Re: elections

[Nadim Shaikli <shaikli at yahoo dot com>]

--- Arafat Medini <lumina at silverpen dot de> wrote:
> And I think with these new elections the Arabeyes core members show
> blantly that they lost the fight. For me these elections don't show "our
> willingness to renew the blood of the project" but the reality that the
> core-members don't have the commitment (the energy ? the money? the
> time?) to fight for what they installed some years ago.

Far from it - I think you misunderstand the rationale of why such a move
is inherently necessary for the survival of this project.  No one lost
or won (I'm not sure what pressure you are talking about) - elections
were planned for a very long time ago, no one ever took the time to put
various thoughts on paper to push the topic forward (until I decided
to bite the bullet) since we were/are always attending to other things
(check the 'core' meeting agendas and minutes for further details [1]).

> The project can be compared to some app with a front-end and a back-end.
> The core members were the back-end ensuring that the whole project is
> still healthy and alive whereas we the front-end were working hard to
> deliver a compelling product. I for myself don't want to think about
> legal and organizational stuff inside Arabeyes, I simply want to deliver
> my pos and make the gnu tools kick ass.

And more power to you - that is exactly what you should be concerned about
and its 'core's job to make sure that you are shielded from anything that
distracts you from your work and to make sure you can proceed with all the
necessary tools and functions.  Elections, as I've noted on this list
before, are like brushing one's teeth - people don't do it because they
like it, they do it to avoid that nasty happy-to-drill dentist.  In other
words, we want to lessen the chance that something bad will happen to
Arabeyes in the long haul by making sure there is a mechanism in-place for
people to follow if things take a turn for the worst.  We've always wanted
to setup Arabeyes to sustain itself with and/or without us and elections
(or similar) to bring-in new care takers are a must to ensure that survival.

> Instead of us concentrating on the REAL problems awaiting us, SO MANY
> problems which are not solved, we simply begin to start playing with the
> stability of the project in introducing new ppl to fields they should
> not be interested in. Not because they are not good but because of our
> problems:
> Too few ppl, no real mass translations! SO FEW MAN even after all these
> years!
> Too few skilled ppl to roll out quality work and define standards.
> Too few standardized papers to ease cooperation with other groups.
> No real cooperation with other groups.
> No REAL answers to attacks from the outside and the inside.
> etc... etc...
> And instead of us coming together, working together and being for eg.
> present and discuss our problems in the IRC etc... NO we are only hungry
> for power, well you not me...

Believe me when I say this - there is no power in 'core'.  We are servants
to Arabeyes and Arabeyes' volunteers - plain and simple, that's in all
honestly what 'core' really is.  To equate that to power is ludicrous.  You
talk to any person that's been a core'ite and one thing they will tell you,
"ya man, I really got burnt out".  The reason is there is alot of behind
the scenes work that no one sees or feels and there is alot of grunt work.
Dealing with things like PHP code, search engine deployment, mailing-lists,
people registering, people sending various "let's cooperate" mails, etc
in no way gives you power.  So, in short, there is no power to be had beyond
giving people CVS access.  The reason there is no power is due to the fact
that the current core'ites are all here to serve Arabeyes and not to be
served by it - the key is the individuals' intents and how they go about
conducting their actions (that's where elections come, we'd like to weed
those ill-willed people out).

As for your comment about this getting us side-tracked, I couldn't agree
more.  I've said this in various 'core' meetings and on various posts here
and elsewhere.  Elections are NOT a focus for arabeyes and they should not
take more than a few hours of anyone's time in the course of a year.  Its
something we need to get through on an annual basis and get through it
quickly and without issue.  Nominations need to be very simple and web-form
based and there are to be minimal discussions on issues once we know how
to proceed with the mechanisms.  Arguments and party-building and any
bickering will NOT be tolerated - again, Arabeyes' focus is its work and
in attaining results.  If anyone is looking to build an empire, Arabeyes
is not the right place for them - it simply won't be tolerated.  The
question now is really, what should we do as a collective and what
should we mandate in our handbook to make sure that we have a sane, fair
process (I dislike the usage of "democratic") that is as painless as can
be to safeguard Arabeyes' future and its mandates and charter.

> Instead of thinking about these problems we are hurrying for elections!
> What will bring us these elections? Come on, only cz some ppl said there
> is no democracy in Arabeyes we'll hurry up in giving ppl the opportunity
> to be the new "sheikh alqabila" at Arabeyes? ... How hungry are we for
> power? would I ask... Arabeyes at the end a playground for power-hungry
> ppl? No more workplace and commitment?

Again, there really isn't much power to be had.  If anyone is hungry for
it they will soon realize that there ain't any for them and I'd guess
would be rather disappointed.  Again, if you can envision scenarios in
which what is being proposed could be abused, point them out and give
suggestions on how to fix 'em.  We all as a community want to put forth
as good a system in-place as possible to make sure Arabeyes never gets
harmed in any possible way so that its never gets taken advantage of
and is never made a tool in anyone's hands.

> Sure every "election" has it's good sides, but we're not electing here
> ppl who were engaged for at least some months in the arabeyes process,
> only three did that and maybe two really knew the meat. it's like
> electing a president who never practiced politics. And in this regard I
> see these elections as not beneficial to us, the core members themselves
> didn't ask us when they decided to make these elections and for myself I
> see this as a BIG mistake, no discussion were held, so where is the REAL
> democracy in this process??? no qualified person, no real discussion, no
> real argument.... Well for me this elections are not democratic! A
> reaction to some internal mood at the core group?
> 
> What I am afraid of, and what is also clear for me, is that groups and
> ppl who don't know what Arabeyes is simply can change the track of the
> project, that only cz ppl are busy or bored they step down from their
> responsibilities and that at the end like the Arabic regimes we'll
> become a playground for untrained ppl living their power illusions and
> enjoy being a "leader"....

Please bring forth scenarios and let's make sure we protect Arabeyes from
'em with robust logical means.

[1] http://cvs.arabeyes.org/viewcvs/ae_admin/

Salam.

 - Nadim


		
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