[Foundation-l] Fwd: Wikimedia India Program Trust

Sat Nov 12 05:33:54 UTC 2011

FYI - The two "Fellows" are WMIN chapter members and signatories on its bank account.

> Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:41:43 +0000
> From: berialima at gmail.com
> To: foundation-l at 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 <bishakhadatta at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > 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
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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