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This may sound like a silly question, but who put in offers to host
the next conference?<br>
<br>
It seems that, once again, we're in a situation where the PPI Board
asked for ideas and help, few people other than those with close
ties to the Board responded (going off the wiki page here;
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://int.piratenpartei.de/Conference-offers">http://int.piratenpartei.de/Conference-offers</a> ) and so we have a
result far from the ideal. However, given what happened last year, I
think that a well-organised and planned conference in a non-ideal
location might be better than a rushed one somewhere more diplomatic
(not that the PPBe people didn't do a great job - more that we
didn't know who was there as a delegate until after the conference
had started).<br>
<br>
Looking at the map of current Parties (there's one here
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/File:Map_of_Pirate_Parties_International_Members.svg">https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/File:Map_of_Pirate_Parties_International_Members.svg</a>
) it does seem that Europe has the greatest density of PPs, with no
other continent having more than 4 - that would make it a logical
choice. However, we (nearly) all have access to this wonderful thing
called the Internet, which allows us to communicate near-instantly
all around the world, and could be put to great use and lessen the
need for a central location. However, an Internet-based conference
would need to be a lot more carefully planned (and I would be happy
to offer suggestions to any organisers based on my experiences of
the last conference).<br>
<br>
Anyways, it is now January, and the conference really should be held
by June. So, allowing a month to let people book tickets and sort
things out, it should be fully planned by the end of April. I don't
know how many countries are 'represented' by people here, but
perhaps it would be useful if people (particularly those
disappointed with the current venues) could give your national Party
leadership a strong poke and see if they would be interested in
hosting a conference and try to get other options (I know at least
one is already in the works). Of course, this really should have
been done back whenever the call for venues went out...<br>
<br>
Still, I think some people are expecting too much from PPI. There's
been a lot of talk of the advantages of decentralisation recently -
and at the moment, I think a decentralised Pirate movement is pretty
useful. Few Parties currently have the resources to support a
strong, central PPI, so if one is going to exist, it will likely be
dominated by those, whereas all we really need from PPI at the
moment is something to keep communication lines and discussions
areas open (like this list, IRC etc.) - places where we can go to
discuss international things and get larger scale stuff sorted out
when needed. I get the feeling that when the PPI Board (or Coreteam
before it) tries to get too involved in any one issue things get
slowed down and end up more complex than they started (as with any
bureaucracy, I guess) - the same seems to apply to individual Party
stuff; not everything needs to go through the Party's leadership and
be controlled by them.<br>
<br>
Hmm, this turned into slightly more of an essay than I was planning
but never mind - just a few thoughts on the matters. Finally, I hope
everyone had a good new year.<br>
<br>
-Will<br>
[Former PPI Coreteam member]<br>
<br>
On 02/01/2011 07:52, Core TX wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:AANLkTikmdbVXLMGoLf=CiaWYVV+xVEKTZ-qju5Ef4MX7@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<meta http-equiv="Context-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<div>( Some of you already have received this mail, now it's time
for the public. )<br>
<br>
Dear Pirates,<span></span><span></span></div>
<div><br>
<span></span></div>
<div>It has come to my attention that the current PPI board
members have pulled of the "quorum trick". Obviously, i dislike
opening a email to you all with such a devastating and maybe
even demoralizing statement. <span></span><span></span></div>
<div><span></span><span></span><br>
</div>
<div>During the last PPI conference held in Brussels, many verbal
agreements where made and not properly codified. One of these
agreements mention that the next PPI conference was to be held
on non european soil.<span></span><span></span></div>
<div>Previous agreements on PPI conference locations, state that
there is cyclic order of conference locations, implying that
countries that have not organized a PPI conference yet, prevail
over those that had the honor of organizing one before.<span></span><span></span></div>
<div><span></span><span></span><br>
</div>
<div>In the light of this knowledge, the current PPI board must
not, and can not accept the next PPI conference to be on
european soil, and especially not on German soil since they
already have held one.<span></span><span></span></div>
<div>And not only because of a clear conflict of interest
situation created by co-president Gregori who in violation of
the PPI statutes also holds a seat in the german state Hessen.<span></span><span></span><span></span><span></span></div>
<div>But more importantly, because of non european parties already
having proposed to be willing to host the next conference during
the latest conference. <span></span><span></span><span></span><span></span></div>
<div><span></span><span></span><span></span><span></span><br>
</div>
<div>Currently, the board is "hiding" behind a wikipage, stating
the "proposals", whereas proper attempts to organize the next
conference elsewhere have not been made.<span></span><span></span></div>
<div>Complaints towards the board, accompanied with advice where
made to no avail.<span></span><span></span></div>
<div><span></span><span></span><br>
</div>
<div>However, it is not the current PPI board that is to blame. We
are all to blame.<span></span><span></span></div>
<div>We all hold the key towards a prosperous future for PPI.<span></span><span></span></div>
<div>It is us, who elected the current board, and it's leaders -
the people who are responsible for the mess that the last
conference came to be.<span></span><span></span></div>
<div>It is us, who empower them. And it's they, who are supposed
to empower us as a movement. <span></span><span></span><span></span></div>
<div><span></span><span></span><br>
</div>
<div><span></span><span></span>The results of the last conference
are utterly disappointing. Not only has PPI lost transparency.
But it also instated pull-able information in the same fashion
as our governments do.</div>
<div><span></span><span></span>At the same time, most of us demand
our governments to push data in order to create true
transparency and accountability. <span></span></div>
<div>The mailing-lists are filled with trolls now, more than
ever. </div>
<div><span></span><span></span>The PPI IRC channels is dying a
slow death as a result of the last conference.<span></span></div>
<div>No longer, is PPI coordinating international collaboration. </div>
<div><span></span><span></span>No longer is it being a true "hub"
for pirates around the world.<span></span><span></span></div>
<div>Knowledge exchange is no where to be seen.<span></span><span></span><span></span><span></span></div>
<div>Objectives have not been met. </div>
<div><br>
<span></span></div>
<div>The 5 out of 9 objectives are still achievable and have
become even more necessary than during the Viena Conference in
2007. More and more, our civil liberties are at stake.<span></span><span></span></div>
<div>Even the United Nations is now committing an multi-vector
approach on killing (internet) freedom.</div>
<div>We must get the synergy back!</div>
<div><span></span>Here fore, i urge you all to come into action
before it's too late.</div>
<div><span></span></div>
<div><span></span><span></span><br>
</div>
<div>Yours sincerely,<span></span><span></span></div>
<div><span></span><span></span><br>
</div>
Samir Allioui</blockquote>
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