Dues Issue - An International Perspective

[Raquel Torres Carvajal]

To all the Canadian and American members, I will tell you this in the controversy regarding the foreign "subsidy".

I am an INTERNATIONAL student who recently completed a post-graduate technical writing program in Canada. I joined the STC after being encouraged by my teachers and instructors. Seeing as though I live in Canada, I saved up and paid the required fee in Canada.

HOWEVER...

I want to share with all of you my personal perspective on this issue, which I believe is fairly representative of how a foreign member would react to the fee issue.


First, you must recognize that there are very big differences between enjoying the benefits of the STC in North America, and being a member abroad. Secondly, and to put it blunty, the STC has too much to gain by encouraging international members to join, and few will probably do it if the fees are prohibitively high. Please, take a moment to read the reasons below and you might understand the perspectives of an "international" prospective member that I am providing you.

1. International members have less opportunities to participate in STC-related activities.

Despite the theory that "if you join the same organization you should pay the same fees," we must acknowledge there are big differences between participating "locally" and participating "remotely". Foreign members are not going to be able to attend the usual conferences, groups, speakers, and special events, which are usually (if not always) held in North American locations. Its one thing to spend 300 and fly from Canada for a conference, and another one to spend 3000 and fly from Singapore. Furthermore, for many foreign members English will not be their first language, and they will have to work harder to contribute submissions, participate in contests, scholarships and competitions, and overcome the language barrier. In general, the language barrier will already make the content less accessible without having the fees making it look even less appealing.

2. Purchasing power is not the same everywhere. 50 US/CAD dollars are the equivalent of 100,000 Colombian pesos, 550 Mexican pesos, 5,800 Japanese Yen. Etc. 

I don't think I need to explain the outcome if a foreign member has to choose between paying their semester's books, their kid's braces, their company's uniform, or joining the STC. If the STC could get their recruiting organized, they could attempt to offer their international memberships to universities, corporations, and institutions, which may be able to afford the standard rates, instead of going after individuals. 


3. Some of the most ground-breaking Technical Communication advances, technologies, and processes are being developed outside North America.

I don't mean to put down or belittle the amazing advances that North America provides for the Technical Writing profession; however, some of the most exciting developments and implementations of Technical Writing are ocurring in Europe, Asia, and South America. STC will lose out on the richness of these topics by discouraging foreign members to share their expertise. I invite you all to take a look at Mexico's use of XML and content management in their nationwide e-educational system, or Asia's amazing leaps in automated translation technology. You will find that reduced fees may be well worth the price for knowledge of these technologies.

4. The STC needs to wake up and smell the competition. 

Technical Communicators have to hone their skills in many areas, and we are not competing solely against other Technical Writing professional associations, but also numerous computing, technology, and writing-related groups. If I had 50.00 bucks, I might decide to join, say, an XML, computing, HTML, Open Source, Translation, content management, or any number of competing professional associations instead of the STC. This is not to mention the fact that other countries and languages have their own Technical Communication professional associations vying for the same buck.

So, in conclusion, this is a matter for members to discuss and decide. But try this little mental exercise. Would you pay XX.00 of dollars to join a Technical Communication group based in Europe, Asia, or South America, in a language different than your own, whose reputation you could not personally verify, whose meetings you may or not be able to attend, and who may or may not value your contributions as a professional????
THEN
decide on the fees.

Raquel Torres
Montreal, Canada