RedCLARA Communications and Public Relations LA NRENs PR Network

1. RedCLARA Communications and Public Relations LA NRENs PR Network María José López Pourailly RedCLARA PR and Communications Manager TF-CPR Meeting TNC2011 May 15, 2011 Prague, Czech Republic

2. Outline • About RedCLARA: • Who we are, • Members, • A little background, • ALICE2 project, • Staff • RedCLARA Communitties • Services • Communications and Public Relations • LA NRENs PR Network

3. About RedCLARA We are: A human and legal association + the Latin American advanced network Red = Network CLARA = Cooperación Latino Americana de Redes Avanzadas = Latin American Cooperation of Advanced Networks

4. About RedCLARA RedCLARA is a non-profit International Law Organisation, acknowledged as such by the legislation of Uruguay. It was established in Latin America (LA) –for regional interconnection- in August 2004 and linked to GÉANT via the ALICE Project, that was co-funded by the European Commission through its @LIS Programme (June 2003 to March 2008). The RedCLARA e-Infrastructure aims to be the Regional Space for Collaboration in Research, Education and Innovation. RedCLARA is more network, more science.

5. About RedCLARA: Members

6. About RedCLARA: Background Flashback: A hint of story The ALICE influx…

7. About RedCLARA: Background Flashback: A hint of story The ALICE influx… June 3rd,2003. It is a warmSpring eveningin Europe, and the ALICE project comes to life. This is when YOU take notes,Penny: ALICE meansAmérica Latina Interconectada Con Europa or Latin America Interconnected with Europe.

8. About RedCLARA: Background Flashback: A hint of story The ALICE influx… The @LIS Programme European Commission officers and the representatives from DANTE met in Brussels to sign the contract that, with €12.5 million, would serve for the creation of an infrastructure which promised to connect the Latin American (LA) research networks at an intra-regional level, and interconnect them with the pan-European network GÉANT. EC funding (80% of the project) : €10 million LA partners contribution (20%) : €2,5 million RedCLARA, the network, is launched in the context of the Ministerial Forum of Information Society; November 2004, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

9. About RedCLARA: Background Flashback: A hint of story The ALICE influx… • January 2005: Florencio Utreras (mathematician and till December 31st 2003 Executive Director of REUNA), is contracted by RedCLARA as its Executive Director. • DANTE contracts LA NREN services: • NEG (Network Engeneering Group) : March ’04 - RNP • NOC (Network Operations Centre) : April ’04 - CUDI • Public Relations and Communications : Nov. ’04 - REUNA NOC and NEG had yearly contracts and tenders.

10. About RedCLARA: Background Flashback: A hint of story The ALICE influx… Does thishas anything to dowith this TF-CPRmeeting? I mean, couldyou please go faster?It is not like I’m bored…just want to get into the coolstuff…

11. About RedCLARA: Background Flashback: A hint of story The ALICE influx… PRESSING FAST FORWARD BUTTON: • When ALICE started there were only five active LA NRENs: REUNA (Chile), RNP (Brazil), Retina (Argentina; since 2008 this is Innova|Red), CUDI (Mexico) and REDCyT (Panama)Only 5 of the 18 LA countries… • In July 2007, 9 new NRENs were created (Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica), the RedCLARA Network was fully operational and DANTE stated that the €2.5 millions of contribution committed by LA to ALICE were recieved; LA achieved a very difficult goal, and RedCLARA did demonstrate that it was a solid and trustfull institution. The last project extention was approved by the EC.ALICE ended in March 31st 2008.

12. About RedCLARA: Staying Alive How did RedCLARA survive a year without the EC funding? • RedCLARA decided to continue charging the LA NRENs with a participation fee in order to ensure the network and the institution future sustainability. • It also started to participate in several relevant international projects (finding a new financial entrance, new development possibilities for the RedCLARA Network, and a new technological development and knowledge): EELA, EELA2, RINGrid, OEA – FEMCIDI eScienceLA, IDB – RedCLARA as a Regional Public Good, WHREN-LILA, Global, GISELA, EVALSO, etc. • Brazil, the most powerful LA country, aknowledging its position and capabilities, decided to support RedCLARA and the other LA countries for the regional good: RNP funded the organisation of two RedCLARA meetings in 2008 in Brazil (both aimed at technicians and Assemble members)...And we kept growing.

