[CIMC-working] Re: global funding issues, outlines ... Re: statements againts grants from capitalist funds by imcs

[Doug Morris]

Ian,

Thanks for pointing out the need to consider the issue of donated server 
space.
Below is a point of general agreement and some problems that I see with 
what you wrote.

We are in agreement about the need to be strategic on various levels, 
including tech resources.

That is a main point of the note you are replying to.  It is not good 
enough to critique a given grant process or a type of grants.  Indymedia 
needs to engage in strategic planning.

I believe that the Chicago IMC should in addition to querying UC IMC as 
Chris suggests and in addition to proving further analysis of the coopting 
aspects of grant making, that we should discuss and draft and circulate an 
outline of strategy issues (such are available in imc space to build on) 
and a call for discussion of such.

There are three problems I see with your statements.

1. I am not sure your claim is correct -- about indymedia depending 
completely on commerical donation of time. I believe that Riseup.net is 
donates server space to Indymedia.  It explains itself as a collective run 
on volunteer time.
See: http://home.riseup.net/about-riseup/about-us.html . The riseup "about" 
statement is reproduced below.
You can find more other collectives engaged in tech activism here -- the 
group names there come up in indymedia space: 
http://home.riseup.net/tech-activism.html

2. The issue raised in the previous note was about the need to discuss the 
coopting nature of capitalist grant agencies that are very active in 
funding left press gatekeepers, like Soros and Ford.  There was further a 
call for strategizing to avoid cooptation by reaching out to such grant 
agencies.  This is a key point and the problems in such funding need to be 
articulated.   There are various types of capitalist organizations -- some 
of the worst of these are those that actively promote the interests of the 
intelligence community in supressing and manipulating the left.  So, the 
Soros and Ford grants need to be given extra analysis beyond that given to 
any old grant.

3. The Chicago IMC has already made a statement, as have 2 other imcs (and 
a good many more probably believe this way), that we do not agree with 
Indymedia seeking grants directly from capitalist associated 
foundations.  If any Indymedia systems are dependent on capitalist 
corporations for server space, then following our statement indymedia would 
need to be moving away from this towards media collectives and/or paying 
for our own space.  It is quite possible to create a cooperative and gift 
economics of information and tech and IMC is participating in that.  To 
link to capitalist mechanisms for survival is very problematic and needs to 
be considered very carefully, through rejecting, creating buffers and/or 
creating cooperative processes.

Perhaps we are in agreement on these issues...
At any rate, we have a lot of thinking and talking to do together about 
this stuff.

Best, Doug

***
About riseup

http://home.riseup.net/about-riseup/about-us.html
riseup.net is a project of the Red Cursor Collective, a 100% volunteer 
effort of activists using technology for radical social change. We provide 
training, web hosting, listservs, email accounts, and any kind of tech 
support needed by the activist community.
Currently, our costs greatly exceed the donations we have received. If you 
want to support us, please donate online.
We are always looking for new members to help work on the many projects we 
have going. You don't have to be a tech genius to help out, heck, you don't 
even have to like computers.

