[Imc-finance] Some ideas/proposals for a participatory fund raising procedure for Indymedia
Ilias
ilias at anti2004.net
Sat Jan 11 14:23:02 2003
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SOME IDEAS/PROPOSALS FOR A PARTICIPATORY FUND-RAISING PROCEDURE FOR =
INDYMEDIA
The Indymedia Network has been growing rapidly since the first IMC was =
launched in Seattle more than three years ago.=20
Through its first steps, and during the first exciting months of the =
birth of each individual IMC, raising money wasn't of particural=20
interest. Personal and collective enthusiasm and contribution seemed to =
be sufficient to cover the needs of the network and=20
IMC's.
But this has changed for some time now:=20
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Firstly, the network has now grown to more than 100 nodes. The needs in =
bandwidth and hardware support are constantly=20
growing, it seems to me beyond the point of a few people donating their =
equipment and technical knowledge.=20
On the other hand, the network does not consist anymore of "Global =
North" collectives which, more or less, can find their way=20
in accessing money and equipment: in any case, local fund-raising =
projects can be pretty successful in those countries -=20
without the need of "external" network help. But what about the needs of =
"Global South" IMC's which are increasingly (and=20
happily :)) joining the network? And what about the collectives in =
those countries that don't have the money to even connect to=20
the internet, and therefore even start to discuss joining the network?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Based on the above, and many-many more, it is clear by now that the =
issue is not whether we come up with a fund-raising=20
scheme, but what kind of one we should develop.=20
The issue came most dramatically into surface last Autumn, when the Ford =
Foundation debate exploded. It was a surprise (for=20
some even a shock) to many of Indymedia activists (including myself), =
especially the ones outside North America where=20
foundation funding is common even for radical projects. But it also puts =
us a great challenge: beyond rejecting funding from=20
corporate and government foundations, can we advance to another, =
participatory way of financing our projects?
I believe that this is what Indymedia is all about: bypassing (and not =
only rejecting) the established structures, creating=20
alternatives based on solidarity and participation. We have been very =
successful in achieving that in terms of information=20
exchange and (although the parallelism is not so solid :) i am positive =
that we can do it in every other area too. We already=20
posess a functional and network-wide proscedure to allocate some of the =
funds we have to Indymedia projects and IMC's of the=20
global south. The remaining issue is how to provide the global fund with =
a continuous flow of money, so that we firstly don't run=20
out sometime and secondly materialize even more ambitious projects.
It is necessary to start a discussion on the practical issues of that =
goal, and this e-mail is aiming at putting some first=20
ideas/proposal on the "table":
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Inserting the notion of the "Indymedia supporter"
Instead of depending on large amounts of money from big donors or =
institutions, why don't we ask for very little from the many?=20
It is very easy to open an account in paypal (or another less =
"capitalistic" service) and receive recurring donations (if i have the=20
word right) or else "subscriptions" from the people using Indymedia (and =
the Indymedia community) and wanting to help. With=20
a very small monthly donation ( let's say 2-3$) from a lot of people, =
this sums up to a substantial and continuous fund for=20
imc-finance to disperse. The insertion of this feature should be widely =
publicised (don't want to use the word "advertised")=20
through front page features in IMC-global as well as the "Global North" =
IMCs as well.=20
2. An annual network-wide indymedia fundraiser
Once a year, the IMCs of the Global North could launch a fundraising =
campaign to support the global fund. This could be by organizing events =
(concerts, parties, screenings etc) or asking for really low-value =
donations from as many people as possible. I believe that if this would =
happen pretty much simultaneously and as a common IMC effort, it could =
be pretty successful in financial terms as well as terms of building =
unity in the network, as working for a common goal.
3. Specific network-wide or individual IMC's fundraisers
Finally there could be specific initiatives for supporting single =
projects, organized by the network of IMC's, groups of IMC's, or even =
individual ones. To bring an example: during the days of protests in =
Argentina and worldwide this December (at the "anniversary" of 1 year =
from the Argentinazo) IMC-Athens hold a fund raiser to support =
IMC-Argentina, using the following method: we subtitled an imc video on =
Argentina, copied it in CD's and distributed it for 5 euros during a =
public screening of the video, as well as in other occasions. This way =
we managed to raise some 450$ and wire them to IMC-Argentina. If this =
could have been organized by some other IMC's as well, the 2.800 $ given =
by the global fund today to IMC-Argentina, could have been covered that =
way...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-------------
There are many other practical ways that we could come up with, but the =
idea is the same: grassroots fund-raising, very few money by each =
"donor" but with the idea that we are all donors, coordination and =
decision-making through the collective procedures of IMC-Finance.
