Hi,
On Tue, Sep 9, 2014 at 3:12 PM, Gerard Meijssen gerard.meijssen@gmail.com wrote:
Hoi, Ok.. so explain to me why the chapter is not able to provide funding for viable projects. Do remember that the qualifiers for funding are essentially the same; they have to pass the requirements of the WMF. When the chapter has its own independent funding, it can allocate as it sees fit.
Chapters own individual fund raising is negligible. As such WMIN needs to be dependent on WMF. From whatever the money chapter has and can allocate to various projects, they are doing it properly.
I seriously do not understand what drives you. I only notice negative attitudes, I do not understand how you think a chapter should/could operate. The only thing I notice is how you blame others for the woes of the Indian chapter and as a consequence attack and thereby destroy opportunities that become lost for now for India,
There are ample opportunities everywhere. But because of multiple presence of (support) authority(?), community gets split and confused. Compared to other countries where people go directly to the chapter for support and may be to WMF (through GAC or other mechanisms) if that does not work out. In India, we have A2K also in picture where people from community can get all kind of support without much of asking or justification. Compared to this, being handled by volunteers and not paid staff, WMIN has many restrictions and delays etc. As such, the functioning itself may be felt as a deterrent to the volunteers. Over and above this, for the volunteers, WMF option is always there to do some projects. In this situation, it becomes very difficult for the chapter to keep up the good work, build/maintain community confidence and at the same time keep WMF happy by answering all kinds of questions and justifications for funds.(Not to forget all the regulatory compliances). All this is causing serious confusion and conflict in community mind and they do not take the required initiative to take up things further.
Please also understand that we have multiple language communities here that too across various states and Governments and they are culturally different in thinking and functioning. You can safely say it is comparable to managing various chapters across all the European countries whereas we have just one chapter for all of them.
Personally, I feel (and many more also feel the same way) that the root cause of the problem was/is WMF's direct presence (currently through CIS-A2K). and their decisions without taking any inputs from the community or even understanding how communities in India work.
Hopefully, the community consultation that is coming up next month will possibly help ease out the situation. From the replies on the talk page, it is very clear that WMF is not committing anything about the implementations from the outcome of this consultation. But I am hopeful just like many many others who seriously want the activities to grow in India.
I hope I have answered your queries.
Regards -Sudhanwa
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