[imc-belgium-finance] [Fwd: [Imc-finance] Request $2500 For
Shipping Computers to Ecuador IMC]
evan@protest.net
evan at protest.net
Fri Sep 6 02:57:04 2002
On Wed, 4 Sep 2002, red kitten wrote:
> Hi Evan (thanx for that quick answer) hi all
>
> I don't really have specific questions, but first of all i think the people
> proposing this project [ a container of computers to South America ] should
> explain it from A till Z. What exactly will be bought, who for, who is it
> gonna be given to, what's planned for fixing those machines afterwards,
> etc, etc ...
While i agree that we should have things explained i think we have to keep
it within reason. I'm not sure how much good it'll do to give every detail
if people don't even read the summaries. Not only am i trying to
coordinate this project, fix up the computers, but also document in two
languages.
There are summaries of the imc-finance process on teh docs site. (which
seems to be down at hte moment, i'll try and fix it after i send this
email.) I'm going to be putting up a section with pages about this
project.
> Ths other point is the amount of money that can be given to one specific
> project. To be able to be aware of the finance situation we should have
> clear and readable figures including:
> - how much money we have
$42,000 in the global fund. As you know each imc and working group has
seperate and autonomous funds. Nobody knows how much money is being raised
or spent across the network.
> - when + how did it comes [for every year, what's from pay-pal, what from
> one shot gift, etc ... ]
A couple big donations. There is no global pay pal or online donation
form.
> - what are the regular cost [ servers, broadband, etc ]
These are paid for by specific imc's which provide servers. Imc-tech has a
fund which is used mostly for purchasing server hardware. Imc-tech also
has a pay pal account through which it has raised around $1500.
> - what are the other projects proposed at the moment
None, the emergency grant to south africa went through a couple days ago.
I am giving notice about this and putting together the proposal to try and
hammer out the non-emergency part of imc-finance.
Sascha has been really quite good about sending out summaries of activity
to the imc-summaries list. He's put a lot of effort in to trying to keep
everybody informed. It's a dificult job because so many people are busy
they don't have time to read even the summaries. Or they are too busy to
know there are busy activist summaries.
> I think we should proceed [ more or less ] like this: every 6 or 4 months
> gather the proposals, which should be made the same way [ fill in form ]
> and that we had time to get information, discussion about it, etc ... Then
> decide what project are gonna be done for the next months, and how much
> money to every of them. [ <= weel this is a really, really drafty proposal ]
Please take a moment to read the process that the network, including the
belgium imc, theoretically consensed upon.
> Because at the moment, proposal of emergency requests just fall in our mail
> boxes and we can say 'YES' or 'NO' just according to a 10 lines proposal ...
Nobody said you can't ask questions. Nobody said you couldn't make counter
proposals. Please take a moment to read through the process. There was a
fair amount of effort put in to trying to get local imc's to discuss this
process. Unfortunately not enough imc's paid attention and brought it up
in their local meetings.
Honestly one of the reasons i put this proposal together is i wanted to
push the imc-finance group in to making it self more functional. This is a
project which i think has pretty wide spread support. I'd be really
surprised if the decision comes through in time to actually be useful in
getting computers to ecuador. I have backup plans for getting the money
but in principle i think we need to move toward a functional imc-finance
process.
>
>
>
> At 16:57 03-09-02 -0700, you wrote:
> >Bart and Tim I'd be happy to answer any questions you have. There is a
> >month for this and as i said that wasn't a final proposal. I'd really
> >appricate it if you sent me specific questions so i could answer them
> >before people make their decisions. Nobody's saying this is a one way
> >process. Honestly i'd like to not have to take any money from the global
> >fund but this project also has a lot of potential.
> >
> >It's my understanding that the global finance process that was agreeded
> >upon was more or less in place. We needed to now try a few projects and
> >see how it worked. If there is a problem then we can adjust. Honestly i
> >haven't read all the mail over imc-finance so i'm not 100% on this. It
> >would be nice if we could get the imc-finance process clearly stated and
> >on teh wiki, if it's not already.
> >
> >For what it's worth this is still and active discussion about how this
> >will all work out and grow within the latin american indymedia network.
> >
> >in solidarity,
> >evan
> >
> >On Tue, 3 Sep 2002, red kitten wrote:
> >
> > > I think that's really few informations for such a big project and such an
> > > amount of money.
> > > I'm a bit annoyed that we always ask us to say 'yes' or 'no' to a fund
> > > request meanwhile we almost don't knwo anything about the projects and the
> > > global situation of the finance and the needs.
> > > This isn't really a serious way to work, i think. This looks perfectly
> > > democratic, but actually this isn't at all: it's iresponsible.
> > > We cannot make serious and aware decision this way, sorry.
> > > For the rest, this project sounds really nice, that's not the point! =^_^=
> > >
> > > solidarity /// love 2 all [ ... and kill the bastards ]
> > >
> > > /// r e d . k i t t en /// belgium indymedia
> > >
> > > ===========================================
> > >
> > >
> > > At 08:42 03-09-02 +0200, Bart wrote:
> > > >-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > > >Hash: SHA1
> > > >
> > > >gaat iedereen hiermee akkoord ?
