[CIMC-working] near final draft: Chicago IMC statement on Tactical Media Fund

[Doug Morris]

Hi folks,
Per approval at IMC Chicago meeting yesterday, I'll send this out today to 
imc process and finance lists.

The main points are broken down and numbered at top of note now.

I added these general points, based on discussions:
In addition to needed criticisms, we think it is important to focus on 
positive creative grassroots solutions to challenges.

Some in our local collective have long thought that some of the issues 
being addressed at a global network level (such as tech, process, and 
finance issues) may be better addressed through discussions at regional 
indymedia network levels.

I expanded the point about Soros by a sentence to generally describe the 
threat. See below.

Comments on the note?
Thanks, Doug

near final draft:

Chicago IMC statement on Tactical Media Fund

Hi people,

We are concerned about the following aspects of the Tactical Media Fund:

1. The TMF's use of the ***Indymedia name and accomplishments*** in TMF 
fundraising for Indymedia (though it claims an independent status from 
Indymedia).

2. TMF is raising funds for a number of major ***Indymedia projects***, 
without openly and widely communicating and working with Indymedia 
activists and locals about the development of those plans.

3. The TMF seems to be closed to Indymedia activists and locals that may 
wish to participate in or observe the TMF processes that may help shape the 
future of Indymedia.

4. The TMF application for funds from the Open Society Institute of 
***predatory capitalist George Soros*** is a very serious challenge for 
Indymedia. The problem with grant making to Soros is not just about dirty 
money (from the financial rape by Soros organizations of whole societies), 
but about the ***co-opting power, strategies and influence*** of large 
establishment foundations. Discussion of these issues will be sent in a 
future note.

5. In light of the above and other concerns, TMF efforts might seriously 
interfere with both legitimate independent and internal fund raising 
efforts for Indymedia.

In addition, we support many of the criticisms that have been raised by the 
Argentina and San Francisco/Bay Area IMCs of the Soros grant and of TMF.

In addition to much needed criticisms of the TMF, we think it is important 
to focus on positive creative grassroots solutions to challenges.

We think it is possible to work with independent grant making groups that 
wish to support Indymedia projects. But, we think that fund raising 
strategies, especially specific plans, for Indymedia projects need to be 
developed through collaborative discussion with the Indymedia network. We 
think network-wide grant seeking criteria are needed.

Some in our local collective have long thought that some of the issues 
being addressed at a global network level (such as some tech, process, and 
finance issues) may be better addressed through discussions at regional 
indymedia network levels.

To see more concerns, links to articles with powerful criticisms of Soros 
and other major foundations that directly work to co-opt left projects, and 
a link to arguments by 7 IMC locals in objection the Ford Foundation grant 
proposal in September-October, 2002, please see the following note.

The Chicago IMC collective sent the following email to the TMF group and 
Urbana-Champaign IMC on December 30, 2002 with a number of questions about 
the TMF's relation to the Indymedia network:

Open letter to Urbana-Champaign IMC and TMF proposal creators
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-chicago/2003-January/001198.html
[Note: This is a copy of the original note. The December 30 original does 
not appear in our list archives.]

A TMF statement to the Imc-finance list did speak to some of our concerns, 
but the above concerns and others remain:
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-finance/2003-January/001686.html

We apologize for the lack of translation. We are requesting help with this.

We look forward to further dialog and the development of ***various*** 
Indymedia participatory grassroots fund raising strategies and projects, 
such as an ongoing donation campaign.

In Solidarity,
Chicago IMC