[IAEP] [SLOBS] URGENT action needed

[Samson Goddy]

I am want to say that i am *very very* disappointed of what this community
is turning into. I am certainly confuse of how some decisions are been made
for reasons that are not just worth it.

I remember asking for $2K+ as to support i and Ibiam's travel to the
scratch conference that would *benefit* the community. It was obviously
refused for reasons that make me laugh sometimes. We debated about it and
then decided to cost ibiam out the conference and reducing the support to
$500. With all the arguments, i eventually didn't prepare very well for the
schengen visa and i got rejected with no time to appeal because of the
confusion from Sugar Labs board. I lost over $600 from my personal funds
trying to get Sugar Labs stories and project down to bordeaux. Because i
believe that is the responsibility as a member of this community.

Can someone remind me again what is the "*Mission and Vision*" statement of
Sugar Labs?

Now, i was chosen based on the work i put into by helping as a mentor on
the new website to attend the mentor summit which i believe Google is
paying for not Sugar Labs, which has been over 6 years now. *Not *attending
the summit create a bad name from Sugar Labs because pay you to attend. Now
this motion is delayed because 3 in favour, 1 not-in-favour, 2 abstain
confirmed.

 I need to book appointment for an interview this week and it takes up to
(15 working days) for the US embassy to approve the appointment and
according to Google i need to have a visa on or before 5th of September.

So i am asking politely, *if* the community is not comfortable with me
going to the mentor summit in SFO, i will appreciate if i will be told
today or tomorrow. So that i can stop working on my DS-160 form and so that
someone can go instead of me, especially if that person will be needing a
visa. Because i don't buy or understand this excuses.

I am very open minded, i don't get angry alot but i hate *politics.*

Samson

On Sun, Aug 13, 2017 at 3:11 PM, Laura Vargas <laura at somosazucar.org> wrote:

