> Finally, after all this harangue (sorry), I believe it would be unwise to
> eliminate fees as an option for gaining/maintaining resource support for
> this initiative. I have already expressed my hope that
> membership/participation would follow from an inclusive intent; this hope
> is independent of the funding structure. I would like to suggest the fees
> idea not be abandoned too quickly and that consideration be given to the
> incorporation of a sliding fee scale. The scale may be governed by desired
> level of participation/access and/or by the circumstances of the
> member/participant. I would also like to suggest that the payment of
> 'fees' may be monetary or in the form of gifts/services in kind. (Both
> these ideas are ones I am currently building in to the similar initiatives I
> referenced above). This has the added benefit of providing active
> contributors with a kind of 'acknowledgement/recognition' of service which
> is, I believe, an important element of voluntary work.
Agree here fully with Fiona. Good words. If we want to do something big, then
it's good to start small.
WOEA has to choose between to priorities:
1) be a big organization helping people to access online resources and also take
care that all those resources and services are freely available. This means to
donate to each member individual or organization.
2) Second option is to put emphasize on developmental work and try to design new
learning models of the Information age, by using the existing one paralelly.
Second option sounds much better for WOEA. At first of course because before to
share resources and services there must be something more ready then it is now.
Today we have some pieces of online learning. Or, how we say, something ready as
alternative. The rest must come in coming years.
If WOEA chooses developmental way, it can't offer help as organization (or take
a role as an intermediate organization between donors and those who need
sponsorship). Each member of WOEA must develop online learning ideas concretely
in one of another way.
This issue is also very important looking from International perspective, in
order to find good and developmental forces of online learning from countries
where living standards are not so high as in Western Europe or US. That's OK if
you have no money, then you can offer your ideas or work which have concrete
results.
I like to see WOEA as an organization where people around the world can develop
their ideas and work collaboratively, where all are equal and everybody gets no
more then s/he actually does. Pretty sure that Eastern Europe has something to
offer here. And sponsrorship, if available, is to fund concrete projects, which
help to develop WOEA goals.
Equity issues are important, but there's several other organizations taking care
of this. And let' s be honest, what is the main message for local people from
organizations of developed world who speak mainly about solving equity
problems... The main message is that there's some money available.
And there are several organizations and people who waste at least 80% their
useful energy for getting various grants and have not much time left for the job
(this is not only third world problem).
So these forces have enough time to come to meet potential sponsors to airport
and make all needed contacts... and to say that before they do not have
additional money, there's no possibility to move anything.
Now if WOEA manages to keep the developmental line, which means useful work at
first and then, maybe also some resources, there will not be very many who meet
WOEA in airport and no noise and rapid growth in membership numbers. But there
is a wonderful possibility to hear silent voice of those doers who work with
interesting ideas and have not time and also will to compete with 'big nonprofit
sharks' on nonprofit funding market.
Sorry if above written does sound a bit too aggressive. It is meant to be very
friendly instead.
Thanks for your time and sunshine,
Mihkel
--
Mihkel Pilv
MIKSIKE (A Why`n`Not Education)
Veski 1-2, EE2400, Tartu, Eesti
Tel: 372 7/ 422 550
Fax: 372 7/ 421 841
Email: info@miksike.ee
WWW: http://www.miksike.ee (Eesti)
http://www.miksike.com (English)