[CIMC-working] Is a Soros grant like Ford grant? yes and no in this case

[Doug Morris]

Hi all,

For alterantive media projects, a Soros grant is like a Ford grant in it's 
origin and use.  But, the current case for indymedia is unlike the previous 
Ford grant proposal some ways.  See references below as to why Soros 
projects are a problem.  The first note today discussed how TMF could be 
workable.  This note focuses on the problems with Soros.

Summary:

It seems an application is going in from Urban-Chaimpaign IMC (Illinois) 
under the title Tactical Media Fund (TMF) to Soros's Open Society Institute 
for $60,000 to fund indymedia local and network efforts.

This is stated as a project independent from Indymedia.

There are several key overlaps. See:
PROPOSAL TO THE OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE FOR THE TACTICAL MEDIA FUND AND IN 
SUPPORT OF SEVERAL INDYMEDIA PROJECTS
http://internal.protest.net/osi/

Some indymedia people are seeking such funds now through the 
Urbana-Champaing imc proposal of the tactical media fund that would be used 
in part for funding indymedia network projects.  Further, consider...

Billionaire capitalist Soros' connections include Schuman Group (PBS tied), 
etc. which have also funded left media projects and the CIA, the Bushes, 
Carlyle Group, Citibank, British intelligence, the
Council on Foreign Relations, etc.  Sources noted below.

Of further concern are the sources of Soros' billions in wealth:  various 
financial manipulations which hurt underdeveloped countries. (This point is 
not detailed here -- perhaps others can help detail this.)

Soros's efforts shares a similar set of connections is Ford.   Soros's 
grant work is just as toxic to radical left efforts as the Ford 
Grant.   Indymedia locals should consider this issue now and decide if it 
is necessary to call for the TMF fund to disconnect these aspects of the 
project:
	- seeking funds *directly* for indymedia, by an independent effort
	- seeking funds *directly* for indymedia from Soros funds
	- seeking funds *directly* for indymedia from Soros funds by the UC IMC

As described in a previous note, at least 3 imcs have made formal 
statements against fund seeking in general from capitalists and those 
organizations that work against imc unity principles:

We, as imc locals and an imc network, need to look at this.

The TMF effort may well be very workable if it is further disconnected from 
Indymedia.
Indymedia as a network needs to develop principles and policy relating to 
grants and fund raising in general, that build on the principles of unity. 
See how this can be so in previous note on statements by imcs.

It would be good for imc locals and individual imc participants to discuss 
and make statements on these issues.

Comments?	

References and quotes:

See chart and articles here:

Some of this is conspiracy literature. However, the details seem well 
researched and there are various others sources to be found referenced in 
the following.

ALTERNATIVE MEDIA CENSORSHIP:
SPONSORED BY CIA's FORD FOUNDATION?
http://www.questionsquestions.net/gatekeepers.html

George Soros and the Rothschilds Connection (and CIA, Bush, Citibank, 
British intelligence, etc.)
http://www.freedomdomain.com/soros01.html

Soros Foundation at NameBase
http://www.namebase.org/cgi-bin/nb09?Na=Soros+Foundation
http://www.namebase.org/cgi-bin/nb01?Na=Soros

Who's Who in the CIA
a hard to fund book.  mentions Soros

Some examples of ties from quotes from ALTERNATIVE MEDIA CENSORSHIP: 
SPONSORED BY CIA's FORD FOUNDATION?

1.  Carlyle Group, Ford, Bush, and Soros
"Currently, the wife of the Bush II White House's presidential historian 
(Michael Beschloss] sits on the Ford Foundation board of trustees. Ford 
Foundation Trustee Afsaneh Mashayetkhi Beschloss, a former World Bank 
managing officer, also is the CEO/president of the Carlyle Asset Management 
Group. President Bush II's father George Bush, former Secretary of Defense 
and former Deputy CIA Director Frank Carlucci, former Secretary of State 
James Baker and Billionaire Speculator George Soros are also involved in 
the Carlyle Group that Ford Foundation Trustee Mashayetkhi Beschloss 
manages. The Ford Foundation board-linked Carlyle Group received $1.3 
billion in Pentagon war contracts in 1999, was the 11th-largest recipient 
of Pentagon war contracts in 2000 and invests heavily in war stock."
http://www.questionsquestions.net/feldman/feldman09.html

2. Council on Foreign Relations, CIA, Ford, McArthur, and Soros
Featured on the Council on Foreign Relations web site at www.cfr.org on 
9/26/02 was an advertisement for "a New Council book," which stated 
"Invasion Is The Only Realistic Option to Head off the Threat from Iraq, 
Argues Kenneth Pollack in THE THREATENING STORM." In recent years, the 
vice-chairman of the board of directors of the Council on Foreign 
Relations, Carla Hill, has sat on the board of directors of Chevron (as has 
National Security Affairs Adviser and former Carnegie Corporation of NY 
Trustee Condoleezza Rice). Other members of the Council on Foreign 
Relations include former CIA Director John Deutch, former CIA 
Consultant/MacArthur Foundation Consultant and current Northwestern 
University President Henry Bienen, Richard Holbrooke, Billionaire 
Speculator George Soros and former MacArthur Foundation Director Laura 
D'Andreas Tyson. A few years ago, the Ford Foundation also gave a $701,130 
grant to the Council on Foreign Relations for "core support for the 
activities of the Program on Alternative Future for Southern Asia, its 
Energy and United States Policy."
http://www.questionsquestions.net/feldman/feldman09.html

5. Shuman Foundation and Soros
Bill Moyers, also now sits on the board of directors of Billionaire 
Speculator George Soros' Open Society Institute. But since the former 
publisher of the Schumann Foundation-subsidized COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW, 
Joan Konner, is both a board member of Open Society Institute board member 
Moyers' Schumann Foundation and the president of Open Society Institute 
board member Moyers' Public Affairs TV Inc., don't expect the COLUMBIA 
JOURNALISM REVIEW to question too much the ethical appropriateness of this 
Schumann Foundation/Open Society Institute board interlocking directorate. 
And certainly don't expect too much questioning of such institutional 
relationships by the Schumann Foundation-subsidized FAIR group or by the 
Open Society Institute-subsidized Pacifica/DEMOCRACY NOW or NATION/RADIO 
NATION.
http://www.questionsquestions.net/feldman/feldman09.html

Indymedia should not be directly connected with the above mentioned grant 
agencies.  If the TMF can clean up such funds by requesting them without 
mentioning indymedia and not through indymedia efforts (locals, etc.) then 
such funds could be considered cleaned up and useable. To directly work 
with the above groups would be both risky and damaging to indymedia's 
reputation and networking in various radical community.

We can build indymedia online and offline if we continue to work together 
and let each other know what is going on.

Comments?

These are my own opinions solely.

Best, Doug
Doug
IMC Chicago co-liaison