13. About RedCLARA: ALICE2 – Collaborating and growing • December 2008: ALICE2 lifted off • € 12 Millions budget to be provided by the EC, through EuropeAid (@LIS 2 Programme) Co funding of € 6 Millions to be provided by the LA NRENs • December 2008 until August 2012 • Emphasis on: • An upgraded long lasting infrastructure, • Sustainabilty, • MDG Oriented applications • Inclusion

14. About RedCLARA: Staff CLARA current staff (a very inclusive one! Emails and phone numbers at:http://www.redclara.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=392&lang=en): • Executive Director: Florencio Ignacio Utreras Díaz - Chile • Operations Director: Alberto Barrios - Brazil • Administration and Finances Manager: Mark Urban - Uruguay • Project Manager: María del Rocío Cos – Mexico • Technical Manager: Gustavo García - Colombia • Network Engineer: Alex Moura - Brazil • NOC: Currently operated by REUNA - Chile • Innovation and Development Director: Carmen Gloria Labbé -Chile • Marketing and Services Manager: Rafael Puleo -Venezuela • Training Manager: Claudia Córdova -Peru • Communications & Public Relations Manager: María José López Pourailly - Chile • Academic Relations Manager: Luis Núñez - Venezuela • Communitties General Coordinator: Ana Cecilia Osorio Llanos - Chile

15. About RedCLARA: Organisation Chart Since 2010, RedCLARA's organisational structure is the one that follows:

16. Communities Thanks to the ALICE2 and IDB projects, RedCLARA is supporting the creation and development of users and research communities in two ways : • Human Capacity Building ; • LA Scientific Communities.

17. Communities Human Capacity Building: CLARA-TEC + Executive Training CLARA-TEC: Technical WG, supported by ALICE and ALICE2: • ALICE WG: Videoconference, VoIP, Security, Multicast, IPv6, Advanced routing, Measurements, Training. • ALICE2 WG: IPTV, Videoconference, Eduroam, Security, Measurements, IPv6 Services, VoIP, Training.We will have new WG in a couple of weeks. Executive Training (ALICE2 and IDB support): Marketing, Management, Projects proposals, etc.

18. Communities LA Sientific Communities: identification and building COMCLARA2010 – COMCLARA2011: Open call for research / users groups to foster the creation of scientific / academic communities in FP7 and MDGs relevant topics, in order to receive support from RedCLARA in both technical and financial forms.

19. Communities LA Sientific Communities: identification and building COMCLARA is now supporting the following communitties: • Large Aperture Gamma Ray Bursa Observatory (LAGO, Argentina) • Map and Programme of Arts in Digital Dance -and performance- (MAPA D2, Brazil) • Latin-American Community of Learning Objects (LACLO, Venezuela) • Latin-American Community of Libraries and Digital Repositories (COLABORA, Ecuador) • Programme of Influenza for Central America and Panama (Influenza, Guatemala) • Initial Academic Training in ICT (TIC en FID, Chile) • Internacional Network for the Recovery of the Non-Material Inheritage of Musical Traditions (ACHALAI, Chile) • High Performance Scientific Computing (ICT in Grids, Colombia) • Community of Arts and Cultura over the Network (ARCU-RED, Colombia) • Image Processing Online Latin America (IPOL-LA, Uruguay) • Open Latin-American Community of Learning and Social Research (CLARISE, Mexico) • Latin-American Community of Space Data Infrastructure (Latin IDE, Ecuador) • Latin-American Community of Research and Knowledge Building (CLIC, Colombia)

20. Communities LA Sientific Communities: identification and building Other initiatives that RedCLARA is carrying on in order to foster the LA research, and to support the current and new communities: • Global search performed by a documentalist funded by the project reported 108 research groups • Granting process for commnuity leaders to attend relevant international events • Agreements with CYTED (Spain) and other agencies is permiting to identify more communities

21. + Services + Collaboration • RedCLARA Portal From March 28, 2011 RedCLARA has an online Portal that offers the services that RedCLARA has modelled and conditioned to meet the needs of the academic, scientific, technological and innovation communities that are emerging within it, either thanks to the ALICE2 project, the IABD initiatives, the 2010 and 2011 (and future) COMCLARA programmes, and all those initiatives constituted by members of the LA NRENs connected to RedCLARA, whether they already exist or get constituted in the future, and wish to access the benefits of the RedCLARA services and Web 2.0 tools made available on-line for their better online interaction and collaboration. Services without registration: • Find a project partner • Institutions connected in LA to RedCLARA (InteliMap) • Check out your connection (done by REUNA)

22. + Services + Collaboration • Our InteliMap

23. + Services + Collaboration • Once registered…

24. + Services + Collaboration • Once registered…

25. + Services + Collaboration • SIVIC – Multiconference / Videoconference scheduler SIVIC, the first service implemented by RedCLARA in collaboration with LA NRENs, incorporates multipoint videoconference units in order to maximise the interaction of the research community and regional development. SIVIC will enable, in one single space, the organisation of videoconferences in different countries, allowing all participants to book their own videoconference rooms in the region.

26. + Services + Collaboration • VC Espresso: A desktop videoconference service which is exclusive for RedCLARA communities. • RedCLARA Aprende: Only for the scientific and technological communities, RedCLARA has created this space in Moodle in order to offer continuous training in the fields of technology and management, among others. • RedCLARA Ve: RedCLARA’s video on demand service features a wide range of videos related mainly to technical training activities on Advanced Internet networks and the implementation of services and applications, series of academic and scientific meetings. It also offers the posibility of hosting the videos produced by the LA scientific communities; the only condition is to be a registered user in the RedCLARA Portal.

