FYI - The two "Fellows" are WMIN chapter members and signatories on its bank account.
> Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:41:43 +0000 > From: berial...@gmail.com > To: foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Fwd: Wikimedia India Program Trust > > Disclaimer: I'm not Indian, and I don't know much about the Indian > operations, but I needed to answer about something I do know. > > > *Anirudh said: 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.* > >> > > > > *And Bishakha answered: As I understand it, WMIN has received a grant > > from WMF, so I can't understand how it "never had a chance".** * > > > > Ok talking about grants: WMIN has so far 2 grants: a Bootstrap > Grant<http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:WM_IN/Bootstrap_Grant>and > a grant for WCI > 2011 > <http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:WM_IN/WikiConference_India_2011>(since > this > grant<http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:WM_IN/Wiki_Community_development_in_India_and_newsletter>state > in the begin that is not a chapter grant, despite the fact that has > the WMIN in the title). One is for a ver specif thing - a conference - who > is being leading by 2 "fellows" of WMF. The second one has nothing to do > with professionalization. So when comes to funding, if they decide to > collect funds locally, would be incredible difficult to "fight against" the > WIPT who is full of employees[1] who are used to work with that for years. > That was - I believe - Anirudh's point. > > [1] I'm in WMIN ML and I see a hiring once per month, sometimes more. > _____ > *Béria Lima* > <http://wikimedia.pt/>(351) 925 171 484 > > *Imagine um mundo onde é dada a qualquer pessoa a possibilidade de ter > livre acesso ao somatório de todo o conhecimento humano. Ajude-nos a > construir esse sonho. <http://wikimedia.pt/Donativos>* > > > On 11 November 2011 17:34, Bishakha Datta <bishakhada...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > On Fri, Nov 11, 2011 at 8:39 PM, Anirudh Bhati <anirudh...@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 > > _______________________________________________ > > foundation-l mailing list > > foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l > > > _______________________________________________ > foundation-l mailing list > foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l _______________________________________________ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
