Hi Edwin, I don't know about AfriNIC. I know the reality of Brazil and a little about Lacnic. My answers and additional comments follow. 1. When you appended: "...and that I believe should start at the grassroots leve & at the regional/national level." you touch a very very significant point! 2. Our people know RFCs, but are far from knowing about the IETF. So I thing the process of participation in local events must be systematic, e.g. one WG that need to do some pre-meeting before an annual meeting of IETF. I think the *absence of the IETF* is the reason for the decline in participation. 3. ISOC chapters can help immensely. If can not happen WGs meetings, so the chapter can do a meeting about IETF at events happening traditionally: Lacnic, Nic.br, SBC, etc. This is the systematic and continuous ways, in my view. That such movements may become, time will tell. 4. I do not believe that language is a problem in local events, but Lacnic, Nic.br and others events traditionally have simultaneous translation from English to Spanish and Portuguese and vice versa. 5. I think stimuli help, certainly. But it is not essential. What is important is the *participation of the IETF* locally. Perhaps an interesting step is to link the ISOC Fellowships with local participation. That is, give significant value to local participation when happen the selection process. 6. Also, you must remember that in Brazil the infratestrutura the Internet is very good. I don't know about the Africa countries. But I think that we can abstract about this. 7. Given the structure of the IETF (very complex) I would recommend that there were regional and local liaison peoples helping ISOC chapters in th plans of participations. Let me see if your questions have been answered, please. Regards, Julião Em 27/05/2013 07:01, Edwin A. Opare escreveu: > To borrow your words: > "the issue is to establish a systematic > and effective process in under-represented regions", and that I believe > should start at the grassroots level & at the regional/national level . > > Why does the numbers from the AfriNIC and LACNIC regions keep declining? > Don't these regions operate networks like everyone else? Which areas/WGs > of the IETF will they find particularly helpful/useful to subscribe > to? Are the AfNOG annual meetings enough to encourage participation from > the AfriNIC region? Could the IETF run "a day or two event" annually at > the AfNOG meetings as part of the "AfNOG Tutorials Workshop" to create a > lot more awareness and elicit participation? Could the institution of > "IETF Champions" in the under-rep regions where ISOC has presence > influence participation from these regions? > > The ISOC Ghana Chapter for example runs a GhNOG workshop (4 day event) > annually in the month of July where workshop participants are trained in > a variety of areas relating to System Administration, Network Monitoring > & Management, CERTs and many more. > > Going into the next workshop this July, the Chapter plans to dedicate a > day of the workshop to awareness creation about the IETF. Will this > increase participation from Ghana in any way? If the approach is done > right with a keen focus on the needs of participants it most definitely > will. > > At best we all agree there is the need for active participation and > inclusiveness from all the regions if the Internet is to develop and > evolve to its fullest potential. Let's work together to get EVERY > ENGINEER on board!!