On Tue, Jun 28, 2016 at 4:47 PM, Anders Wennersten mail@anderswennersten.se wrote:
I have been active in FDC and followed closely all applicants. It works very well when it comes to promote small affiliates to grow in a controlled way and ensuring that money is spent wisely. The FDC, though, demand an elaborate plan, and application, which can be (too) hard as a first step if you still is an volunteer driven organisation. So since a year the Simple annual plan grant now exist, and I have been part in this and its seven applicants that has been through that process. And it works wonderfully even if there has been quite complicated issues in the application. The application formality is much easier and the applicant gets hands-on help by both WMF staff and also by a peer from an existing affiliate. And the feedback we have received has been very very positive, specially the support from peers. And for you Milos who was in ChapCom at the same time as me in 2008, you should rejoice as much as me that now also Brazil is on track, so the "complicated" affiliates in 2008, Catala, Brazil an US, are now all on track.
So we now have process in place that really help and support small groups of enthusiastic Wikimedians to grow in a controlled way becoming well functioning chapters. We have also since 2008 learnt, from experiences from Brazil and India, that to try by "outsiders" to get a local organisation in place that will grow in a good way, just has not worked. These experiments just hindered (and delayed) natural good establishment.
So my learning is that it is counter productive to try as an outsider to get something happen. We have to await until groups of clever Wikimedians in India with the right ambition etc are ready to enter applications to either of the grant programs, and then there are mechanisms in place to help them evolve
Anders, we've been asked for help at least twice that I know, as I can witness for those two times. The first time I thought it will be solved, but it hasn't been solved after two years. Plus, a couple of previous years of getting informal complaints in relation to the WMF's behavior in India.
The *problem* is that WMF is actually participating in keeping the mess in perpetual state. And it's not about bad intentions, but about incompetence. So, let's start solving *our* problem with India, not *Indian* problem with us.