[imc-tech-solidarity] Re: no news is good news???... or bad news

[evan@protest.net]

On Mon, 14 Oct 2002, chiflito wrote:

> or bad news...

Well first off i don't know the shipping schedule but it's my
understanding that the container still hasn't left.

> we just got a call from the agent who is helping us with customs. the
> situation is the following:
>
> the bastards are giving us alot of problems, and demanding things from
> us that are outside of the law. for example, they are now saying that we
> need from you a copy of the rules/regulations of the donating
> foundation, and we have to notarize all the papers that we have handed
> in. they say they are going to put a price of $100 for each monitor and
> $600 for each computer. They say that if we don't do everything they say
> before the ship leaves, then they are going to fine us an additional 10%
> on the total value of the merchandise. it is all bullshit, but hey, what
> more can you expect from latin american dependency of the us opposed to
> real democracy.

So are you saying that we aren't getting an import duty exemption? I'm a
little confused.

> i just got off the phone with the other person who is working with us on
> this, he says that things are worse than we imagined and up to a certain
> point, it is legal what customs is doing to us. in any case, the message
> is clear:
>
> we have only one choice but to stop the shipment. i am dumbfounded right
> now and a bit numb from this and a series of other problems that we are
> having right now.  in any case, there is no way around it; we must stop
> the shipment if at all possible.

Well the docks are overloaded right now. We can probally get things
rescheduled again. It'd be really nice to figure this out.

> in other news today...
>
> listen, i also wanted to write you and ask about what we talked about
> earlier, regarding the possibility to finance a part of the
> movilizations. as you had written to natalie, the proposal was to
> solicit money from the emergency funds of global indymedia.
> nevertheless, brad from nyc has already done so, and it seems very
> unlikely that it actually works out.

I looked through the archives an nobody has sent any request for money for
from the imc-finance global fund.

> our situation is the following: we are going to receive the 340 (+/-)
> from indymedia latina. apart from that, the nyc ((i)) are putting in
> $200, and there is possible more, although that is not yet known and not
> probable. apart from that, brad has mentioned another $350 from another
> group, which is still not clear.

I think brad's referring to BBI which he's worked with to raise money for
indymedia and anarchist groups in latin america.

> plus the possibility that the emergency funds groups oks the solicitude.

Well the emergency fund application hasn't been even sent in yet. I was
expecting something from you guys but i haven't recieved anything. If you
could write up something then we could send it along.

> in other words, we have a total of $540
> definite and the rest still remains unclear. if we were to get the $
> from nyc, the other group plus the emergency funds group, we will
> probably be fine in terms of financing our work for the upcoming weeks.

Well we have half of the money designated for the computers for ecuador
project earmarked for dealing with shipping and what ever kinds of
expenses you'll face. Given that the computers were always for the imc and
other groups for the mobilization i think it's reasonable that you use
some of the money to cover expenses. Given that we dont' have a group
perhaps we could have that run as a  mini proposal by this group for
feedback.

> what are our costs at this point and what are our deficiencies: first of
> all, we are going to be working out of the campesino building, sharing a
> space with enlace, which is a commission created by the confe together
> with other national organizations in order to work with the conventional
> press. the two spaces are very similar, with many of the same people
> involved in both projects. nevertheless, we obviously have different
> objectives.

Often imc's have helped out the side of the movement which does pr
to the corporate press. The main thing i'd say is make sure they are in
different rooms as people doing interviews with the corporate press need a
much quieter environment than most imc's are able to achieve.

> we are renting the space from the foundation of the campesino building,
> who are charging us $400 for the use of the space, the equipment (7
> computers connected to internet, divided equally between the two
> projects, ((i)) and enlace), one telefax (we will pay the phone bills),
> and one scanner. this is from the 22nd to the 2nd of November. The costs
> of renting the space will be shared equally by both projects.

Seems kinda expensive since you're renting from confeu but i don't really
understand the relationship there. Anyway that all seems reasonable.

