[Imc-finance] money in the network discussion

[sheri at speakeasy.org]

i originally sent this to this list way back in october 2002 and just sent it again in response to anna's email to the communication list.  i hope we can have a really meangingful network discussion about all these issues.

peace,
sheri

-----Original Message-----
From: sheri at speakeasy.org [mailto:sheri at speakeasy.net]
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 12:32 AM
To: 'clara', 'Anna', imc-communication at lists.indymedia.org
Subject: Re:  [Imc-communication] diplomacy

dear all,

> first of all, thanks a lot for putting this thoughts into text, i think 
> this represents concerns that quite a few of us have, and so far it was 
> easier to avoid the issue.

i too am very glad that anna took this step to put all these ideas down in a somewhat comprehensive way, as a start to this conversation.  i also agree with clara that we have avoided this conversation on several occasions.  perhaps now is a good time to start that conversation.  and HOW we do it is i believe one of the most important questions.  we all know the importance of process over product.  so please let us consider HOW we communicate on these issues as important as coming to some kind of consensus about money in the immediate future.  

i'm resending an email i wrote in october 2002 in response to the ford foundation funding debate, and in the hope of generating a dialogue about these issues.  we never really took on those questions or issues and we haven't made much progress on this front nearly 2 years later.  i hope this summary can be a supplement to anna's because they are written in a similar spirit and hope.

[Imc-finance] some notes re funding/ford/network autonomy
Sheri Herndon sheri at indymedia.org
Thu Oct 3 14:59:03 2002

hi everyone,

here are some notes that might prove useful for our ongoing 
discussions and irc meeting.  i wanted to write something 
specifically about the irc chat channels, but hopefully these notes 
might move that topic along.  i think jay has made a great start, i'd 
just like to add a few more and clarify a bit.

the notes are long, i apologize.  i'm still getting feedback from 
folks so i don't want to send them out to the world yet, just a few 
more days; and then some of the sections might be good to have on the 
wiki for people to add to.  this is of course not comprehensive, but 
it is notes from numerous collective discussions, looking forward to 
more.

thanks everyone,
sheri

INDYMEDIA FUNDING AND NETWORK ISSUES

Summary:

List of Fears/concerns
Autonomy and the Network
Issues Facing Us
Survey to Local IMCs
List of what has been funded thus far in indymedia for network projects
Have we ever received funds with strings attached?  No.
Develop a list of "authentic progressive funding sources"
Network grantwriting group proposal
List of groups who have been funded by Ford and who haven't "sold out"
=46ord FAQ - needs to be written


These are rough notes drawn from a number of conversations with 
people.  I hope some of this information will be useful as we move 
forward in our network  discussions.  Many of us recognize that the 
outcome of this current situation/crisis/opportunity will be setting 
a precedent.  Because of that, we also must be aware of all the 
related issues, concerns and possibilities that must be addressed for 
us to struggle with these questions as an international network.

In the current discussion about Ford and process and funding for the 
network in general, there are a few issues that should be addressed 
separately in order to get the most out of the conversation:

1. What does a consensus process for the network look like?  Do we 
want to follow it?  And if so, how do we do formal consensus (no one 
can block unless the issue goes against core mission/values).  Out of 
this question arises a second question which gets at the heart of the 
current debate:
2. How can disagreement function in the network?  Can we still be in 
solidarity, be in the network, but agree that we will probably have 
differences that come up along the way?  The Open Publishing Proposal 
was a lengthy process that took several months for each local IMC to 
weigh in on.  We got very close to making a decision as a network 
about one critical issue.  How can we do that for the funding 
question?
3. What is appropriate funding for the network?
4. Let's ask ourselves what we'd like to have the Network look like 
in 10 years.

List of Fears/concerns - all of these must be addressed as we design 
and develop any guidelines for dealing with funding, autonomy, 
fundraising, economic sustainability, because they are all valid and 
we don't want to see any of these things happen.

Slippery slope
Reliant on foundations
Compromise values
Lack of transparent process and communication
Being coopted
Becoming an NGO
Losing our revolutionary nature
Being seen as being in alignment with devil
Losing credibility
Others....

Autonomy and the Network

Core issue:  what is the relationship between autonomy and being 
connected to the network?  Autonomy in relation to connectedness; a 
lot of people feel we are  operating on a consensus basis as a 
network although we've never agreed on a process. 