>
>
> 2017-08-13 8:44 GMT-05:00 Walter Bender <walter.bender at gmail.com>:
>
>> Really???
>>
>> I have to agree with Samson here. What is the existential risk here? How
>> does the risk of a travel advance to a well established community member
>> (and oversight board member) for a trip sponsored by a reliable funding
>> source with whom we have been working for years represent some "dangerous
>> precedent"? Regarding your suggestion that we loan the money as
>> individuals, the fact that I out almost $2K for money I have loaned to
>> community members for travel advances...
>>
>
>
> For everyone's reference, I believe here it is imperative to clear that:
>
> *Sugar labs board has never approved or endorse any personal loans among
> members. This practice would potentially produce long-term distortions in **democratic
> decision making.*
>
> Regards
>
> Laura V
>
> makes me much more wary of that approach. It seemingly introduces an
>> additional layer of confusion that makes travel reimbursement all the more
>> mired within the opaque operations of our parent org.
>>
>> -walter
>>
>> On Sun, Aug 13, 2017 at 9:28 AM, Samson Goddy <samsongoddy at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Thank you Adam for the wonderful reply.
>>>
>>> On Aug 13, 2017 2:10 PM, "Adam Holt" <holt at laptop.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> Because Samson Goddy is our close friend and clearly should go to San
>>> Francisco for GSoC, it is tempting to send him a personal loan.
>>>
>>> But for Sugar Labs to provide loans to our personal friends is a
>>> dangerous precedent frought with moral and ethical hazards.
>>>
>>> As such, personally my conscience forces me to abstain from all such
>>> matters.
>>>
>>> A quick question.. I am trying to undertsand some comments on this
>>> motion.
>>>
>>> I believe this is not the first time Google is giving money to Sugar
>>> Labs and i am pretty sure i am not the first person from Sugar Labs to
>>> attend GSOC summit.
>>>
>>> Why is this an issue, for SL to approve so SFC can give me travel
>>> advance?
>>>
>>> Dont Google pay for the travels?
>>>
>>> Why i am asking these questions is because i haven't seen such  comments
>>> on previous travels and i certainly dont understand why it is happening
>>> now, at least eating up time when i should be scheduling for interview with
>>> the US embassy.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I strongly encourage others to provide Samson the $627.05 personal loan
>>> he in fact does need, if Sugar Labs cannot.
>>>
>>> *It will make a gigantic difference, and you will have a friend for life
>>> in Samson Goddy, who is likely to move forward accomplishing truly
>>> incredible things in his life.*
>>>
>>> Thanks for this note.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Aug 13, 2017 2:54 AM, "Lionel Laské" <lionel.laske at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Because Adam is our Financial contact, I would like to hear from him
>>> before voting.
>>> In the meantime my vote could be considering as "Abstain".
>>>
>>>              Lionel.
>>>
>>>
>>> 2017-08-12 15:27 GMT-07:00 Tabitha Roder <tabitha at tabitha.net.nz>:
>>>
>>>> I think Sugar Labs should approve the $US 627.05 travel advance for
>>>> Samson Goddy.
>>>> Tabitha
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Aug 11, 2017 8:44 AM, "Walter Bender" <walter.bender at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I presume we need a motion and a vote on this. Time is of the essence,
>>>>> so please respond ASAP.
>>>>>
>>>>> Motion: Samson Goddy has been selected as a Sugar Labs representative
>>>>> to the Google Summer of Code mentor summit. He has requested a travel
>>>>> advance to cover the costs of his visa application. The advance, including
>>>>> wire fees comes to $US 627.05. This motion is to approve the travel
>>>>> advance. (As additional background, Google will be covering up to $2200 in
>>>>> travel expenses for two representatives to attend the summit. Since our
>>>>> other representative is local to the SF area, the bulk of that money would
>>>>> be available to cover Samson's travel, so the net impact on SL funds will
>>>>> be negligible.
>>>>>
>>>>> regards.
>>>>>
>>>>> -walter
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>>>> From: Accounting at Software Freedom Conservancy <
>>>>> accounting at sfconservancy.org>
>>>>> Date: Thu, Aug 10, 2017 at 4:16 PM
>>>>> Subject: URGENT request for Sugar Labs to approve of US$627.05 advance
>>>>> for Goddy for GSoC Mentor Summit (was: Is Goddy actually requesting $160 ?)
>>>>> To: sugar at sfconservancy.org
>>>>> Cc: Martin Michlmayr <gsoc at sfconservancy.org>, Samson Goddy <
>>>>> samsongoddy at gmail.com>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Sugar Labs PLC,  please urgently page down to the all caps section
>>>>> below.
>>>>>
>>>>> Samson,
>>>>>
>>>>> Samson Goddy wrote at 08:52 (EDT) on Wednesday:
>>>>> > it has been 5 days, i already made request to
>>>>> sugar at sfconservancy.org for
>>>>> > funding. Since it takes up to 15 working days(3 weeks) for the
>>>>> embassy to
>>>>> > accept appointment for interview.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > I haven't heard anything from both parties.
>>>>>
>>>>> Unfortunately, We are waiting for someone from Sugar Labs to reply to
>>>>> approve the expense.  I don't know why they haven't replied.
>>>>>
>>>>> SUGAR LABS PLC: By my calculation, Samson is asking for this:
>>>>>
>>>>>   FOR TRAVEL TO GET A VISA, AND FOR THE VISA FEES ITSELF, SAMSON GODDY
>>>>> ASKS
>>>>>   FOR A CASH ADVANCE OF TRAVEL EXPENSES (TO COME TO GSOC MENTOR SUMMIT
>>>>>   2017).  The totals are as follows:
>>>>>
>>>>>   If we use western union, N202,350 = $570 (rate set by WU)
>>>>>
>>>>>   If we use wire, he's asking for 561+(561*.05)+13+25 = US$627.05 to
>>>>> be wired.
>>>>>                                        wire fees
>>>>>
>>>>> If Sugar Labs PLC replies with approval before Sunday night
>>>>> US/Eastern, we
>>>>> can likely process a payment by wire on Monday.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> We don't typically use Western Union, and it would be substantial
>>>>> effort for
>>>>> us to do that, so we'd like Sugar to approve the additional wire fees
>>>>> as
>>>>> it will make payment more rapid for Samson and easier for Conservancy.
>>>>>
>>>>> Samson, your request was a bit ramble-y, so if I gleaned the wrong
>>>>> totals
>>>>> above, please correct them.
>>>>>
>>>>> Samson, in preparation for Sugar Labs PLC hopefully approving this
>>>>> request,
>>>>> could you let me know if the wire instructions I used for you before
>>>>> are
>>>>> still correct, and if not, send me new ones?
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Bradley M. Kuhn
>>>>> Distinguished Technologist of Software Freedom Conservancy
>>>>>  |------> & also, de-facto Bookkeeper for the moment
>>>>> Pls support Conservancy!: https://sfconservancy.org/supporter/
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Walter Bender
>>>>> Sugar Labs
>>>>> http://www.sugarlabs.org
>>>>> <http://www.sugarlabs.org>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
>>>>> IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
>>>>> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
>>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Walter Bender
>> Sugar Labs
>> http://www.sugarlabs.org
>> <http://www.sugarlabs.org>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
>> IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
>> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Laura V.
> * I&D SomosAZUCAR.Org*
>
> “Solo la tecnología libre nos hará libres.”
> ~ Laura Victoria
>
> Happy Learning!
> #LearningByDoing
> #Projects4good
> #IDesignATSugarLabs
> #WeCanDoBetter
>
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