Guest guest Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 When Animals Taiwan was just 6 months old, I was able to attend the Singapore conference by simply asking others to sponsor my flight. I posted on an expat online forum, and the money came in within days, from a number of personal supporters, some of whom donated on top of their regular monthly donation. There is *always* a way. In our business, we should know better than to say 'We can't; instead, we must always say 'How can we?' and be serious about finding an answer. These conferences are so important for all of us, and I agree with Merritt that we should be asking 'How can we afford *not* to go?' What sources of support do you have available whom you can approach for sponsorship? Which have you approached so far? Hoping to see you *all* in Bali. Sean -- Sean McCormack Founder and Executive Director www.AnimalsTaiwan.org *Emergencies/Rescues: Brandy 0966 876 829 / Sean 0920 620 109 Office: 02 2833 8820 http://www.cafepress.com/animals_taiwan AnimalsTaiwan's Online Merchandise Shop! 2008/6/5 vspcaindia <weintraub: > > One other thing we did in Nepal is form a network among reputed local > AW > > orgs. Such a network has the potential of providing us with much > needed > > inspiration and new ideas. > > Dear Lucia: > Perhaps you can give the details of how you formed this network in > Nepal. Was it online only? It seems the Indian AW groups are > struggling to accomplish this. > > Especially important to achieve as it seems most India NGO's will not be > able to attend AFA but important to get something solid going online > nonetheless and AAPN cannot solve all of our problems! > > kind regards, > > > Weintraub, Seattle, Washington USA > Visakha SPCA Volunteer Global Outreach Director www.VisakhaSPCA.org > <http://www.visakhaspca.org/> > > aapn <aapn%40>, " lucia de vries " > <luciadevries wrote: > > > > I really like Jiggy's suggestion. I for one am feeling sad about the > fact > > that I won't be able to attend AFA 2008. There's no prospect of being > able > > to join any other animal welfare conference in the near future. I > would > > definetely join an online conference if given the opportunity. > > > > One other thing we did in Nepal is form a network among reputed local > AW > > orgs. Such a network has the potential of providing us with much > needed > > inspiration and new ideas. > > > > Another great (and relatively cheap) suggestion is to join an online > course > > with Humane Society International US. See > http://www.humanesocietyu.org/ > > > > On Wed, Jun 4, 2008 at 3:40 PM, Herojig herojig wrote: > > > > > As a one-time attendee (Singapore) from a tiny org in Nepal, I > agree > > > with > > > the sentiments echoed in the past few notes re: expense and > accommodations. > > > I happened to be flying back from the Netherlands where our org had > just > > > been given a grant, so attending the AFA was not so much a burden > then, but > > > for the years since, the expense can not be justified in relation to > our > > > budget. Solutions? > > > > > > I suppose it would be very naive to consider mass-funding of > air-fare > > > sponsorships for presenters and even participants (but I have been > accused > > > of that before). Is there an alternative to donor-driven handouts? > > > > > > Observation: as a retired IT professional, I have followed the > industry > > > with > > > nostalgia over the years and noticed this about trade shows and > network > > > conferences; there are far less of them then there used to be. > > > Participation > > > is down across the board in even the bigger shows like COMDEX, and > less and > > > less smaller businesses and private individuals attend. What is > happening > > > instead is of interest to even non-technologists, as the cost > savings of > > > virtual networking are starting to outweigh the inherent problems of > this > > > emerging phenomenon. Some interesting reading in this regard can be > found > > > here: > > > > > > * http://www.appscout.com/2008/04/virtual_worlds_2008.php > > > * > > > > > > > http://www.building.co.uk/sustain_story.asp?sectioncode=747 & storycode=31\ > 0098<http://www.building.co.uk/sustain_story.asp?sectioncode=747 & storycode=31009\ 8> > > > 8 & c=2 > > > * http://secondlife.com/whatis/ > > > * > > > > > > > http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2007/05/conference-networking-tools-do\ > -the<http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2007/05/conference-networking-tools-do-th\ e> > > > y.html > > > * http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/wklemm/Eight%20Ways/8waystoengage.htm > > > > > > Sample output from a successful Online Conference: > > > > > > > http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning_pedagogy/elp_confere\ > nce0<http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning_pedagogy/elp_conference\ 0> > > > 7.aspx > > > > > > Of course, there are a million other links in this regard, thanks to > > > Google, > > > but the point being that perhaps some of this should be explored by > the > > > organizers of AFA 2009. With the cost of a half-dozen tickets, > something > > > useful can surely be created for the dozens of folks who can¹t > attend the > > > conferences in real time. > > > > > > Recommendation: AFA should organize a team of folks (non-conference > > > organizers and organizers of past events) to study the feasibly of > an > > > online > > > component for the next event. The study should include budgeting and > cost > > > assessment, and a plan for a beta test of the online component. > Seems like > > > AFA 2008 would be a great place to get this work started. > > > > > > Too bad I can¹t afford to go this year, as my topic to present > would have > > > been ³Don¹t Just Bark Bite: Using Technology to Develop > Sticky Animal > > > Welfare Messages.