I oppose pursuing a Ford grant Re: [Imc-finance] Fwd: 2002 Ford Grant -- Draft 3

[Chris Kaihatsu]

Sheri, Sascha, all,

My apologies. I certainly don't mean to dismiss the extraordinary efforts o=
f yourselves in pursuing always-needed funding for the growth of the IMC =
network.

I have since caught up on most of the discussion regarding the Ford grant.

Also, I understand that grants usually do NOT have political strings attach=
ed, and so the source is often irrelevant -- what counts are the formal g=
uidelines and process required to receive and maintain the grant.

However, I have also seen the Italian and Argentine IMCs weigh in against p=
ursuing the grant. I would hope that *all* discussions regarding this iss=
ue will be posted to the process/finance lists so that everyone may revie=
w all arguments.

And, I would like to see this approval process move toward a globally compr=
ehensive one. Consensus requires discussions of all reservations that com=
e up, as you are doing with IMC Argentina. IMC locals should discuss and =
collectively weigh in on this important issue, through their liaisons.

Keep up the good work.


Chris Kaihatsu
(Chicago IMC)






-----Original Message-----
From: Sascha Meinrath <sascha@ucimc.org>
To: Chris Kaihatsu <ckaihatsu@myrealbox.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 10:37:18 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Re: I oppose pursuing a Ford grant     Re: [Imc-finance] Fwd: 2002=
 Ford Grant -- Draft 3

Hi Chris (et al.),

Sheri, I, and many other active Indymedia participants are working
collaboratively with IMC-Argentina and others who have raised concerns to
find a mutually agreed upon process and solution.  You seriously
mischaracterize this endeavor by claiming it to be "Sheri's" and spread
further mis-information about the intent and process that is being
followed.

The Ford Grant is exactly the kind of bottom-up activity you claim to
support -- a grant given to a local IMC to help support the Network.  No
one working on this grant has any intention of dividing or fragmenting the
Network and everyone who I have been in communication with regarding
IMC-Argentina's concerns takes them seriously and to heart.

I am also unclear as to how you feel the draft is "unrepresentative of the
Indymedia network."  Sheri has been working extremely hard to disseminate
information to as many people as possible, and your attacking her for her
efforts is both un-productive and disheartening.  Folks who have concerns
should definitely raise them, but the attacks on other IMC participants
and false-assumptions really need to stop.  No one working on the Ford
grant is absolutely wedded to the idea of accepting it -- our goal is to
build the Network; currently, we are waiting for IMC-Argentina to discuss
a few options that have been raised and will continue to work towards
forging a solution that is mutually agreable.  THAT is what Indymedia is
about.

--Sascha Meinrath
Urbana-Champaign IMC