Hi Andreas! Hi Sophie! On Sat, Jan 15, 2022 at 8:55 AM Andreas Mantke <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi, > > Am 14.01.22 um 19:14 schrieb Simon Phipps: > > > If TDF is to satisfy its mission this has to stop. The new Board has a > > huge opportunity and responsibility to put all this behind them and > > lead positively. It must shun divisiveness and seek ways to rekindle > > solidarity by emphasizing equality and promoting freedom. This will > > not be done treating the motivations of some participants as suspect! > > In fact almost everyone is pursuing an "interest", almost by > > definition in a collaborative community! > > > Sure, without following an interest you wouldn't participate and invest > your live time in that community. > > But at least if you are a member of a charity's body you need to be open > and transparent about such interests and rethink, if following them > foster the objectives of the organization. If following your interest > (commercial or non-commercial) is in opposite to that, a member of the > body has to put his interest last. If she / he is not able to follow > such rule, she / he shouldn't reconsider his membership, because > otherwise she / he most probably will get very soon into the situation > to violate her / his duty as a member of the body. > > In short: if you wear to hats (TDF / personal interest) you as a member > of a body has to wear the TDF hat in the first place. > I absolutely agree with you, Andreas. I especially agree with your observation above that vested interests can be of various kinds, not just commercial. I believe that's an area that needs attention, as most people at TDF have a link with a community, political campaign, job, career reputation or company (and so on) that could make them act in a way that prioritises their interest over the charity. I thought what Sophi said was relevant here: On Sat, Jan 15, 2022 at 4:26 PM sophi <[email protected]> wrote: We need to have a balance between commercial and charitable activities. In > my very own opinion, we have moved away from this balance and we could > have reshaped it during the pandemic. I completely agree that things are out of balance, and I very much agree that we should look to restore a balance of interests, but I don't think the contrast is between "commercial and charitable". It is rather between the interests of individuals and the interests of the charity as a whole. We keep focussing on commercial interests, but in doing so we neglect other motivations for taking a position on the functioning of TDF. To move on we will need to recognise that TDF is a charity formed as home for a convergence of interests and that a focus too much on the harms or benefits of any one sort of interest is the origin of our problems. Cheers Simon -- *Simon Phipps* *TDF Trustee*
