Hostlist Newsletter - September 2005
From SI Exco News
Newsletter from EXCO Hostlist coordinator, Claudio Pacchiega To: all National Secretaries, Deputies and Hostlist coordinators
Dear friends, here are some very important things related to hostlist coordination, which may possibly prepare proposals for the next 2006 Extraordinary General Assembly in Latina, ITALY, and might be also presented during the Asian Area Meeting in September.
1) Australia changed their HostList coordinator recently, and so if you have to send lists to Australia please use the following: Mr Allan Mitchell 5 Eureka Court, Anula NT 0812 AUSTRALIA Ph +61 8 8927 2676, Mob +61 4 17 804 546, Fax +61 8 8927 7255 email almitch@bigpond.com
2) Local Keylist handling It is now possible to have some persons in each country be responsible for editing local data for officers and people. They can edit addresses, roles, email, phones, without the direct intervention of keylist group. Please send and email to keylist@servas.org to propose someone as local keylist editor. Still under the job of keylist group is the activations and the permissions allowed in the site. Please help us in keeping the keylist exact and precise, we can do it only with the maximum cooperation and decentration.
3) New Hostlist Group (HLG). A new hostlist group has been established recently, to explore and propose possible new and alternative approaches to hostlist collection, editing, distribution and any other issues associated with the annual production of host lists. These proposals will be presented in India and next year in Italy This group is currently being lead by Jorge Gonzales (from Spain), and is open to everybody wanting to help and improve procedures related to hostlists. Be prepared that soon this group will contact as many persons as possible on the keylist to make sure keylist is reliable and complete, post surveys, collect ideas and opinions, and increment communication with each Servas branch.
4) New Electronic Host List Request form. Because errors occurred in the current email process, ICT proposed to automate the handling of the host list request form.
The process will be divided in the following 3 substeps:
a) Hostlist Declaration.Deadline October, 31st 2005: Each NS and Hostlist local coordinator should check the keylist and be sure that data are correct. Plus: they must compile an Online Form, declaring if they are going to print a list, if they are going to have an electronic version, and the exact address where other countries must send the lists. This task will be automatically inserted in a database without email exchanging. Also combined lists and offers to, and need for a “buddy” might be stated.
b) Request Form. Starting from Middle November, with Deadline December, 31st 2005:
Each NS and/or Hostlist local coordinator should check the website. Here each country shall declare if they are planning to print their own host list. Online it will be possible to specify exactly how many copies of list for each country.
Note 1: we have realized that countries with little number of travellers sometime ask for an excessive number of lists. Since lists are meant to be used by travellers we think that it is important that each requesting officer should seriously think to adjust requests to the real needs as stated by their experience for the benefit of all the Servas countries, avoiding useless print and posting expenses. Rare lists can be electronically downloaded from the www.servas.org or directly requested on demand via email to respective hostlist coordinators.
Note 2: all National Secretaries can access the Keylist where all main reference of Servas branches are held on http://www.servas.org/login and must update their own data directly or writing to keylist@servas.org.
c) Fullfilling requests. Starting January 2006, each NS would automatically access the website to get a report of all countries requesting lists, plus their addresses [the addresses are written in the hostlist declaration form by each country]. Online each can indicate when lists are received and any problems encountered.
Some of these tasks might be as well helped by Area Coordinators or by the ICT group in case of need.
5) Buddying Projects. Last year buddying projects were somewhat limited. To my knowledge the system worked only for: - Egypt (buddied by Turkey), - Mexico (buddied by Italy), - Chile (buddied by Belgium and Luxembourg), - Estonia (buddied by Finland). This projects are quite interesting and they must be extended and encouraged. Countries wanting to buddy should declare their intention to the hostlist group and to the hostlist coordinator.
6) Financing and other support issues Last year, while collecting the keylist modifications and hostlist request forms, many countries asked for some support which sometimes involved financial, and/or technical or resource sharing. Since we haven't a budget to finance explicitly the printing of lists, the way for dealing with this might vary on the following points: a) use the buddy project b) use electronic ways of distributing the list (emails with password protected file may work, and there is an entire section on the website related to host list storage area). These ways are somewhat inexpensive (compared to actual printing of the list), and we can refund you some portions of internet connections and computer usage. c) Also Whale or equivalent systems might be used. d) Area Coordinators might as well directly help in the production and electronic spreading of the list
Effective instructions on the usage of new Electronic HostList Request Form will be made available within the middle of October to make effective the first deadline at the end of October.
Any feedback and observations are welcome, please send them to hostlistcoordinator@servas.org possibly copying to hostlistgroup@servas.org and exco@servas.org.
