hi orsan, I can't really see what more background I can give than the rather detailed reply I give (oversharing as I know see it <g>)
Michel On Mon, Jul 14, 2014 at 4:24 PM, Örsan Şenalp <[email protected]> wrote: > Michel, many thanks for this detailed response. > > Actually my intention was posting on the networked labour list only > the personal or official reports coming from or about the FLOK project > which you led it's research part and concluded last month in Ecuador. > > As for the request you replied below, actually I meant to address the > impotence of adopting open or participatory budgeting practise in > general. Otherwise did not mean to question anybodies' integrity or > so. I believe, as you do, for building p2p or distributed ethical > economies figuratively, and for especially these kind of projects this > is an essential point. > > Besides, in my opinion, it may be useful for those who are on the > networked labour list so not very much aware of the exchanges going on > about the project process so on; so who were not able to read the > whole email in which I made the request from you and others. If you > agree and find it useful or necessary to give a brief background > please feel free. So it is up to you. > > Thanks again, > Orsan > > > On 7 July 2014 06:43, Michel Bauwens <[email protected]> wrote: > > Orsan, you write: > > > > <To avoid any negative impact for all the sides, I would humbly suggest, > > especially in terms of financial aspects, providing full transparency > (Flok, > > P2P-F, Cook Consultancy, Ecuadorean ministries so on). And without > > practicing a sort of participatory budgeting, IMHO, there will always be > > shadows of doubts and questions hanging on these kinds of > > state-capital-funded projects.> > > > > Orsan, the budget was highly secretive and tightly controlled by the > flok > > mgt team; in fact, AD was removed (though they are claiming he removed > > himself, so I'm not sure), largely because he tried to get a regular and > > open budget done controlled by the institution. It was the key area of > > contention and why he has been called a spy. > > > > Here is my guesswork: > > > > * the project was tri-funded by the Min of Knowledge, the Senescyt > > innovation secretariat and the IAEN institution > > > > * the entire process with wages may have reached $400k , with an > additional > > $300k plus for the summit > > > > The wage issue was highly contentious, from before I reached the project. > > The rector wanted to pay intl' level wages to foreign researchers, and > this > > was not taken well by the locals. On the other hand, the institution > payed > > some people very well who never showed up, and trying to get rid of them > is > > one of the causes that caused him the loss of his job. The ratio of > staff to > > students is incredibly skewed at the IAEN but I can't remember the ratio, > > but much more staff than students. > > > > My understanding is that most of the research team got $4k and I got > $5.x as > > 'director'. There is no doubt that this is well paid, but it is still > less > > for a month than a private consulting gets for a day. So, if the FLOK is > a > > genuine transition project, that was not outside of decency. There is a > lot > > of discussion about the other salaries, which are shrouded in secrecy. > One > > of the most often expressed critiques directed at me and the research > team: > > how can you guys make so much noise when you are paid so well, 'aren't > you > > ashamed'; on the other hand, 'flok mgt works tirelessly for nearly > nothing'. > > This is the mythology, used again and again, but I'm not sure it is the > > truth; from very good accounting sources, I was informed that they earned > > four times their claims, but I can't prove this. But as I've learned not > to > > trust anything said coming from the flok mgt, I tend to give credence to > my > > source. > > > > As for me, yes, I was well paid, after living under the minimum wage for > > seven years. We had to pay our own tickets, rent and rent guarantees, all > > internal job-related travels, and because of the length of the > engagement, I > > had to bring my family for two months (this was a stated condition of my > > employment, even if I had to finance it myself). Because of the > structurally > > late payments, I had to pay 40% more for these tickets, and on average, > > since we all had to take loans, 20% interest fees. So, just to say, > despite > > appearances, none of us got rich from this, and we worked tirelessly, in > > very tough circumstances, 12 to 14 hours a day, including many weekend > days. > > So, we are certainly not victims, privileged for sure, but not getting > rich > > on this assignment either. Neither of us asked for anything, we accepted > an > > invitation with its conditions, so I think the whole wage controversy is > > really a side issue. > > > > I'm not suggesting any budget malfeasance, the opacity of the budget was > > exclusively an issue of political control. You should also take into > account > > that due to the structural non-payment, the flok mgt had to make > superhuman > > efforts for the project to merely survive. Two full-time staff were > engaged > > just to speed up our payments (they achieved a 6 week average delay due > to > > superhuman efforfts): I was told, but can't verify this, that 26 > signatures > > were needed each month for each wage, a sign of terrible bureaucracy. > (while > > I critique the hierarchical aspects of the mgt process we should not > forget > > the extreme structural stress they were facing day in day out). > > > > Also, apart from the real work, we were forced to produce partly > fictitious > > 'products', taking 2-3 working days to produce, as proof of our work. > These > > had to be delivered 10 days before the end of each month, hence having a > 10 > > day 'future narrative' included. You have no idea of the level of > > dysfunctional bureaucracy that was prevalent. This is not exclusively a > flok > > and IAEN problem, as the young and mosty precarious Prometheo researchers > > also are routinely not paid for the first four months of their work. > Unless > > you have strong reserves to withstand such delays, I would not recommend > any > > foreigner to work as a scholar in Ecuador for the moment. But if you have > > reserves and go for the experience and engagement with local people, it's > > worthwhile, it's a spectacular place. The structural situation in > Ecuador is > > that most of the education funding goes to Yachai, a rather terrible > > neoliberal experiment in a green desert, signing secret deals with > > Microsoft, etc .. There is really nothing there, and won't be, for a > very > > long time. While the existing universities are being underfunded, this > > artificial place, which will be structurally incapable of atracting the > > creative class (even richard florida thinks it's a terrible idea), is > > getting all the attention and funding. It's a little bit like the > anti-FLOK > > project, though funded by the same Ministry, one of the many > contradictions > > of the project and the political situation in Ecuador. Just as it was > > impossible to find a single civic mvt with a positive view of the > government > > (at least amongst the 70 we spoke with); it was equally impossible to > find a > > single university administrator or scholar that supported the current > > education policy. It's part of the divorce between the intellectual class > > and the government that I discussed earlier, > > > > Michel > > > > > > -- > > Please note an intrusion wiped out my inbox on February 8; I have no > record > > of previous communication, proposals, etc .. > > > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - > http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > > > _______________________________________________ > > NetworkedLabour mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.contrast.org/mailman/listinfo/networkedlabour > > > _______________________________________________ > NetworkedLabour mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.contrast.org/mailman/listinfo/networkedlabour > -- *Please note an intrusion wiped out my inbox on February 8; I have no record of previous communication, proposals, etc ..* P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/
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