RNC Job Description (Proposed May '05)

Regional Networking Committee Job Description (Proposed May ’05) Committee Purpose: To encourage and support community-building activities at the local and regional levels—by developing and maintaining a network of local and regional coordinators (LRCs) who create local publicity and initiatives that promote and make use of FIC resources, and who also gather local news and networking information for the FIC.

Committee Role: The role of the Regional Networking Committee (RNC) includes (1) recruitment, training, and ongoing support of LRCs; (2) dissemination of FIC promotions and publications via those coordinators; (3) creation of local and regional channels of communication and exchange among individuals, intentional communities and organizations (e.g. NICA); (4) creation of two-way conduits between those individuals/ groups and the FIC; and (5) sharing useful and relevant information with FIC staff and other FIC committees, as appropriate, related to items 1-4.

To facilitate the above, the RNC will review available FIC materials, develop additional materials as needed (subject to review by the Editorial Review Board and/or Oversight), and disseminate coordinator packets for use by LRCs. To increase accessibility, the committee will create and maintain a web page on ic.org that would archive these documents in downloadable formats, and additionally the RNC will compile lists of LRCs for publication in Cmag, ic.org, and FIC newsletters.

The committee will strategize and support efforts to create local movement structures (e.g. planning groups and autonomous organizations like NICA) that would be ongoing and autonomous, and will also investigate online networks such as meetup.org and tribe.net as possible places to conduct outreach, identify contacts, and disseminate information.

The RNC will work with other FIC committees (e.g. Events, Site, Membership) to identify: prospective participants for FIC meetings and events; local leaders/ coordinators to organize house parties, etc.; and roles for FIC presenters in local or regional events.

Local/Regional Coordinators: LRCs will (1) stay informed of FIC events and resources, and act as a conduit to local communities, interested persons, and allied organizations; (2) distribute/disseminate FIC materials locally, as appropriate; (3) instigate and coordinate gatherings either independently or in partnership with FIC, working with the appropriate FIC committee (e.g. ELC for FIC events); (4) report local events and stories for publication in the appropriate FIC media; and (5) develop a local community database, and provide periodic updates to appropriate FIC committees.

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Current committee members: Fred (convener), Aron, Geoph, Kip, Lotus, Ma'ikwe, Raines, Vince