have recently joined the ISOC ZA chapter, but I am very keen to see the Malawi ISOC chapter up and running). 

Let me know and we move forward. (If anyone is attending the Africa Internet Summit in Dakar, please lets link-up and chat about this!)

Josiah

On Tue, Apr 24, 2018 at 6:18 PM, Victor Ndonnang <ndon...@isoc.org> wrote:

Dear January,

 

 

Thank you for your interest in join the Internet Society (ISOC) and help start a chapter in your country, Malawi. As you may know, there are several ways to get involved in the Internet Society: 

 

1.    Become a global individual member. This gives you’re the opportunity to share and support the Internet Society’s vision and mission. This also allow you to enjoy all the opportunities that ISOC brings to its global members that include Internet Leadership development,  Free Online courses and more. 

 

2.    Join or start a Chapter. The Internet Society chapter is simply an association or group of global individual members who share ISOC’s core values and principles, and are willing to work together to apply and support ISOC’s Vision (The Internet is for Everyone) and mission at the local level. In you case, as there is no active ISOC chapter in Zambia, you can help start one. To start the chapter formation process, you need a minimum of 25 ISOC global individual members at the local level. You have to meet together to set your goals, identify the resources that you will need to run the chapter, draft the bylaws of the chapter or local association (The Chapter’s bylaws should follow the Bylaws template provided by ISOC and the Internet Society Chapter policies ), submit the application to ISOC and wait for review and approval. You need volunteers to keep the chapter active, impactful at the local level and sustainable. 

 

I can see from our achieves that several members have recently expressed an interest like you to start an ISOC Chapter in Malawi. A google group was created in that regard and you can join it at: https://groups.google.com/group/isocmalawi?hl=en. I would like to take this opportunity to connect you with each other and encourage you to mutualize your efforts and work together to achieve this goal. Please feel free to introduce yourself to each other. 

 

I remain available to answer any question that you may have moving forward.

 

I look forward to working with to start an ISOC Chapter in Malawi.

Best regards,

Victor.

 

 

-- 

Victor Ndonnang

Chapter Development Manager, Africa

Internet Society

The Internet is for Everyone

https://www.internetsociety.org

The future of the Internet is ours to shape for the next generation. Check the Internet Society 2018 Action Plan at: https://www.internetsociety.org/action-plan/2018/  - #ShapeTomorrow

[Josiah Chavula]

Not a problem, January.

In the mean-time, I have put the draft bylaws on a google-doc: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jjNBbzY_HbguaB5CRW9v0eOSRqTfelOsVniJSYzl4PU/edit?usp=sharing

Please add your comments there.

Later, I will ask for a few volunteers to consolidate the comments and finalise the document. 

Also forward/invite/share the link with whoever you think maybe interested and helpful in setting a Malawi ISOC Chapter. I will soon send-out a poll to determine possible times for a group call. 

Regards,

Josiah

On Wed, Apr 25, 2018 at 10:44 AM, JANUARY MVULA <surcod_de...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

Greetings Josiah

Thanks for a warm welcome and the update for myself to see how I can get connected to you partners. Looking at the updates in google group a good amount of tasks were implemented for us to establish our own Malawi Chapter, I had a chance to sample the bylaw comments, indeed I would like to agree with you that a good progress was done and there is just a need to consolidate the comments into one documents. With the modern connections I dont think it would need us to meet physically but I would like to agree with you that we need to create a day and deliberate online. 

May I request if you could set up a group call using different means of communication and people should register their interest as well as the time they would feel comfortable with. Apologies that I am too demanding, but the establishment of Isoc Malawi would support us in many ways one of which is to advocate for reduction for mobile internet cost to make it affordable to rural communities and many other more issues. 

Just a bit about me I am the Director and Founder of Sustainable Rural Community Development Organisation, I am a financial analyst combined with community development, and I am more into community development than finance.

Thanks

January Watchman Mvula
Sustainable Rural Community Development Organisation. P.O. Box 126
NSANJE, MALAWI
+265888745752
http://surcod.my-free.website/

[Dumisani Ndhlovu]

Dear Josiah, January

Thanks for taking up this initiative, lets indeed get started. I second the suggestion of a virtual meeting to discuss the way forward for the documentations and alignment of the requirements to register an ISOC Chapter in Malawi. Will share the bylaws link to colleagues.

I am Dumisani Ndhlovu, I am currently working with Lighthouse Trust as an IT Officer. I am founder and CEO of Metta Tech Solutions and i provide ICT consultancy work at Center for Development Management (CDM).

Regards

Dumisani Ndhlovu, BSc (Computer Science, Demography)

IT Officer

Lighthouse -2018 Year of action

Kamuzu Central Hospital  |  Area 33, Mzimba Street, P.O. Box 106  |  Lilongwe  |  Malawi
Office: +265 1 758 940  |  Mobile: +265 881 008 075 /999 635 514  |  Fax: +265 1 758 941
dumi_n...@lighthouse.org.mw   |  www.mwlighthouse.org  |  Skype: dumisani.ndhlovu2

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