[Community] Re: Next RRFM?

[Elizabeth Simpson]

Hi all, 

I'm actually on this list already- it's been hilarious to watch the emails fly about me. 

First, freecycle already exists in CU. You just join the
listserv and you're part of it. Beware: it's pointedly a-political (I've gotten
in trouble there).

I'm taking an extra minute to talk about the IMC because I think that there can and should be better integration between the current members and the anarchist/punk community, and presume a number of folks here fit in that camp. The IMC is what we make it- I invite you to become part of that.  

First of all, it's good to know what it is:
"The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center is a grassroots
organization committed to using media production and distribution as
tools for promoting social and economic justice in the Champaign County
area."

That said, though the IMC is technically a non-profit, the board of directors (mandatory for 501c3 status) has fully delegated its decision-making powers to a consensus-based spokescouncil, made of representatives from each working group. This meets the first thursday of the month at 8 at the IMC. Everyone is welcome. 

The IMC has gotten a lot of flak for being non-profit, but there are groups of all (lefty) politcal stripes around the country who use us as fiscal sponsor to avoid paying taxes and get access to other resources, and the general consensus it that it's worth the trade-off to keep money in our communites, not paying for war. 

There is awareness that there have, historically, been divisions between the (white) punk scene and the liberation movements of people of color, or of radicals with familes, and that crossing these divisions can look like 'getting conservative', but the key is to consistently look at the distribution of resources and power and be aware how often systems of control have encouraged us to judge and divide (leaving them intact, of course). 

Community
Connections is a workgroup that "addresses the health of the internal
IMC community and its infrastructure, as well as the IMC's cultural
relevance and accessibility in Champaign County." This is to say that the IMC has had a variety of reputations, and we're trying, among other things, to make being part of it more welcoming and useful. It really is the product of the people who show up. 

ABOUT SPACE USE:
The IMC is not a landlord to its working groups or co-sponsors. It does need to navigate covering the costs of having a building. It covers these costs through membership dues, donations, and renting offices.

So, when groups want to use the large space and have no relationship to us, we ask them to help pay for the heat and electricity in the space to the tune of $35/hr (it costs more than that, but the IMC subsidizes the cost to increase accessibility). Why? Unlike government or religion funded spaces, the IMC doesn't have the fiscal support to just be 'free' because we're simply a group of projects made of people wanting to shift how things are- like you all. The bills come in, someone's got to pay them, etc. 

As for Community Conenctions sponsoring- even as a working group we still need to work to try cover the maintenance costs of the space- so we'd want to work together to do that. It might be possible to combine skillshare time with the RRFM, or some other brainstorm to split costs. We (CC) meet at 6p on wednesdays at the IMC. I think it would be great
to have RRFM at the IMC, and hope you want to collaborate to make it
happen.

Ultimately, there's no sugar daddy who can foot the bill- that's autonomy for you! It's part of the weird compromises that happen when you try to build infrastructure- you find that you can't dumpster dive electricity or the mortgage... but we can still build it together. 

In solidarity, 
elizaBeth









 

I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.

-Harriet Tubman

 




________________________________
From: Susan Song <slack.bloc.affinity at gmail.com>
To: rrfm-champaign-urbana at googlegroups.com
Sent: Wed, October 21, 2009 11:06:01 PM
Subject: Next RRFM?

Hey all,

When do people think we should have the next RRFM? I'm hoping we can have another one before it gets too cold outside, but I was thinking we could use the IMC as a space if the weather gets too bad. I'm not sure if we'd need to pay a rental fee or not though.

-Susan

-- 
Whatever doesn't kill power is killed by it.

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