Decidim Association Assembly

Attendees: Álvaro, Andrés, Ángela, Antonio, Bru, Carol, David, Fran, Hadrien, Ivan, Lucien, Maite, Nil, Núria, Pau, Pauline, Simonas, Txema.

Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dbhRSpSizwmHKpAjCmkNaExGz7-EDKublqqwuuJIfGg/edit?usp=sharing

1.- Approval of change of registered office

We need to have an official approval on the change of the physical address of the Association.

2.- Update on the activity of the Coordination Committee

Carol explains the current situation with the balance sheet and budget of the association for 2022.

• Half of the budget has been used to pay the salaries of Andres and Maite. The grants did not arrive until the summer. The one from the Generalitat arrived towards the end of August. 
• This year the subsidy from the City Council has been denied. We're waiting for the official resolution but this leaves us with an important economic hole.
• We cannot afford to pay the salaries of November and December.
• Some activities will not be able to be carried out.
• This affects the liquidity of the association. There are some developments that we are not able to order. This affects the salaries of Maite and Andres which cannot be paid.
• While we were waiting for the grants, we asked Coop57 for credits. Practically the entire Coordination Committee personally endorsed this loan, but there is still no money to pay it back. The priority now is to renegotiate the loan.
• All the information from the grant is not yet done as a formal notification and with it, we will make allegations.
• We believe that with the liquidity we have left, we can fulfill the project presented to Generalitat and finish receiving and justifying the rest of the grant (20% - 10.000€).
• In this emergency situation we need to activate alternatives that were already on the table, and we have to take them on as an alternative to put energy and look for other financing models.
• One of the ways we are exploring is the Partners policy that was approved in the last assembly. We are having interviews with the companies that deploy Decidim and that can give a percentage of what goes into each contract. The rates range from 1.5 to 3%. We have closed a deal with PokeCode and we have a verbal commitment with Codeando Mexico, Code from Japan, Octree. So far all agree that it's a win win. We can validate our partners and they get a percentage to support the independence of the project.
• We’re also exploring other possible collaborations such as with the UN office in Paraguay, who are doing a Bootcamp to found a community there.
• Also Asuntos del Sur who were at DecidimFest, and who are working on a European project for Argentinean municipalities. 
• We are trying to close agreements with other funds, such as philanthropic funds. But this takes time, we need to build these relationships and have several meetings in order for them to get to know the project, its values and its impact.

3.- Update on the different committees and working groups

Release Parties:

• Pauline from OSP offers to do an online release party where we do online work and learning activities with technical and nontechnical people. Then we can talk about details of who does it, how they do it, what date, what are the forces to work with. Pauline thinks the first one has to be when the next release comes out.
• The meeting notes about release parties: https://nuage.dynnammo.com/hedgedoc/iCrC-85RTIO5ZVb9lzuFWQ#

Common Sense - design:

• Lucien shows a mock-up in a figma in order to show an outline of how to work in the Common Sense Group.
• Lucien: “We were concerned to provide the community with a design library in the meantime” (so that themes can be built for 26 and 27th versions)
• Álvaro: Just so you know, as part of the Redesign Contract, if nobody opposes, we'll "liberate" the Figma file of the redesign. And part of the work also includes a new redesign app, which is in line with some of the things you shared. So anyone we'll be able to build on that once released. 

4.- Approval of conditions for the convening of community meetings by the participants. Don't miss the debate!

5.- Upcoming process: Coordination Committee renewal

• There are currently 9 of us. Of these, 4 are unable to renew (they have been there for more than 4 years). Another 2 are unable to renew due to personal reasons.
• Three people remain (Angela, Fran & Carol). They express their exhaustion but in the current critical situation they are committed to continuity.
• Calendar (see slides)

6.- Open floor for comments

• Pau says he can provide help for companies that are at a loss on how to donate or contribute financially to the association.
• Pauline: During DecidimFest some vendors organised around a DICE github project to create a group to develop and maintain unofficial, community-maintained modules. She shares the following link: https://github.com/decidim-ice/.github/discussions/2. In December they want to present a manifesto to publicise their approach.
• Angela: we should all be committed to ensuring Decidim's independence, both economically and politically. The path to independence begins in the pocket.
• Alvaro: People in the city councils and administrations I think are very disconnected from where decidim's funding comes from. This makes sense in order to integrate these beneficiaries of the code. Our situation is that we get paid for maintenance and deployment but it is complex for us to find resources in the existing contracts we have. Maybe we need brainstorming to make them aware of what Decidim costs. Another dimension beyond corporate contributions.
• Pauline: how to co-finance some functionalities with all the companies we work with in decidim. What discourse we need to have with our clients. Not everybody understands what free software is. Very few people understand the dimension of the project. Only Lion. And when they want a feature they want speed and demands like proprietary software. When we get it, we will be very happy to contribute.
• Hadrien says it is important to know where the contributions and thanks come from, not only from the vendors. 
• Ivan: We all have similar problems, like a feature is too expensive. But we can look for ways that the contribution from. Communication will be, there is 3% of the contract that will be earmarked to solve the problems that we will find and that this will influence and at least vote q issue will be solved first. That doesn't mean that as individual companies we can do things. Ask a customer or two or 3 to pay for the development of a feature.
• Pau: what Ivan just said is the second part of what we think about funding. Share this 3% of the customers. We tell them it's to keep Decidim. We have told them the truth. And there are customers who are very enthusiastic about paying a percentage. It is also true that we are in a capitalist society and that we want to make a profit, and we assume this as a company because we would not do business if Decidim did not exist. Now the association is in this crisis, it is important that many of us have been making money with Decidim, so that our companies can grow and this is the opportunity to show that we care about the project and give back what it has given us.
• Álvaro: I think it is important, maybe the others know it, but how do the entities understand that Decidim is in charge. We have to invest in the narrative so that people understand what the current situation is and that it's not the city council but the association.
• Carol: It's not easy to make this transition as we have to gradually become more autonomous, but we can't deny the influence that the city council has. The idea that bcn pays for everything is still true. And that's why we have to be more active. If we agree to give it a boost, I totally agree.
• Andrés: I like this assembly so international and with so many people. It is symptomatic of what the association is. We have these issues with the city council, but we have to handle it and fight.