Premise Number 1: Money is the root of all evil. It's easy to create misunderstandings over money. Even if I take a rupee from anyone, it leaves me open to all kinds of misunderstandings, and my motives suddenly become suspect!
Premise Number 2: Expats often -- and sometimes needlessly -- believe that their counterparts in Goa are just out to milk them dry. And sometimes, because of this suspicion, they will see motives even where none exist. Without intending to rake up further emotions about the laptop-for-Fr-Nascimento issue, may I add a few points on how I see the issue? * Kevin's intentions were good. Maybe he inadvertently erred while implementing this plan. Kevin has been discussing with me for some time now the laudable idea of getting Fr Nascimento online, in view of the solid contribution the latter has been making to understanding Saligao, its people, and its history. Kevin has emailed me about the varied options. Because I prefer to keep an 'arm's length' from any money dealings, I didn't get too involved in the whole thing, apart from suggesting some options. * In my view, Kevin might have erred by asking others to chip in publicly, without intimating Fr N. about the plan. Knowing Kevin, I'm sure his intentions were only good. But then, Fr N.'s surprise is understandable when he learns that money is being collected in his name without any intimation to him. * Personally, I was in a similar situation myself. On the other side of the fence, actually. Some years back, when I was deeply involved as a volunteer on Goanet, a few friends (headed by Eddie Fernandes, now editor of goanvoice.org.uk) decided to give me a "present". They felt that they wanted to record their appreciation for work done (though I was just having fun while doing it). I had no idea of this, though I heard some whispers "behind my back". Soon, I realised that I was to be presented with a digital camera, costing around $200. I was quite a bit embarassed, because I had not asked for it. Also, as a journalist, I need to be careful about what gifts I receive ... there are potential 'conflict of interest' issues here. While token gifts (of a low value, like a pen or a photography magazine) might not be a problem, one always has to fight to retain the image of being independent and fair in one's writing. * But it was too late to do anything. The camera had been bought and sent to Goa. In hindsight, I must say that the camera (since long not working, given Goa's humid climate) helped me to get an early toehold in the world of digital photography. Resultantly, I have been clicking a whole lot of photos, and sharing them online for free download. See http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/ where there are almost 13000 photos for free download by anyone. In hindsight, I probably managed to give back far more than the $200 worth gift. One thing leads to another. Recently, I invested nearly $1000 in a ten megapixel Olympus e510 camera... of course I continue sharing my photos online. In between, I've bought maybe half-a-dozen digital cameras, sometimes requesting friends from overseas to purchase the same and reimbursing them, in times when digital cameras were hard to come by in India. Now it's probably cheaper and better to buy one here! [Please do not misread this to be a solicitation for further gifts, I prefer not to accept anything above what is a clear token gift, thank you.] * I personally believe Fr N would have been better off if he had access to the Net. But of course it is his decision on what to accept, and how... and we need to respect that decision. Kevin's intention was surely not to hurt him, but if any hurt was caused, we need to apologise for the same to him. On the other hand, it is very easy to build misunderstandings. When it comes to making a donation, any excuse is good enough not to do it! Everyone has the right to decide what they wish to support and what they don't want to. But to pointlessly spread suspicion could be both counter-productive and negative. Anyway, at the end of the day, it's really Fr Nascimento's decision. I personally feel his productivity would have been enhanced manifold if he had access to computing resources (not necessarily the most upmarket laptop). But we all should have been a bit more careful while embarking on a venture such as this. The mistake was not of keeping him informed. Hope this ends out in the best way it can... FN -- Frederick Noronha http://fn.goa-india.org Ph +91-832-2409490 12000+ downloadable, sharable hi-res photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/ _______________________________________________ Saligao 403511 website http://saligao.goa-india.org Saligaonet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goacom.org/mailman/listinfo/saligaonet
