|
|
|
|
Paving the way for a ‘Transatlantic
Citizens Initiatives’’ friendly
financial environment
|
by
Franck Biancheri
: President of TIESWeb
and Director for Studies and Strategy of
Europe 2020.
|
|
| 23/03/2005 |
|
Dear Tiesweb readers, users and
subscribers,
Progress
is made of individual problems
whose solution turn out
to pave the way for large numbers
of similar cases. Tiesweb Board
now believes that whether to continue
or to stop Tiesweb activities beyond
May 2005 may trigger a very useful
debate about sustainable financing
of Transatlantic Citizens Initiatives,
while providing Tiesweb with a
solution to its financing from
May 2005 till May 2006 (costs:
25.000€ or $33,000),
Those
Transatlantic Citizens Initiatives.do
not cost much; and they reach out
very large constituencies on both
sides of the Atlantic. The costs
are far less, for instance, than
the average Transatlantic experts
seminars. For example, current
Tiesweb costs include web content
management, coordination costs,
event organization, and publication
of a weekly newsletter for more
than 15,000 American and European
subscribers; and 25.000€ or
$33,000 are sufficient to support
operations through the calendar
year.
Throughout its history, Tiesweb
has been committed to free access
to ensure the full participation
of civil society on both sides
of the Atlantic and to preserve
independence that would be lost
by relying on public funding. We
believe that these are key conditions
to stimulate Transatlantic citizens
initiatives.
For
instance, in the case of Tiesweb,
if a few hundreds of people contribute
about 50€ / $65 (or more)
a year, the network is able, in
a sustaible way, to keep on playing
its unique role of bridge between
EU and US citizens. The same goes
of course if a handful of EU or
US private institutions decide
to give a few thousands dollars
each.
From
that point on, a true ‘Transatlantic
Citizen’s Initatives’ strategy
should include a drastic modification
of current Transatlantic funding
policies which are condemning such
initiatives to have only three
alternatives:
-
be
funded by the EU institutions
or the US administration ….
With all the loss of
independence and lack
of consistency such
co-funding
may represent; without
speaking of the very
heavy burden of administrative
follow-up involved
(often contradictory
with the very nature
of these initiatives)
-
be
funded by the few private donors
specialized
on Transatlantic projects,
which are currently
occupying a
quasi-monopolistic position
on
this ‘market’ and
are therefore
opposed to
any new initiatives
they cannot
have control
upon
-
to
live from people’s
donation … but
needs to have
already a certain
visibility
(here is ‘a
chicken and
egg’ problem),
in
order
to
reach
out
a
significant
number
of
people.
In the case of Tiesweb, we hope
to have reached a sufficient development
to be able to access the third
funding possibility. Meanwhile,
you only know that for sure once
you try it. And this is exactly
what Tiesweb Board decided to do
by announcing that if such a strategy
does not work, it prefers to stop
the Tiesweb project than putting
it into the hands of governments
or vested interests of old fashioned
foundations.
If
it works, the Tiesweb solution
may become a model for other Transatlantic
Citizens Initiatives: making all
donors, members of a so-called
Tiesweb Donors Group,
receiving monthly information
about the network’s
evolution and an exclusive
invitation to participate
in our General Assembly
every 2 years.
And
very important, experimenting
the strategy consisting in
not seeking contributions directly
but rather, as a first step,
an “intention
of making a donation.”
In our case, Tiesweb will only
ask potential donors to pay if,
by mid-April, the promises gathered
are sufficient to allow the continuation
of Tiesweb. We are pretty optimistic
about this possibility and we hope
to once again pave the way for
a multiplication, tomorrow, of
Transatlantic Citizens Initiatives
such as ours.
Tiesweb has always tried to put
in practice two deep beliefs:
-
first, that giving the example
is the only long
lasting
political force
-
second, that when you
are a pioneer, what
you do can serve
others by showing a direction
forth
following.
So, for all those reasons, if
you believe that the continuation
of Tiesweb is worth your support,
send an email to contact@tiesweb.org with your first name, name, address,
telephone number and the amount
of money you intend to give.
We hope to remain a valuable bridge
dedicated to rebuilding the transatlantic
relationship. And that, today,
depends on you too!
Thank you in advance.
Franck Biancheri
President
Tiesweb
|
|
|
|
|
Subscription
|
|
|
Special
Files |
|
|
Interviews
|
|
|
News
Headlines |
|
|
Quiz
|
| |
|
| |
|