> On the other hand, apart from the equipment rented out to us by the
> foundation, we have a space below the internet caf=E9 where we are going
> to hook up other computers without access to the internet (we are very
> worried at this point about connectivity problems, as the connection has
> been very very slow the last couple of days and more computers will only
> complicate that, me thinks). until now we have very few confirmed
> computers, and we are not yet sure how we are going to do the division
> of equipment with the chicos from nyc (who brought something like 2
> computers, 1 laptop, 1 printer and 3 scanners), who are also installing
> a work space within the house that they have rented out. in other words,
> we could be short on computers and maybe printers.
>
> The other major problem we have with communications is that we are not
> yet sure how the coordination is going to be with the other spaces (we
> are going to talk to acci=F3n ecol=F3gica today, who are going to install=
 a
> system of walkie-talkies), but as of now we have only one cell phone
> that dosen't even work. the other related problem is that enlace, after
> paying rent on the space, only will have $100 left over. as they know
> that indymedia is going to have access to more resources, they are
> asking for help to finance cell phones for the leaders of the different
> caravans that are being organized in the countryside. Personally, i
> support the idea although i am worried about how we are going to manage
> everything with so many points yet to be made clear. Today i am going to
> ask about how much it costs to rent cell phones for about 10 days. We
> also have to take into account that calling from cell phones is
> outrageously expensive in ecuador, and we will probably have to spend
> more money on pre-paid cards than on renting out the cell phones (thanks
> to bell south).
>
> There are also the general costs, like diskettes, batteries, maps, press
> i.d.s, paper, pens, etc. etc., which we have thought to split with
> enlace, who have no money...
>
> Finally, we have also talked about the idea of putting out a daily zine
> or press bulletin or i don't know what to call it, of about 1 to 3 pages
> reagarding the mobilizations.  we are going to find out the costs today,
> but in any case, it looks like the money we have managed to raise from
> selling t-shirts and c.d.s is going to be used to finance this part of
> ((i)) (we are also using the money to finance a poster, costs of the
> legal team, of the welcoming committee, spray paint, possible detained,
> etc.).
>
> Anyway, in general terms that is our financial and technical situation,
> which as you can see is worriesome. what also concerns me is spending
> all the money we receive from indymedia latina just for the
> mobilizations.

There definately should be a request put in for emergency funds from
imc-finance. Also I think we should use some of the funds from the
shipment to help with specific equiptment needs that were susposed to be
covered in the shipment but aren't because of the problems.

> The reason why am writing about this and in such detail is because the
> computers were destined from the beginning to support the mobilizations
> and that was a big part of the motive for organizing the shipment now.
> for reasons beyond our control, the computers won't arrive in time, but
> we do have concrete needs at this point in order to finance the coverage
> of the mobilizations. my personal opinion, and it is honestly nothing
> more than that at this point, is that a couple hundred dollars should be
> used from the computer project to support the mobilizations.
>
> look forward to hearing back from you and sorry to be the bearer of bad
> news.
>

Life takes us on interesting paths and we don't know where it leads from
one day to the next.

I think what we should do is make a clear email saying the state of the
finances for the computers to ecuador project. Also state in a seperate
email the state of finances for indymedia ecuador for the mobalization.
And a third email requesting emergency funds from imc-finance. With that
we can have everything clearly documented and get feedback on moving the
money around to get you what you need for the mobalization in ecuador.

-evan


>
>
> Am 10/10/02 11:38:51 AM, schrieb evan@protest.net:
>
> >things are still backed up because the lockout just ended. The container
> >hasn't gone anywhere yet. I'ts great to hear that the paperwork has been
> >lined up.
> >
> >
> >On Thu, 10 Oct 2002, chiflito wrote:
> >
> >> evan,
> >>
> >> for the first time in a while it looks like we may have good news:
> >>
> >> the paperwork got turned over to customs today, meaning that we have a=
n official stamp which validates that the papers are
> >> at customs. in other words, the ship can leave port without any furthe=
r problems.
> >>
> >> i say good news, because if in the end the ship left before yesterday,=
 then we probably have serious problems.
> >>
> >> please write and let me know. disappointed to hear you won't make it d=
own.
> >>
> >> warren
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >--
> >----------------------------------------------------------------
> >| blog: anarchogeek.com           pgp: anarchogeek.com/pgp.txt |
> >----------------------------------------------------------------
> >| "What governments should really fear is an expert in         |
> >| communications technology."     -- Subcomandante Marcos      |
> >----------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>

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| "What governments should really fear is an expert in         |
| communications technology."     -- Subcomandante Marcos      |
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