> > > >Bart
> > > >
> > > >- -------- Oorspronkelijke bericht --------
> > > >Onderwerp: [Imc-finance] Request $2500 For Shipping Computers to
> > Ecuador IMC
> > > >Datum: Mon, 2 Sep 2002 17:04:20 -0700 (PDT)
> > > >Van: evan@protest.net
> > > >Antwoord-naar: evan@protest.net
> > > >Aan: imc-finance@indymedia.org
> > > >CC: sending_boxes@lists.riseup.net
> > > >
> > > >I'm not sure exactly what form a full request should be in but this is a
> > > >pre notice that it'll be coming down the pike in the next week or two.
> > > >This is a project that a number of individuals from imc-tech, indymedia
> > > >portland, san francisco, ecuador and the whole Latin Ameircan imc network
> > > >have been working on. At their meeting on the 1st of September the latin
> > > >american imc's came to agreement to back this project and request that
> > > >some money from the imc global fund be used for this project. After
> > > >shipping computers to ecuador both the Brasil and Argentina imc's are very
> > > >interested in working on making this an ongoing project. This project has
> > > >already attracted supportive foundation interest and we hope that it'll be
> > > >funded in the future without drawing on existing indymedia global funds.
> > > >
> > > >Summary: Project to ship a container of approx. 250 to 400 refurbished
> > > >~ computers to Ecuador to extend the technical capacity of
> > > >~ civil society and the anti-globalization movement
> > > >~ leading up to the anti-FTAA protests in early November.
> > > >~ If successful this will be the first stage in an ongoing
> > > >~ project to send large numbers of computers to social
> > > >~ movements in the global south through indymedia.
> > > >
> > > >Date/Timeline:
> > > >~ 1 Month. We will be using the initial $2000 to $2500 we have
> > > > raised from friends of the portland imc for shipping costs. This
> > > > $2500 will be needed for fees, shipping, and storrage within
> > > > ecuador, training materials, and other unexpected expenses.
> > > > We expect to ship the container mid to late September with the
> > > > hope that we will be able to begin distributing by early
> > > > November.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >Proposal Description:
> > > >
> > > >The single most consistent request from indymedia activists in the global
> > > >south is for computers and media making equipment. Even though the
> > > >internet and computers are reshaping the world they are only doing it for
> > > >those who have access to the equipment. For the past two and a half years
> > > >indymedia has prided itself as a network which takes the tools of media
> > > >and communications and puts them in the hands of people working for social
> > > >change. For this mission to become a reality we need equipment. Computers
> > > >play a central role in all media making and communication today. At the
> > > >same time thousands good working computers are thrown out because they are
> > > >a year or two out of date. This project thinks big and is attempting to
> > > >not only solve the needs of a single organization but to build capacity
> > > >across the breadth of the movement for a just society.
> > > >
> > > >By working with the Alameda County Computer Recycling Center (accrc.org)
> > > >in Oakland and Free Geek in Portland we have found a free source of
> > > >recycled computers. ACCRC and Free Geek take used computers from US
> > > >companies and refurbishes them for non-profits, the poor, and educational
> > > >institutions around the world. We are organizing our own labor to test the
> > > >incoming boxes and put together the parts into useable systems with a
> > > >Spanish language version of Linux installed. From there the ACCRC will
> > > >load them up on to pallets and in to the container for shipping. Once the
> > > >container arrives our Ecuadorian partner organizations will work with a
> > > >customs import agent to get the boxes through customs and hauled up to
> > > >Quito. In Quito we will be able to supply computers to all the groups
> > > >coming in to town for the convergence against the FTAA at the beginning of
> > > >November. To avoid the mistakes of past projects shipping computers we are
> > > >working on putting together short workshops introducing the people and
> > > >organizations receiving computers on basic use.
> > > >
> > > >We currently are doing outreach to groups in Ecuador and arranging
> > > >logistics. At the moment we working with Indymedia Ecuador, CONFEUNASSC
> > > >(The National Ecuadorian Campesino Organization), and Action Ecologica.
> > > >These and other groups have been involved in coordinating the Ecuadorian
> > > >Social Forum and have been central in the struggle to save the rainforest,
> > > >against dolarization, and recently the privatization of electricity. While
> > > >most groups in Ecuador have a couple computers there is a compelling need
> > > >for more.
> > > >
> > > >Provisional Budget:
> > > >
> > > >Computers, monitors, printers, etc... $0 (paper value $100,000)
> > > >Shipping Container from Oakland to Guayaquil $2500 for 20 foot container
> > > >~ $3200 for 40 foot container
> > > >Shipping in Ecuador and Customs $2000 (guess)
> > > >Trainings and training material $500
> > > >
> > > >~ Raised Already: $2500
> > > >~ Total cost: $5000 to $5700
> > > >
> > > >~ Needed: $2500
> > > >
> > > >For more information and to talk to us about this project please email
> > > >evan@indymedia.org or call 707-822-1860.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >_______________________________________________
> > > >Imc-finance mailing list
> > > >Imc-finance@lists.indymedia.org
> > > >http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-finance
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >- --
> > > >"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and
> > > >I'm not sure about the former." (Einstein)
> > > >
> > > >bart at indymedia.org | http://indymedia.be
> > > >bart at thepits.be | http://thepits.be
> > > >icq: 48682266
> > > >
> > > >gpg --keyserver keys.indymedia.org --recv-keys be196251
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> > > >Comment: Using GnuPG with Debian - http://enigmail.mozdev.org
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> > > >_______________________________________________
> > > >Imc-belgium-finance mailing list
> > > >Imc-belgium-finance@lists.indymedia.org
> > > >http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-belgium-finance
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > Imc-finance@lists.indymedia.org
> > > http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-finance
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>