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

[Chris Anderson]

Hi everyone,

Look, the large-scale philosophical questions about
the value or evil of money, pay, or consumption are
not going to be resolved today on this forum.  There
are widely diverging attitudes about these questions
within the Indymedia network itself, and they are
probably not going to be resolved either-- nor, in my
opinion, should they be.

In my time on this and other Indymedia lists, I've
noticed a common pattern that any ambitious projects
are invariably greeted with a rash of very broad and
ideologically loaded philosophical questions.
Invariably, these questions are never answered and the
discussion trickles off due to sheer exhaustion. Then,
the group that had the big idea usually does what it
wanted to do in the first place ago-- if there is
still the time to do it. So far, the Indymedia network
has not collapsed as a result of these decisions, the
world has not ended, nor, for that matter, has
capitalism been overthrown-- leading me to believe
that all the discussion, while entertaining, doesn't
really do much for good or for ill.

Since we all know this is going to happen, can we try
to avoid it for once? And can we please try to focus
on the specific questions are related to this project?
After reading all the emails, i'm not sure I really
know what those questions actually are. Why are we
even talking about this?

all the best,
Chris Anderson
nyc-imc


 --- deva <drdartist at riseup.net> wrote:
> 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
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > IMC-US mailing list
> > IMC-US at lists.cu.groogroo.com
> >
> http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc-us
> >
> 
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> 


		
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