Ilias from IMC-Athens
(expressing his personal opinions and not acting as a liaison)
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>SOME IDEAS/PROPOSALS FOR A PARTICIPATORY =
FUND-RAISING=20
PROCEDURE FOR INDYMEDIA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>The Indymedia Network has been growing rapidly since =
the first=20
IMC was launched in Seattle more than three years ago. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Through its first steps, and during the first =
exciting months=20
of the birth of each individual IMC, raising money wasn't of particural=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>interest. Personal and collective enthusiasm and =
contribution=20
seemed to be sufficient to cover the needs of the network and =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>IMC's.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>But this has changed for some time now: =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT=20
size=3D2>----------------------------------------------------------------=
------<BR>Firstly,=20
the network has now grown to more than 100 nodes. The needs in bandwidth =
and=20
hardware support are constantly </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>growing, it seems to me beyond the point of a few =
people=20
donating their equipment and technical knowledge. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>On the other hand, the network does not consist =
anymore of=20
"Global North" collectives which, more or less, can find their way =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>in accessing money and equipment: in any case, local =
fund-raising projects can be pretty successful in those countries -=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>without the need of "external" network help. But =
what about=20
the needs of "Global South" IMC's which are increasingly (and =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>happily :)) joining the network? And what =
about the=20
collectives in those countries that don't have the money to even connect =
to=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>the internet, and therefore even start to discuss =
joining the=20
network?<BR>-------------------------------------------------------------=
---------</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Based on the above, and many-many more, it is clear =
by now=20
that the issue is not whether we come up with a fund-raising =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>scheme, but what kind of one we should develop. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>The issue came most dramatically into surface last =
Autumn,=20
when the Ford Foundation debate exploded. It was a surprise (for =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>some even a shock) to many of Indymedia activists =
(including=20
myself), especially the ones outside North America where </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>foundation funding is common even for radical =
projects. But it=20
also puts us a great challenge: beyond rejecting funding from =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>corporate and government foundations, can we advance =
to=20
another, participatory way of financing our projects?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I believe that this is what Indymedia is all about: =
bypassing=20
(and not only rejecting) the established structures, creating =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>alternatives based on solidarity and participation. =
We have=20
been very successful in achieving that in terms of information =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>exchange and (although the parallelism is not so =
solid :) i am=20
positive that we can do it in every other area too. We already =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>posess a functional and network-wide proscedure to =
allocate=20
some of the funds we have to Indymedia projects and IMC's of the =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>global south. The remaining issue is how to provide =
the global=20
fund with a continuous flow of money, so that we firstly don't run =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>out sometime and secondly materialize even more =
ambitious=20
projects.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>It is necessary to start a discussion on the =
practical issues=20
of that goal, and this e-mail is aiming at putting some first =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>ideas/proposal on the "table":</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT=20
size=3D2>----------------------------------------------------------------=
----<BR>1.=20
Inserting the notion of the "Indymedia supporter"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Instead of depending on large amounts of money from =
big donors=20
or institutions, why don't we ask for very little from the many? =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>It is very easy to open an account in paypal (or =
another less=20
"capitalistic" service) and receive recurring donations (if i have the=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>word right) or else "subscriptions" from the people =
using=20
Indymedia (and the Indymedia community) and wanting to help. With =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>a very small monthly donation ( let's say =
2-3$) from a=20
lot of people, this sums up to a substantial and continuous fund for=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>imc-finance to disperse. The insertion of this =
feature should=20
be widely publicised (don't want to use the word "advertised") =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>through front page features in IMC-global as well as =
the=20
"Global North" IMCs as well. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>2. An annual network-wide indymedia=20
fundraiser</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Once a year, the IMCs of the Global North could =
launch a=20
fundraising campaign to support the global fund. This could be by =
organizing=20
events (concerts, parties, screenings etc) or asking for really =
low-value=20
donations from as many people as possible. I believe that if this would =
happen=20
pretty much simultaneously and as a common IMC effort, it could be =
pretty=20
successful in financial terms as well as terms of building unity in the =
network,=20
as working for a common goal.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>3. Specific network-wide or individual IMC's=20
fundraisers</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Finally there could be specific initiatives for =
supporting=20
single projects, organized by the network of IMC's, groups of IMC's, or =
even=20
individual ones. To bring an example: during the days of protests in =
Argentina=20
and worldwide this December (at the "anniversary" of 1 year from the=20
Argentinazo) IMC-Athens hold a fund raiser to support IMC-Argentina, =
using the=20
following method: we subtitled an imc video on Argentina, copied it in =
CD's and=20
distributed it for 5 euros during a public screening of the video, as =
well as in=20
other occasions. This way we managed to raise some 450$ and wire them to =
IMC-Argentina. If this could have been organized by some other IMC's as =
well,=20
the 2.800 $ given by the global fund today to IMC-Argentina, could have =
been=20
covered that=20
way...<BR>---------------------------------------------------------------=
-----------------------</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>There are many other practical ways that we could =
come up=20
with, but the idea is the same: grassroots fund-raising, very few money =
by each=20
"donor" but with the idea that we are all donors, coordination and=20
decision-making through the collective procedures of =
IMC-Finance.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Ilias from IMC-Athens<BR>(expressing his personal =
opinions and=20
not acting as a liaison)</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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