At 12:58 PM 12/16/02 -0600, you wrote:
>Regarding funding:
>
>I would like it to be clear that Indymedia receives a great deal of 
>support in the way of network and computer services, largely donated by 
>corporations or the occasional individual.  Network services in particular 
>are generally donated on an ongoing basis -- i.e., they imply an ongoing 
>relationship.  There are no proposals to change this that I know of, and 
>certainly no practical alternatives presented.
>
>In light of this I see no way we could consider rejecting support from 
>corporations or capitalist interests.  Any proposal should address how to 
>come to terms with this support, not whether to accept it.
>
>It would not be impossible for IMCs, individually or in collaboration, to 
>pay for their own hosting services -- the costs aren't prohibitive.
>But that requires a consistency of fundraising that I don't think we have 
>yet seen, and any lapse in funding would be catastrophic for the IMC.
>
>It is not difficult to imagine an environment where corporations that are 
>sympathetic to Indymedia would not be willing to donate because of 
>coercive influences.  But that's not the case right now.  The first step 
>to protecting ourselves from that situation would be to develop the 
>ongoing resources so that we could fund tech needs if necessary.
>
>On Monday, December 16, 2002, at 10:49 AM, Doug Morris wrote:
>>Hi all,
>>
>>I agree with Chris, with an addition of some of us preparing further 
>>analysis to share widely with a circle of imc locals.
>>
>>See links and
>>***outline for further analysis*** and strategic discussions below.
>>
>>Chris wrote:
>>http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-chicago-
>>working/2002-December/000334.html
>>"Given the facts and history of the situation, as framed by Doug in his 
>>emails of 12/15 to this list, I would move for Chicago Indymedia to 
>>consider and possibly approve the following action on behalf of Chicago 
>>Indymedia:
>>
>>"A solely collective-to-collective dialogue among Chicago, 
>>Urbana-Champaign, and other IMCs on the (global) IMC-Finance list, 
>>translated into several languages. By this I mean that each and every 
>>statement in the dialogue would have to be approved by each respective 
>>IMC. The purpose would be to clarify UC-IMC's grant-pursuing actions to 
>>date, and to develop an IMC-Network-wide policy -- or principles, if you 
>>like -- describing parameters for all future pursuits of donations and 
>>funding. In lieu of a UC-IMC agreement to this dialogue, I would move to 
>>censure the UC-IMC on several global Indymedia listserves."
>>
>>OK. Reasonable approach. How to go forward?  Do following first? Then 
>>write summary?
>>
>>Add to this:
>>Last night, in a talk with Dick, Don, and Garth after the peace vigil and 
>>march, this Sunday night, yesterday:
>>
>>We decided to do some analysis of imc's strategic situation now and share 
>>a note about that widely with the imc network.  In my understanding, we 
>>want to ask some questions about where we are as a network and share some 
>>of our views about that and where and how we can get there as a diverse 
>>grass roots network.
>>
>>Further, in my understanding of the discussion wrap up and to specify it 
>>further, we think that it would be helpful to write something to 
>>summarize some of the current, existing studies of cooptation of the 
>>left, especially media, by the establisment.  And, it would be helpful to 
>>outline some strategic issues related to indymedia organizing, networking 
>>and funding in terms of the Tactical media fund, Soros Grant application 
>>(and ford app.), UC-imc generator role in this, and the development or 
>>not of indymedia network:
>>
>>The following can be considered as drafts for revision and further 
>>development of some of these issues. There is an outline of new strategic 
>>piece at the end:
>>
>>Key questions would include:
>>- what is the future of fundraising -- through grants, donations, etc. -- 
>>in imc, in particular in relation to the tactical media fund?
>>tactical media fund: possibilties & criticisms of start up problems
>>http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-chicago-
>>working/2002-December/000326.html
>>
>>- what do various local imcs think of the seven statements on grants. 
>>what are their positions. see this:
>>statements againts grants from capitalist funds by imcs
>>http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-chicago-
>>working/2002-December/000327.html
>>
>>- what are some of the serious dangers in working with foundations like 
>>Ford, Soros/OSI, McArthur, etc.:
>>Is a Soros grant like Ford grant? yes and no in this case
>>http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-chicago-
>>working/2002-December/000328.html
>>George Soros, Imperial Wizard - Covert Action Quarterly
>>http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-chicago-
>>working/2002-December/000332.html
>>
>>-an new post analyzing imc's strategic and funding challenge and 
>>*opportunity* as a grass roots network:
>>Ask and explore...
>>How have grant making and organizing by elite activists lead to the 
>>cooptation of left projects?
>>How can grant making by grassroots projects lead to reformism, cooptation 
>>and/or failure or to successful extensive dialog and network 
>>diversification, fluid communication *and* cooperation?
>>
>>Outline of topics:
>>Develop some of the above threads, noting specific cases of cooptation of
>>         left movements
>>         alternative media
>>And consider...
>>*what are factors that can lead to reformism. These could include:
>>                 writing the plans of projects so as to sell them
>>                 organizers working with each other in private
>>                         and not with their locals and networks of activists
>>                 pursuing meaningful dialog between center and left to 
>> justify radical projects
>>                 establishing projects and offices with budgets and staff
>>
>>Note: the above four reformism factors may be active in the UC-imc TMF 
>>proposal.
>>
>>*what are factors in sharing the strategic development of power from 
>>below (and in avoiding reformism and failure in grassroots projects):
>>                 co-develop projects from base with widespread participation
>>                 participants working in public together to generate 
>> issues from struggles and principles
>>                 pursuing meaningful dialog amongst and across grassroots 
>> activists
>>                 being fluid and patient with project expectations and 
>> practices
>>
>>Note:  The imc network is yet to successful engage in grassroots 
>>strategizing via extensive networks and circles of dialog, either online 
>>or off.  There have been some calls for this recently to start on the 
>>imc-strategies listserv.
>>
>>Then post the above somewhere(s) and write a summary note/article or two.
>>Perhaps write an initial Chicago statement and query to UC-imc for 
>>approval Sunday.
>>Then, send to UC-imc and post that widely in imc listserves and newswires?
>>
>>Timeline to do:  a week?  reach out now (with outline of above posts and 
>>a simple intro) to imc barcelona, melbourne, athens and other imcs with 
>>statements on grants.  ask for input and aprise of our looking at this 
>>issue.  Then, wrap this up by meeting time Sunday?
>>
>>So, what next to enter into the above together? What else to do?
>>Comments?
>>
>>Doug