27. Communications and PR • September 2004: DANTE asked RedCLARA for help and invited us to collaborate with them in the ALICE project communication processes. So we started to think in our continent, what do we knew about our people, our roots, the way that we understand each other and then we started to create and decided to bet in what we knew: WORDS. So we developed three tools that served as solid and consistent communications channels: • The CLARA website • The DeCLARA bulletin • The DeCLARA Express Newsletter

28. Communications and PR • The CLARA website (Spanish, Portuguese and English) 2005 2008 2011

29. Communications and PR • The DeCLARA bulletin (each 3 months, in PDF format, in Spanish, Portuguese and English, delivered by email and published in the Portal; 7 years, 26 editions):

30. Communications and PR • The DeCLARA Express Newsletter (6 years, only in Spanish, 116 editions) Under ALICE Under ALICE2

31. Communications and PR • 2006 - 2010: RedCLARA CPR participated in the EELA and EELA-2 projects taking care of the visibility issues, and collaborated in the RinGrid project visibility. • Second semester of 2007 to March 2008: Our community was growing and we needed to reflect that growing process and to demonstrate what Latin America was doing in Science, Education, Technology and in the development of its NRENs. What we did? • New Web site • RedCLARA brochures and flyers • A book with the history of the RedCLARA network and the ALICE project (2004 - March 2008), entitled as “In order to get far... you must be near” (http://www.redclara.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30&Itemid=398&lang=en) • Ellaboration of the Visibility part of ALICE2, transversar to all the project’s objectives.

32. Communications and PR • December 2008: ALICE2 lifts off and RedCLARA CPR launches the ALICE2 brand, Web site and changes the image of the DeCLARA bulletin and DeCLARA Express newsletter.

33. Communications and PR • New material: • Illustrated RedCLARA Topology Map • Case studies: Demonstration projects and applications running over the RedCLARA network and hopefully utilizing the connection to GÉANT are the central objectives of this activity. • White book | Advanced Networks in Latin America: Infrastructures for regional development in science, technology and innovation • RedCLARA Compendium of Latin American National Research and Education Networks Two editions: 2009 and 2010

34. LA NRENs PR Network • The ALICE2 Visibility Plan’s objective is to efficiently disseminate the objectives, developments, advances and achievements of ALICE2 and RedCLARA, the services built on top of the network and the advances of the human network as well as to help in the construction of an inclusive RedCLARA community by building an intra-regional dissemination and public relations network (the LA NRENs PR Network).

35. LA NRENs PR Network • A PR Network, what for? • To share knowledge of how to manage dissemination processes. • The LA NRENs need to learn how to communicate what they do, for whom and why, and they also need to learn how to reach those they need as allies. • Furthermore, ALICE2 and RedCLARA could benefit in many ways from the collaboration of the LA NRENs’ future PR representatives, starting with news-sharing and the identification of promotional projects and relevant researchers. • To learn from the TF-CPR experience. • To share our experience and knowledge with CKLN (the Caribbean) and UbuntuNet Alliance (Africa Sub-Sahara), both regional advanced networks intiatives co-funded by the EC.

36. LA NRENs PR Network • Who is contributing to generate the new knowledge? • RedCLARA and some NRENs (mostly the Brazilian, Chilean and Colombian NRENs) have that knowledge and are willing to share it. • The experience of DANTE’s International Relations and Public Relations Departments is also contributing to enhance this exchange of knowledge. • Finally, a very fruitful experience from which to learn is that of the TERENA CPR Task Force that shares knowledge about good PR practices in the field of advanced networks.

37. LA NRENs PR Network • What has been done? • The group started to work in March 2010 • 6 virtual meetings – by videoconference: Really good • A Wiki (hmm… nothing new under this space) • 1 face-to-face meeting (September 27 - 28, 2010, Managua): training in editorial-journalist skills (REUNA + RENATA), mailing lists usage (CUDI), analysis of the use of Twitter and Facebook in the NRENs environment (RedCLARA), our best practices (all), TERENA TF-CPR presentation, DANTE, RedIRIS and LA NRENs CPR representatives presentatios, ALICE2 and RedCLARA. “Pimp my videoconference” exercise: just what TF-CPR did in Vilnius a year ago. The commitment of continue growing together.

38. LA NRENs PR Network • What has been done? • September 28, 2010, Managua; the LA NRENs PR Network, after a great meeting!

39. LA NRENs PR Network • What has been done? • First LA NRENs PR Compendium was delivered in March 2011; based in the TERENA CPR Compendium (PDF format, both in English and Spanish) • Finally, 2 LA NRENs CPR representatives and members of our human network are here after winning a concourse which prize was the one of participating in this particular meeting in order to continue learning and taking the knowledge here gained to their peers in LA: Ixchel Pérez Santamaría and Camilo Jaimes Ocaziones.

40. Thanks for all that you have let us gain starting from your experience! Questions? Maria-jose.lopez@redclara.net