[Imc-finance] Re: SF-IMC Thoughts on TMF

[brandon]

Lisa or other SF-IMC members, could you clarify a few things for me, i will
forward them onto the Alberta IMC. 

In the SF-IMC statement:

> 1. HOW OSI GRANT WILL AFFECT INDYMEDIA
> 
> One month after The Ford Foundation proposal issue came
> to a close, information about a similar grant project
> asking for funding from the Open Society Institute
> (OSI)
> surfaced under the auspices of the Tactical Media Fund
> (TMF).
> 
> The OSI grant proposals would intervene in the
> Indymedia Network in a variety of ways. Goals included
> in the grant are as follows: revising the network's
> internal communications system; sending a number of
> IMC "techies" and hundreds of computers to South
> America; a 40,000USD project to revise Indymedia's
> open-publishing interface; and funding and hosting a
> network-wide strategizing meeting.


The statement is made that the OSI grant will effect Indymedia.  Does the SF-IMC
feel that this grant will result in more positive or negative outcomes for the
Indymedia network.


Throughout the statement there are references to "effects on indymedia" without
providing a clear indication of what these effects would be, could the SF-IMC
please clarify, specifically, what these perceived effects would be.  


The statement was mabe that:

> This project is the most overt example of how the TMF
> will affect the Indymedia Network. Critical decisions
> like meeting agendas and travel subsidies will be made
> by a handful of individuals claiming autonomy from
> Indymedia. TMF will be making these decisions outside
> of
> any network process – we find this unacceptable.


Could the SF-IMC please provide references to where it states in the grant that
"critical decisions like meeting agendas and travel subsidies will be made by a
handful of individuals claiming autonomy from Indymedia."


Could the SF-IMC please clarify why they have come to the conclusion that the
TMF would assume an administrative project role, my understanding was the TMF
role was to fundraise and facilitate the grant writing process, not do the
defined work/project of the grant.
  

> This sets up an un-balanced and unfair
> dynamic for communicating with each other about such
> proposals. On one hand, there is a small group with a
> lot of resources and a lot of power regarding how
> these resources are distributed. On the other hand,
> there is another group with very little resources and
> no power over how resources are distributed. We view
> this as replicating a world situation we are all
> working to change, and therefore, counter-productive.
> TMF proponents need to
> reconsider the manner in which they're approaching
> these sensitive issues of network decision-making and
> finance.


The Argentina IMC has chosen not to accept "capitalist" donations, and would
prefer to use alternative methods.  Is this not an expression of power rooted in
the values of that collective? If it were the "world situation" refered to,
wouldn't that IMC not even have that choice? How does saying "No, we don't want
that funding" result in to power dynamic refered to in the previous statement? 
It would appear that the Argentina IMC has made a difficult decision, one inline
with its values.


In Alberta we have accepted funding from a variety of sources, some that the
Argentina IMC would not accept from. We sent $500 to the Argentina IMC after the
G8, money we would not have been able to give without thoughs questionable
donations.


As a network, I feel we need to be strategically thinking about sources of funds
 in terms of: Is this a pragmatic decision or is it a decision based on purity
and ideological fundamentalism, and yes there are alot of purity issues on the
left and within certain IMCs, too:) We need to be aware of this.


Do we base our network-wide fundraising on the values of IMCs who refuse
foundational/"capitalist" funding? Or do we truly respect a diversity of
tactics, encouraging IMCs, the "network", and other supporting enities to be
flexible, resourceful, and sustainable, rooted in praxis, not ideology.


thanks for taking the time to respond to these questions.

brandon

imc alberta