[IAEP] [SLOBS] [SLOB] email motion re Scratch Conference

[Adam Holt]

1) Lionel is correct to suggest that some-or-most of the $2800 could
disappear, if France rejects visas (every reasonably-priced flight is
non-refundable in 2017; these funds would be lost).  Not at all an abstract
hypothetical: France's visa approval process may require the flight be
purchased in advance, and Samson's expenses traveling around Nigeria
(flights, hotels etc) just to get a visa potentially be lost as well.

In any case, I cannot count the number of times this has happened to good
people with the *Very Best of Intentions*, people I've known to be the
purest souls, whose visa AND flight funds completely disappeared as a
result of their overseas visas/entry being rejected, based on one
mysterious technicality or another.

Worse yet: the (presumed, but not quite!) attendee generally has to pay for
all lost funds themselves in such situations, as compensation is not
possible when the conference/event was not in fact attended.

2) $2800 is far too high of a sum for Sugar Labs to gamble on such an
uncertain outcome.  Some of the most productive hackers I know in Haiti
live on $1000 per year total (or less).  I have flown to work with them and
similar/such people on other continents over the past year, where the grand
total cost was less than $500 (Asia and Europe) in all cases, by staying in
other hackers/contributors homes.

Conversely, flying to the EU mid-summer in the height of tourist season, is
about as expensive as it gets.

As such, a more financially judicious gamble might involve a carefully
thought-out proposal for one single individual to attend.  Likely an
individual who has the strongest track record of getting EU visas
approved?  Or perhaps an individual who has established contacts /
diplomatic connections within the French government, a high-level contact
who cares about children and free software etc, to guarantee the visa will
be approved?

3) Laura Vargas is correct SFC cannot generally provide funds in advance,
so the mechanics of this entire proposal remain unclear.  Not reassuring
when flight prices are already rising less than 2 months before the event.
But possibly a (presumed) attendee can arrange a personal loan from a
friend, to cover all funds in advance, to be reimbursed by SFC later if
nothing goes wrong with the visa?

4) If an improved proposal is indeed appropriate at this late stage, what
community deliverables/artifacts will the attendee(s) publish and/or
contribute in the end, preferably on the public record for all to share?

ASIDE: What is the exact/estimated total that Scratch itself has offered to
contribute?


On Sat, May 20, 2017 at 12:13 PM, Sameer Verma <sverma at sfsu.edu> wrote:

> +1
>
> Sameer
>
> On May 19, 2017 9:01 AM, "Walter Bender" <walter.bender at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> +1
>>
>> On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 11:56 AM, Sameer Verma <sverma at sfsu.edu> wrote:
>>
>>> I second.
>>>
>>> Sameer
>>>
>>> On May 19, 2017 5:50 AM, "Walter Bender" <walter.bender at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Perhaps someone can second the motion so we can begin voting?
>>>
>>> On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 4:28 AM, Samson Goddy <samsongoddy at sugarlabs.org
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thank you all for the positive comments. But i am little sad that since
>>>> wednesday, only one vote has been made. Where we have 7 SLOBs member in
>>>> this community. I am pleading to other SLOBs member to come and vote, so
>>>> that i and Ibiam can have idea what to do next if this motion passes or
>>>> not. Because if this motion pass, we will have to wait for SFC 30 days
>>>> policy.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Regards
>>>> Samson Goddy
>>>>
>>>> On Thu, May 18, 2017 at 1:49 AM, Ignacio Rodríguez <
>>>> ignacio at sugarlabs.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi everyone
>>>>>
>>>>> It's +1 from me :)
>>>>> I've seen some pictures on Facebok and I love what you both are doing,
>>>>> awesome work, Samson and Ibiam.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> Ignacio.-
>>>>>
>>>>> On Wed, May 17, 2017 at 8:27 PM, Avni Khatri <avni at kidsoncomputers.org
>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Same. Not a member of SLOB but agree it's a well written proposal. +1
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On May 17, 2017, at 7:23 PM, Caryl Bigenho <cbigenho at hotmail.com>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> This is a well thought out proposal for a worthy project. I am not a
>>>>>> member of the SLOB so I can't vote. But I do hope it is approved.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Caryl
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On May 17, 2017, at 11:31 AM, Walter Bender <walter.bender at gmail.com>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Samson and Ibiam are seeking funds to cover part of the cost to
>>>>>> attend the Scratch Conference in Bordeaux France in July to promote Sugar.
>>>>>> The detailed proposal is here [1].
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Motion: Sugar Labs agrees to cover up to US$2800 for expenses related
>>>>>> to traveling to the Scratch2017BDX, 17th to 22nd of July, 2017 for Samson
>>>>>> Goddy and Ibiam Chihurumnaya.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> [1] https://docs.google.com/document/d/152VDfUcdcGOHOFBLT3lG
>>>>>> 15sUFpzBeuBCGiNAGCSOLj4/edit?usp=sharing
>>>>>>
>>>>>> regards.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -walter
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> 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
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
>>>>>> IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
>>>>>> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
>>>>>> IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
>>>>>> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
>>>>> IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
>>>>> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> SLOBs mailing list
>>>> SLOBs at lists.sugarlabs.org
>>>> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/slobs
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> 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
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> 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
>
> --
> Unsung Heroes of OLPC, interviewed live @ http://unleashkids.org !
> <http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep>
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