[Imc-finance] Take the Ford Foundation Money but work on Process

[.:.:cburn:.:.]

I wrote this (roughly) to an anonymous IMCer discussing the Ford =
Foundation
money (FF):

Chris
LA IMC

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D

i agree that solidarity is of utmost importance. i said that many
times. and, i also seriously question the process behind the =
organization
of the grant. i am disturbed to hear that the information wasn't =
available sooner on
some of the biggest lists that are responsible for getting the info out. =
this
process, like many IMC processes, need serious work and organization. =
so,
we have to learn from this and advance ourselves in this case. if people =
feel
that information is kept from them, then they will revolt, and i think =
they did
just that.

on the matter of the money, given the difficulties we face as a =
collective=20
organization, both locally and network wide, i question the politics of =
NOT taking the=20
money as i'll explain. The money is only intended to bring people =
together, one of the most powerful tools we need right now to strengthen =
network solidarity. Decision making in regards to who travels will be =
locally based. Did you read anna's email on encuentros? she had a great =
story she relayed:

"My persnal opinon on accepting the money comes in the form of a =
metaphor:
A friend just told me a story about the spanish anarchists:
some of the anarchists hated money and refused to use it. Others only =
hated=20
government money and some printed their own currency to replace the =
dirty=20
money. One day, when somehow a whole bunch of bank money was "liberated" =
during=20
a battle, the anarchists dragged it out into the streets and started =
burning=20
it. But then someone said, 'wait a minute, we can use this money to buy =
guns!'=20
And so they did, and kept fighting the fascists, using their own money =
against=20
them. (for cia/fbi on this list, im not saying we are going to buy guns =
with=20
ford money.... its just a metaphor.)"

that is my position. i think it's ridiculous to take the high ground
with MONEY. i am not criticising the position you are taking which is a =
position
of solidarity, but i am criticizing this position argentina is taking. =
FF money
has no strings attached. in fact, i do think it is a matter of survival =
for the
network. look around at how many IMC's are crumbling. many are =
struggling to=20
survive. i also should point to the Zapatistas as an example. Rage =
Against the=20
Machine gave them a six figure amount. SONY allegedly has ties to =
military contractors.=20
Is this MONEY some how less evil? While being surrounded by 70,000 armed =
troops,
do you think that zapatistas were worried about how they would look (!) =
taking money
from SONY even if it is put through the nice filtered image of Rage? And =
lets be
clear, it is SONY money that made RAGE rich, and capable of being a =
funder.

Also, I have worked with Chumbawamba extensively over the years. I know =
their history
and politics and i know them very well. They made a conscious effort to =
get signed by=20
a major, EMI in this case, a company with former alleged ties to arms =
dealing. They were roasted over the coals for this shift in record =
labels. they have been documented clearly over the years repsonding to =
this criticism. And as a reminder, we took=20
chumbawamba filtered EMI/Universal money. Why? was it because of the =
filter that we
took it? it sounds better doesn't it, that is, coming from chumbawamba =
instead of
EMI/Universal. But the fact remains, we have already taken the money. =
And i supported
it. I still do. In the same way, i support taking the FF money, for the =
same reasons,
no strings attached. This whole discussion is about redirecting =
resources. Do people
remember chumbawamba doing a car commercial (!) in italy and giving the =
money to the
anarchists for legal defense? something the anarchists supported in =
advance of the
car commercial (chumbawamba asked before doing the commercial).

AND, i'll bet that if people were approached who argentina IMC is =
speaking on behalf
of (those that would allegedly be critical of taking the money), we =
might find very conflicting views. we might find people who, like the =
Zapatistas, the anarchists in Italy, or the anarchists in spain, would =
take money that came via the capitalist system (as it all does, of =
course) and use it for their own ends. That is what is upsetting about =
this whole situation. people who need something will take it, whether it =
is food or guns (as in the metaphor above) so long as strings are not =
attached. Morality in times of necessity is reserved for the privileged =
in far too many cases.

Finally, it is process that will save this network and the integrity of =
our communal=20
project called indymedia. this grant process didn't work well. BUT, that =
is what this
grant is intended to help remedy ironically; namely, PROCESS itself...by =
bringing us
together. i think we need to come together face to face to hammer out a =
process that
will ultimately build trust in this global network.

chris

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D