Is it possible to have consensus at a network level apart from the 
current principles of unity?  How do we reconcile the relationship 
between solidarity, consensus, unanimity, and global approval?

Each IMC has to make their own decisions about funding because locals 
are autonomous; they can be held accountable based on the principles 
of unity;  they could be called  accountable with regard to these 
issues but they would have to be in violation of a core principle.

Do we need a new principles of unity that discusses funding or do we 
create some guidelines for how to make sure all of our fears/concerns 
are addressed?

What is the line crossed in terms of this needs global approval 
because it "affects the global network"?  Is this a good criteria and 
how do we realistically implement it when many things affect the 
global network (tech decisions for one).
IMC Tech Collective - "running code/rough consensus" as a motto; how 
does tech function autonomously that is different or similar to other 
working groups?  What can we learn from their example?

Affinity groups & working groups - what are empowered working groups 
in the network?  How do we start new ones and allow for initiative 
and differences of opinion?

Centralization v. coordination - there's a difference between needing 
to communicate the actions of a working group and getting approval 
from the general collective.  Do we have criteria for the difference?

Recognizing the critical role that perceptions play in how people see 
the situation or evaluate the pros and cons of the current funding 
discussion.  For example, there was the strong perception that 
Resist.org was an "authentic progressive funding source."  However, 
they also receive funding from Ford.

There are many different ways of defining who is indymedia; how do we 
find our common ground in this discussion?
People make leaps in logic with regard to indymedia=8Ait's anti-money, 
anti-capitalist, therefore anti-grants and anti seeking funding from 
certain sources even when there are no strings attached.

We're not going to agree on funding/grants - how to resolve this?

Issues Facing Us

Taking money from foundations
Paying stipends
Process of seeking funds
Long term sustainability
Priorities - local and network
What are local fundraising opportunities
How to continue our value of transparency at all levels and in all 
working groups (keep the information flowing).  There's a line 
between communication and approval; people need to find out about 
projects sooner than later so they can weigh in on them, also needs
to be a transparent process.
Recognizing the reality that things cost money: Gandhian independent 
movement was funded by an industrialist; How is Infoshop paid for?
How much does it cost to keep Indymedia running as a network, let 
alone each local IMC.
Others....


Survey to Local IMCs - let's send out a list of questions for each 
IMC to answer over the course of 2-3 months and do a kind of 
sustainability assessment for the network.

What are your needs and expenses?
How do you sustain your local?
What do you think are some global funding priorities?
What perimeters would you place on money being raised and used?
What money would you be willing to accept? what conditions?
This could include local priorities for funding, their own local 
projects and needs and any grants they've received, their ideas for 
global network priorities (this was discussed a long time ago on 
IMC-Finance as something we needed to do to get an assessment of the
global network).
Others....

List of what has been funded thus far in indymedia for network projects:

1.  Seattle IMC spent $15K no strings attached on:
-travel for key tech person to travel to indymedia Europe meeting;
-money to IMC Brasil for their FTAA paper;
-critical funds to Argentina during a crisis (before current crisis);
-several thousand dollars to pay for stipends for people in the 
network to fly to San Francisco;
-money for South Africa IMC to get set up for the World Conference 
Against Racism;
-money for someone from Italy and Argentina to travel to DC for last 
year's protests and to network with people from the States;
-money to NYC's paper right after 911 so that they could put out 
10,000 copies onto the street the next week;
-funds to Urbana IMC for last year's Midwest regional gathering.
2.  IMC Tech Collective
3.  IMC Urbana
4.  Others....


Where do we currently get "money" from, indirectly or directly?

Loudeye is one example - a corporate structure that has provided 
hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide our rich media streaming 
needs.
Speakeasy Caf=E9 - collocating Stallman for the first 2 years for free
Individual and anonymous donors
Chumbawamba
Glaser Family Foundation
New World Foundation
Others....


Have we ever received funds with strings attached?  No.  Other than 
donors making designations (travel stipends, global network support, 
computers to south America, etc.)

Develop a list of "authentic progressive funding sources".

Develop a network grantwriting group proposal.  This is for folks and 
local IMCs and network working groups who want to work on grants for 
projects, locals, etc. can do this together.

List of groups who have been funded by Ford and who haven't "sold out".