Hope
The start of 2021 was turbulent taken the unprecedented events in Washington DC. We hope nonetheless that this year will bring us more positivity than the previous one. We hope the situation caused by the pandemic will change for the better allowing us to resume normal life and personal interactions. All of our hopes are pinned on the vaccines but it is clear it will take some more time before we can embrace normal life.
Plans for 2021
In my November column, I mentioned that the new normal of working from home has brought us many good things and made us invent new ways of working. The ISI and Association webinar programme is an excellent example of creativity in difficult times. The expansion of the programme in 2021 will be one of the major tasks for the ISI and Associations.
We are also planning other interactive projects, such as the short course programme associated with the WSC 2021. Traditionally, short courses are held a few days before the WSC, but this year the approach will be different. The short courses will be organized as a virtual programme. The great thing about this new design is that more people will be able to attend without having to spend on costs for international travel and accommodation.
The pandemic has shown that good quality, reliable and transparent statistical information is indispensable. The amount of false data and claims circulating around these days is incredibly large and it is the ISI’s responsibility to continue our efforts in contributing to the development, production and dissemination of sound statistical data. During the past few months we have supported a range of statistical capacity building activities, including quite a few though the LISA 2020 programme in Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana and Pakistan, as well as events in South Africa, Iran, Columbia and Peru. All of these events were very successful and well attended. We are planning to issue a special edition of ISI newsletter including reports on these events.
Thank you for supporting ISI
All of our members have received an e-mail for the renewal of the 2021 membership and I am thankful to those who have already renewed their membership. As ISI does not rely on any government support or other arrangements, the contributions of individual statisticians and organisations are essential for the continuation of our activities. I am grateful to all of you, ISI & Association members and the institutional members, for your continued support of our society.
