[Imc-africa] new Budget for Umverteilen application

[Peter van Heusden]

Ok, and now, let me quibble a bit:


fabian wrote:
> */
> Budget (all prices in US Dollar):
> /
>
> *
I think we should seriously look at how big the travel budget is. Our 
slogan in Indymedia is 'be your own journalist', so while I think its 
very honest to put all costs in here, the aim of this process should be 
to empower people in Nairobi (i.e. living there) and attending the WSF 
to be their *own* journalists. I.e. think about it this way - could our 
roles (e.g. in training, assisting, etc) be replaced by local people? If 
so, then why are we being funded to go there. I got nothing specific to 
say here, though, since I also applaud all energy people put in, but I'm 
just noting this as a worry - especially the suggestion to pay for 
travel from the 'Global North'.

> *Subtotal Other Delegates travel costs 15700 USD
> *
> *
> Travel Costs total 31200 USD
> *
>
> *2) IMC in Nairobi running costs
> *
> Food (26 delegates over three weeks self catering)
> 1400 USD
26 people is about four times the size of my local IMC, which makes me 
wonder: are we helping the comrades in Kenya organise an IMC for the 
WSF, or are we organising an African (Independent) Media conference. I 
don't necessarily disagree with organising such a conference, but if we 
are, I think we need to be more up-front about it, and also much more 
clear about what is going to be on the programme.

>
> *IMC in Nairobi running costs total 4000 USD
>
> *
> Indymedia Print (2 issues) for publication in WSF 2(400) 800 USD
>
$ 400 per issue? How many of each issue is this for? I presume 
thousands? How will they be distributed? And does the WSF organising 
committee have its own plans for a WSF newspaper?


As much as I relish all the work that will be done in Nairobi in 
January, I wonder at the impact this will have on the long term. In 
Africa, we have a few comrades scattered around the continent - in Mali, 
in Amabazonia, in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Zimbabwe... most don't 
seem to have access to regular email (judging on the low participation 
on daily basis on the imc-africa mailing list). If we can raise so much 
$$$, shouldn't some of it be going to improve things over a longer term 
for comrades in africa (e.g. pay for better email access). We also have 
an ongoing language problem between us - French in Mali and 
Guinea-Konakry, English elsewhere. On a daily basis, again, we have been 
unable to overcome this communication barrier on the imc-africa mailing 
list.

The good thing is: the ball is rolling - people are stepping up to try 
and help out. Let's keep talking to see what that means for making 
imc-africa a really vibrant reality.

Peter
IMC-South Africa - but writing in personal capacity