[CIMC-working] Draft: Chicago IMC statements on grants

[Doug Morris]

Hi all,

We agreed to send statements on the following two positions with a few 
points of emphasis last night.

This is written up for release to the IMC process, communication, and 
finance lists.

I will do this in a bit having volunteered to move from back-up to active 
co-liaison to the network along with Chris K.

I added this point:
Since there are now at least seven statements by IMC locals against the 
Ford Foundation grant we observe the  Ford Foundation grant work is not 
only blocked but be considered suspended as a process by locals or the 
network. We encourage the active parties to acknowledge that the grant 
seeking process is ended.

The sentences after the above are elaborations of points of discussion last 
night.

This is the key elaborated sentence in the stance below:

To protect our individual and collective autonomy, we believe it is 
necessary for the IMC network to clarify and state as part of a principle 
of unity about economic democracy or as a local membership criteria that:
         *funding will not be accepted from corporations or other 
organizations at odds with the IMC Principles of Unity.
         *funding should come preferably with no conditions attached
         *if conditions are attached to funds given by progressive funding 
sources, then such conditions must not be against the Unity principles and 
membership criteria of IMC locals and notice of such conditions should be 
posted to the IMC-Finance list for review and comment by a council of imc 
participants from diverse locals.

I'll leave this up for a week on the chicago lists for comments and 
possible edits before release.

Can anyone translate the final version of this to Spanish?

Best, Doug

The following to be sent separately to:
argentina@indymedia.org,
imc-process@lists.indymedia.org
imc-communication@lists.indymedia.org
imc-finance@lists.indymedia.org

Greetings,

We apologize for the delay in responding to this important issue.

The Chicago-IMC has reached consensus to take the following stances on grants.

We support the IMC Argentina objections to the Ford Foundation Grant:
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-process/2002-September/003794.html

We agree with the IMC Barcelona and IMC Melbourne positions of rejecting 
funding sources affiliated with capitalist corporations:
IMC Barcelona statement
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-finance/2002-September/001521.html
IMC Melbourne statement
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-communication/2002-September/002329.html

Similar to these IMCs, we believe it is best for the IMC locals, projects 
and network to refrain from taking money from any funding sources 
affiliated with capitalist corporations or other organizations at odds with 
the IMC Principles of Unity.

This documentation project webpage on IMC-Finance working group includes 
links to a list of statements by IMC locals and posts by some individuals 
on Ford grant debate:
http://docs.indymedia.org/twiki/bin/view/Global/ImcFinance

Since there are now at least seven statements by IMC locals against the 
Ford Foundation grant we suggest that the Ford Foundation grant work for 
network reasons (and hopefully for local interests) is not only blocked but 
be considered suspended. We encourage the active parties to acknowledge 
that the Ford Foundation grant seeking process is ended.

We understand that the IMC network is an association of autonomous locals 
sharing common networking processes, mutual aid, and the unity principles 
and membership criteria.

To protect our individual and collective autonomy, we believe it is 
necessary for the IMC network to clarify and state as part of a principle 
of unity about economic democracy or as a local membership criteria that:
         *funding will not be accepted from corporations or other 
organizations acting against the intent of the IMC Principles of Unity in 
advancing grass roots democracy, diversity, mutual aid, and open publishing.
         *funding should come preferably with no conditions attached
         *if conditions are attached to funds given by progressive funding 
sources, then such conditions must not be against the Unity principles and 
membership criteria of IMC locals and notice of such conditions should be 
posted to the IMC-Finance list for review and comment by a council of imc 
participants from diverse locals.

Grant seeking should be a transparent and deliberative process.

We do not object to third party agencies releasing funds of questionable 
origin without obligation to IMCs, if in the process such third parties 
would clean up "dirty" money, as most money is indeed that, by releasing 
conditions and expectations.

We encourage IMC locals and working groups to raise funds and request 
donations for projects including the support of IMCs in the global south, 
diversifying server resources, and supporting the dissemination of news and 
views about a diverse array of social justice issues and actions.

Solidarity,
Chicago-IMC