[IMC-US] RE: Indymedia Newsreal Tour Grant Proposal

[deva]

I am not across the board opposed to grants. It does concern me when I 
see over and over such statements as "I don't see how accepting grant 
money could do anything besides help us better achieve our goals."

Money has destroyed many an organization. It is dangerous. The lack of 
recognition of its danger makes it more dangerous. Please see this and 
step into it with caution and open eyes.

I will make this statement as a challenge to the money mindset.

If you received $1,000,000 tomorrow, it would not help you at all. 
Money cannot build. money cannot grow life, it cannot build intimacy or 
trust. More often than not, it is used to shield from the necessity of 
building trust and intimacy because that is hard work. More often than 
not, it is a setback.

The mind seeks for the easy route, and that means money.

Mark Burdett made the point that money is not evil, that it is the love 
of money that is. My reply is, show me the people who can separate the 
two. Show me the person who does not secretly desire money, who does 
not say I want money, who does not think that money will solve any 
important problem. Show me the person who can walk away from that 
$1,000,000 without looking back. Then I will show you the person who is 
no longer a slave to money.

As for this issue. The problem is not the grant itself, but how the 
money from it is intended to be used. to pay people to do indymedia 
work, and for car rental and hotel costs. It is a problem because the 
grant is being applied for in the indymedia name, and that name is the 
result of countless people donating so much time and energy. Then 
someone is going to take money for themselves. This is a misuse of all 
the people who work hard for no pay who are the ones who make indymedia 
something worthwhile in the first place.

deva
portland imc





On Jun 17, 2004, at 2:54 PM, Ryan Kaldari wrote:

>> Why not ask local IMCs for help first, instead of seeking a grant?
>
> What's wrong with seeking a grant from the Funding Exchange? Please 
> explain why this is not a worthwhile course of action.
>
>> Look, I have nothing personal against the people working on the tour 
>> and
>> FSTV... but I think this tour throws the door open for people getting 
>> paid
>> to work on Indymedia projects.
>
> God forbid.
>
>> By chance did anyone reading this email see the "We Are Everywhere" 
>> Tour?
>> If was excellent! Indymedia activists were a major part of the tour!
>> People learned a lot about Indymedia! And, it was called "We Are
>> Everywhere."
>
> Actually, I organized the We Are Everywhere presentation in Nashville. 
> It was a great presentation and a great example of doing an 
> educational tour primarily off of donations. Same for the CrimethinInc 
> tour. It is not, however, the only way of doing things, nor should it 
> be. Ironically I had a long discussion with Andrew Stern (the 
> photographer for We Are Everywhere) while he was in town about grants 
> and I can assure you he is a big fan of applying for grant money. The 
> Tennessee IMC has applied for several grants as well, and although we 
> have never actually received any, I don't see how accepting grant 
> money could do anything besides help us better achieve our goals. Just 
> my 2 cents.
>
> Ryan Kaldari, Tennessee IMC
>
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