[Foundation-l] Fwd: Wikimedia India Program Trust

[Bishakha Datta]

On Fri, Nov 11, 2011 at 8:39 PM, Anirudh Bhati <anirudhsbh at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> The initial idea, if I understood it correctly, was to establish another
> non-profit body within India, for a period of three to five years to
> execute specific (and large-scale) programmes.  As of now, the WIPT
> (Wikimedia India Program Office) can pretty much do anything it wants with
> the Wikimedia brand - partner with institutions, raise money locally, have
> paid employees and bypass community.


>From what I have seen, the program office does not behave like a law unto
itself, as implied above.


> This is what I foresee happening:
>  WMIN will be involved in community-building and small-scale projects which
> support volunteers and the WIPT will partner with large institutions in
> India (who are understandably looking to club with international
> organizations), get a lot of media coverage and acquire the big grants
> (since WMIN is not a professional body).


WMIN has already had interest from and meetings with other donors,
including pretty big ones in India (I was there at one such in 2010), so
why this feeling that WMIN can't acquire the big grants?


> WMIN and WIPT will theoretically
> compete for funding within India, much of which will be allocated to WIPT,
> given that it is professionalized (and because we never had a chance) and
> in WMF's good graces.


As I understand it, WMIN has received a grant from WMF, so I can't
understand how it "never had a chance".


> This is how WMIN has been made redundant (something
> that I have been saying for a long, long time).
>
> I really don't get this. Given that India is a huge country - with more
than 1 billion people - and zillions of opportunities to grow editing
communities in different languages, how can WMIN become or be made
redundant? Also, given that the chapter is less than a year old, and has
some new office-bearers, and has announced new plans for moving forward,
how is it redundant?

My personal view is that there is enough work ahead for not just one, or
two, but numerous entities, formal and informal, to enter the fray and
actualize this potential. Already, there are many more requests for
collaboration within India than either WMIN or WIPT or both put together
can handle.

Given this huge potential, I don't see why this discussion has to be framed
through the lens of competition or territoriality.

Cheers
Bishakha