² But maybe you can catch it next year online:) > > > > > > Jigs > > > Advisor to www.animalnepal.org > > > > > > > > > Edwin Wiek edwin.wiek <edwin.wiek%40wfft.org>> > > > Organization: WFFT > > > edwin.wiek <edwin.wiek%40wfft.org>> > > > Wed, 4 Jun 2008 18:42:03 +0700 > > > AZAM SIDDIQUI azam24x7 <azam24x7%40gmail.com>> > > > Cc: aapn <aapn%40> <aapn% > 40>> > > > RE: airfares AFA-2008 > > > > > > > > > The cost of flying is high for everyone, even those with money. > Airlines > > > need to pass this " burden " to their > > > customers as they are companies set up with the aim of making money, > that > > > is > > > nothing new either. Having > > > a conference abroad every 18 months is probably too much for most > NGO's; > > > maybe even the ones " with money " . > > > The last one in India was not cheap either; flying there was > expensive, > > > rather old and dirty accommodation > > > was priced over a hundred dollars a night. I think however that the > > > bottom-line is if it is worth to go or not? > > > As I can read in Nilesh remarks they raised an ambulance through > this > > > meeting and did some networking > > > as well, so it looks like it was worth a lot, especially taking in > > > consideration that it was a home-match for them. > > > > > > I was told by the organiser of this year that the aim of this years > meeting > > > was to have people talk about > > > problems they faced and how they dealt with it and overcame these > problems. > > > Unfortunately I never heard > > > about it again and I am afraid that we will be sitting listening > again to > > > one person after the other talk about > > > their successes in the past and their future plans hoping for > someone > > > attending to help fund this. Not much > > > to learn from for most of us I would think. So networking stays as > one of > > > the main objectives for attending. > > > > > > For Wildlife NGO's such as ours it is not very interesting as there > are not > > > many wildlife issues on the program > > > again, taking that together with the fact that the meeting will be > much the > > > same as the last one we will probably > > > not attend this year. Every dollar can only be spend once... if you > have to > > > spend them, spend them well. > > > > > > Edwin Wiek > > > WFFT Thailand > > > > > > > > > _____ > > > > > > aapn <aapn%40> <aapn% > 40> < > > > aapn%40 <aapn%2540>> > > > [aapn <aapn%40> <aapn% > 40> < > > > aapn%40 <aapn%2540>> ] On Behalf Of > > > AZAM > > > SIDDIQUI > > > Tuesday, 03 June, 2008 11:19 PM > > > NileshBhanage > > > Cc: aapn <aapn%40> <aapn% > 40> < > > > aapn%40 <aapn%2540>> > > > Re: airfares AFA-2008 > > > > > > Due to the drastic spiralling of oil prices, airlines have hiked > fuel > > > surcharges five times in the past five months, passing on the > > > additional burden to the passenger. > > > Therefore for animal people of 3rd world developing nations it is > > > difficult to shell out that much money to go & attend a conference, > > > does not make sense either. > > > Instead, AFA organisers/ sponsors could do best by alotting the > > > collected funds to the needy NGOs working with animals. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 As Merritt points out, it's all about communication, networking and inspiration. I hope AFA takes the suggestion to organise a 'virtual conference' serious. Reps from organisations in each countries could join in the capital or in a number of cities and participate jointly, online. National or regional networks too help to inspire people. We recently formed a network in Nepal which meets once a month and plans to carry out joint awareness raising activities as well as promotion of adoptions of strays. We opened a google group and will probably also develop an interactive website. It remains to be seen how successful the network will be - there are many pitfalls, such as competition, corruption, disagreement about issues such as non-kill, meat eating, sacrifice, etc. But even if we fail we will still benefit from meeting others with a passion for animals. I remember one of the members telling how someone left a puppy in a plastic bag at her shelter gate, and how she found it dead in the morning. Only other animal workers will understand the emotions behind such a story. Networks have much more potential, such as joint training, fundraising, lobbying and campaigning, but also extensive moral support. If one network rep visits an overseas conference, and shares the newly acquired knowledge and contacts with the others, many more will benefit. In the area of training, even though HSUS provides online trainings, it would be helpful if online trainings tailored to the Asian situation would become available. There are major cultural differences between the US and Asia and these need to be incorporated in such programmes. On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 12:41 PM, Sean McCormack <SeanDMcCormack wrote: > When Animals Taiwan was just 6 months old, I was able to attend the > Singapore conference by simply asking others to sponsor my flight. I posted > on an expat online forum, and the money came in within days, from a number > of personal supporters, some of whom donated on top of their regular > monthly > donation. > > There is *always* a way. In our business, we should know better than to say > 'We can't; instead, we must always say 'How can we?' and be serious about > finding an answer. > > These conferences are so important for all of us, and I agree with Merritt > that we should be asking 'How can we afford *not* to go?' > > What sources of support do you have available whom you can approach for > sponsorship? Which have you approached so far? > > Hoping to see you *all* in Bali. > > Sean > > -- > Sean McCormack > Founder and Executive Director > www.AnimalsTaiwan.org <http://www.animalstaiwan.org/> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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