CAFA vs AIDA CANADA

[wes]

I do not see that CAFA or AIDA CANADA has been transparent in this and to me this lack of transparency is what is most controversial.

There are many ways to be transparent on this as follows:

For example neither one posted in public about this controversy until it was almost decided.

Neither one has posted in public their applications.

Neither one has explained why they have not done either of the above.

To be transparent in things is very beneficial I have found and it doesn't mean that one has to tell everything that is going on all the time.

For example if AIDA International has asked CAFA and AIDA Canada to not disclose their applications until after the AIDA International vote then CAFA or AIDA Canada could have issued press release saying that AIDA International has requested we not release the applications until after the vote and we will release them as soon as we are notified of the vote.

In general my opinion to being transparent is being able to answer any questions and especially questions about the reasons things are being done. This is easy if one has thought thru why things are being done and what is being managed for as decisions are being made. It is much harder if the ultimate goals or visions are not clear and decisions are made without clear reasoning behind them. Again this does not mean that the answer to all questions will be what the person asking the question wants. Sometimes the answer would be "this information is being with held and here is why and here is when it will be released and why".

Cheers Wes Lapp

[Tom Lightfoot]

Here is a chronology of events on the CAFA side:

October 23 - AIDA International requests proposal from CAFA board to be the 2009 AIDA National
November 8 - CAFA board submits proposal to AIDA International
November 10 - Matt Charlton (CAFA President) informs freedivecanada list about competition between CAFA and AIDA Canada to become Canada's AIDA National
December 7 - AIDA International announces vote result to CAFA board
December 7 - Matt Charlton informs freedivecanada list about vote result
December 8 - Matt Charlton posts CAFA's proposal to freedivecanada list.

Both CAFA and AIDA Canada are accountable to their membership, the general Canadian freediving community and to AIDA International. As all posts to the freedivecanada email list make it to all three, I would say that CAFA has been reasonably transparent in this process.

I will seek the board's permission to post CAFA's AIDA National proposal on the freedivecanada website so that the international freediving community can also see it.

So far the AIDA Canada president has refused all requests from the CAFA board or myself to see their proposal.

Tom Lightfoot
Freedive Canada - Home

[wes]

Tom,

Thanks for that very transparent post. I didn't realize the time was so short between the initial notification and the AIDA International vote, I guess I had assumed CAFA had been working on it for a longer period.

I think 2009 and 2010 will be a very exciting time for freediving in North America and look forward to supporting CAFA and their comps that I have enjoyed so much in the past.

Cheers Wes Lapp

[Tom Lightfoot]

As promised, here is a link to CAFA's proposal to AIDA International to retain its status as AIDA National for 2009:

http://www.freedivecanada.com/admin/...ional_2008.pdf

Tom

[VaclavH]

Originally Posted by efattah

I find it hard to understand why people are so focused on the past, when what we should be talking about is the future. I have read both applications and they are 100% factual; all facts are supported by appropriate evidence, and there's no point in blaming AIDA for anything.

.

But you have read both applications which gives you the inside point of view.
And that is what many CAFA members are asking for. To have a chance to read it.
Vaclav

[gbo200]

Dear Freedivers,

I trust you have all had a good holiday period. I received a dive knife and stringer from my office as a Christmas present so it was good for me! However the highlight was seeing my daughter's face when she got her first bike on Christmas morning. What a treasure!

Anyhow, back to matters at hand...

Thanks to everyone for their continued postings and interest in this issue. It proves to me that my concerns are not unfounded.

First to Peter:

"George, when you write this, you, as a CAFA member (but not a board member or in any official capacity), certify that since CAFA has nothing to hide (in your opinion), that then must mean that AIDA Canada/International do have something to hide.

What this does is cast doubt on AIDA Canada's position without any basis in fact. As do statements of CAFA's worth and value (from Tom and Glen) that do nothing to acknowledge why many freedivers have chosen a different path and why the AIDA Board voted to assign AIDA Canada as a delegate. This kind of communication style prevents the building of trust to allow for safe discussion of these issues."

Sorry Peter, when I write CAFA has nothing to hide, does not mean I am certifying that AIDA Canada do. Those are your words, not mine. The two events are not collectively exhaustive. Therefore the rest of your quote above is somewhat irrelevant. This issue is complicated and difficult enough without you imagining issues to argue about.

New news:

Although it is early in 2009, I am diappointed to see that the body representing Canada to AIDA still does not yet have thier website up and running. It makes me wonder how much they really want to represent Canada if they can not even deliver on this simple task. Peter as a board member of AIDA Canada said it would be up 1 January, so where is it? If you want to build trust, you have to earn it through delivery.

I would still like to see AIDA Canada's submission to AIDA International. As it seems they won because of thier large membership base, I am particularly interested to see the membership listing.

CAFA is due to have a general election around the end of January. So hopefully the new executive will be able to pull the organisation together and increase membership.

I stand by my premise that AIDA should not have had the power to make this change without giving the existing AIDA affiliate a period to sort out whatever problems have come to light. There should also be a complaints procedure in place for people to voice their concerns to AIDA about their national body. This is just real world common sense.


Sincerely,

gbo200

[gbo200]

Snore!!!!!

There is still no AIDA Canada website up as of 19 January. If I wanted to join, could I? How is this organisation promoting freediving in Canada?

AIDA Canada Home

I can't believe it!

gbo200

[ggarrett]

Originally Posted by gbo200

Snore!!!!!

There is still no AIDA Canada website up as of 19 January. If I wanted to join, could I? How is this organisation promoting freediving in Canada?

AIDA Canada Home

I can't believe it!

gbo200

It's up now.
AIDA Canada Home

In peace,
Glen

[Nikkey]

gbo200,
Being that you were a founding memeber of CAFA I would think that you would understand sometimes things hit bumps in the road or kinks when you are starting up something new, that is my guess to the delayed website premier.
Regardless though I really don't think a discussion trying to pit CAFA and AIDA Canada against one another has any benefit for freediving in Canada. I also would not call it good promotion for the sport here either. We live in a large country that has room for two organizations. You can't make everyone happy all the time and these two organizations are taking different approaches, I personally think that does benefit Canadian freediving. There is no reason this has to split the community or become a competition.