Recently I was met with disappointment when I had to inform someone that there was no money to pay for expenses so that they could talk at a Ragged University event.  I got the sense that they wanted a token, a symbol of worth, that they were appreciated such as some petrol money or the like.  It was uncomfortable.  The point I had to make was that Ragged University has no funding – there is no money to offer as every last penny, moment or resource (that I have) is set out to create the platform and social setting so that all individuals can share their knowledge in a warm community space.
One day I hope that there will be funding – once the labyrinthine outcomes and measurements culture is negotiated, and a humanised way to illustrate the reality of the project is acceptable to those who hold the purse strings.  Just now outcomes and measurements bureaucracies appear as a deadweight costs which starve the project of the elements needed to create the educational setting.  When funding is attained – without putting individuals under microscopes and without imposing on people’s fragile personal space or thought processes – the money will still be channelled solely to creating educational opportunity. Read more…