[IMC-Process] Re: [Imc-finance] IMC West-Vlaanderen on Imc-Finance and TMF - english.

[. .:.:cburn:.:. .]

Greetings!

Again, just to clarify, i am writing as individual of the Los
Angeles IMC. We don't yet have an official finance contact.

1. In the context of fundraising and capital sources, I do not agree that 
there is a distinction between the likes of the Ford Foundation and General 
Motors-Chumbawamba. As i tried to articulate in previous emails here:

http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-finance/2003-February/001739.html

http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-finance/2003-February/001743.html

I firmly believe that it is a shell game to attempt to distinguish one form 
of capital from another, especially when that capital is based upon a state 
issued currency that forms the basis of ruling elite power.

Funders will always try to take credit for their patronage, as Chumbawamba 
did and FF et al continues to do. I am not interested in their PR campaigns, 
their image, or their attempts to "look good" as donors. But I am interested 
in unraveling the mythology that we can somehow distinguish between one 
source of capital from another. I am interested in discussing the affects 
money will have, regardless of the source, on our internal structures.

If we are to discuss the "professionalism", the "values", the "priviledge" 
and the "americanism" of donors, then we must equally discuss the 
professionalism, the values, the priviledge, and the europeanism of 
Chumbawamba-GM capital. If we are consistent, we must have standards that 
apply to everyone. (fyi, i supported taking the
chumbawamba money as i support taking all forms of capital with no
strings attached). And as i wrote earlier, i am unconvinced of the
arguments made so far that try to distinguish between malevolant
and benign sources of capital. It is a mythology and a ruse, in my opinion.

2. I firmly support raising money for the network. I believe that our 
strengh as an IMC network lies in our solidarity, our mutual support, and in 
our ability to provide assistance to our fellow IMC's throughout the world.

I think it is quite "american" to suggest that "if an IMC can't be supported 
by its local people, then it has no reason to exist." This reminds me of the 
"pull yourself up by your bootstrap" mentality we find in the U.S. In 
contrast, I see one role for the IMC Network as a means of redistribution of 
wealth, of solidarity, and mutual aid. For example, the (ridiculously) 
excessive resources (capital, computers, etc) of the north (i.e. primarily 
the U.S.) should be shared and distributed with others that don't have the 
resources necessary to maintain local infrastructure. Indeed, I believe it 
is our *obligation* as members of the pivileged north to seek out capital 
and redistribute it those that request it.

Of course, this is based upon the assumption that local IMC's want this 
help. In the case of Argentina and Ford money, they didn't. That is fine. In 
the case of computers and capital, many IMC's wanted the support, and 
continue to make requests for support.

Also, i find it somewhat offensive to suggest that UC-IMC is making 
politically naive decisions because they allegedly don't live in a diverse 
community. I find this to be very speculative and not based in the 
information that I have read from them. I think these types of critiques 
should be carefully articulated because of undertones of race and class.

To be clear, Los Angeles IMC accepted $10,000 from the Soros Fund for the 
DNC in 2000, which you might even argue that the diversity here affected 
that decision as we were able to publish newspapers that got distributed to 
inner city high schools throughout LA. I would support taking Soros capital 
again for the same reason.

Finally, we all recognize that a local IMC has the autonomy to make 
decisions in regards to their finances. It is their decision on whether 
money gets spent for rent, or for other projects. I firmly support grants 
being used for infrastructure (rent, bandwidth, servers, phones, etc).

In solidarity,
Chris (cburn)
LA IMC










>From: Chuck0 <chuck@mutualaid.org>
>To: frank <frank@riseup.net>
>CC: ". .:.:cburn:.:. ." <agitkid@hotmail.com>,  imc-process@indymedia.org,  
>imc-finance@lists.indymedia.org,  evan@protest.net
>Subject: Re: [IMC-Process] Re: [Imc-finance] IMC West-Vlaanderen on 
>Imc-Finance and TMF - english.
>Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 11:13:07 -0500
>
>frank wrote:
>
>>Please explain to me what non-capitalist money is.  Also, how does money
>>from Ford differ from money from GM-via-a-pop-band?
>
>It isn't this simple. It's not just a problem with where the money comes 
>from, but one of values, privilege, Americanism, professionalism, and on 
>and on.
>
>The Ford Foundation is quite a different entity than GM. My apartment 
>complex--which is one of the last places that offers "affordable housing" 
>in Arlington--was rescued from developers by our tenants association, which 
>worked with county officials and the Fannie Mae Foundation. We managed to 
>get a local nonprofit to buy our complex and the deal was made possible by 
>money from Fannie Mae. Then in December I'm invited to this ceremony in my 
>complex, complete with tent, heat, catering, school choir, and a bevy of 
>country and state officials. I was paid $25 under the table by Fannie Mae 
>to attend this event. Several of us put two and two together later and 
>figured out that Fannie Mae had set up this event to take pictures for 
>their future outreach purposes.
>
>In other words, Fannie Mae is going to use my neighborhood as publicity to 
>make themselves look good. This is what the Ford Foundation would do if we 
>took a big chunk of money from them.
>
>I've heard some things lately at my local IMC meeting about how the IMC-UC 
>is still pursuing more grant money for the IMC network, in this case, via 
>an unofficial "emergency tactical media fund." There is nothing stopping an 
>autonomous group from starting a project like this, but I'd like to suggest 
>that perhaps the folks in Urbana-Champaign haven't examined the political 
>implications of their actions. I'm from Kansas myself, so I understand that 
>when you don't live in a diverse community, you aren't going to be aware of 
>the political and privileged decisions that you are making.
>
>I'm also wondering why the folks associated with the IMC-UC were/are 
>pursuing large grants for the IMC network. Why is this money needed? For 
>computer servers? Isn't their some feeling in the IMC network that local 
>IMC should be self-sustaining financially? My firm belief is that local IMC 
>should be locally supported and that they should stay away from grants. In 
>fact, perhaps the IMC network should talk about banning the use of grants 
>to fund IMCs. Why? Because an IMC should be funded by its supporters and 
>participants, not some remote liberal foundation. If an IMC can't be 
>supported by its local people, then it has no reason to exist. I don't 
>think any of us want to see a situation develop where a local IMC is funded 
>by the Pew Memorial Trust for a handful of IMCistas who have no desire to 
>get their community involved.
>
>Of course, there are good reasons to seek grant money for special projects, 
>such as IMC movies, but I think that IMCs should stay away from grants to 
>pay the rent.
>
>Chuck0
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>Personal homepage        -> http://chuck.mahost.org/
>Infoshop.org             -> http://www.infoshop.org/
>MutualAid.org            -> http://www.mutualaid.org/
>Alternative Press Review -> http://www.altpr.org/
>Practical Anarchy Online -> http://www.practicalanarchy.org/
>Anarchy: AJODA           -> http://www.anarchymag.org/
>
>"The state can't give you free speech, and the state can't take it away. 
>You're born with it, like your eyes, like your ears. Freedom is something 
>you assume, then you wait for someone to try to take it away. The degree to 
>which you resist is the degree to which you are free..."
>---Utah Phillips


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