[IMC-US] Re: [New-imc] Proposed New IMC -- IMC-US:

[boud]

hi everyone,
   Someone wrote offlist to me and to a few other people active in the
new-imc working group, asking to have a decision deadline on this! 

Please do make this sort of pressure - new-imc is a global working
group which works openly!

This sort of request is clearly unusual, might be controversial,
so it's not something to be rushed through. IMC Oceania did not ask to
become an "official" IMC.

In any case, how about looking through

http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/NewImcHowTo

?

Certainly many of these things will be different for a regional IMC
than for a local IMC, but it's still work that needs to be done.

IMHO, the obligation to make sure that a regional IMC will not become
hierarchical, that it has clear decision-making procedures, editorial
policy, etc are just as important, if not more so, than for a local IMC.

And IMC US doesn't have the same excuse of lack of indy experience as new
local collectives...

Please work through
http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/NewImcHowTo


solidarity
boud




On Fri, 22 Aug 2003, Sascha Meinrath wrote:

> Hello all,
> 
> SUMMARY:
> 
> Over the past several years the idea of creating an IMC-US website has
> been talked about at length.  Below is a formal proposal from the
> imc-us affinity group to create such a site.
> 
> ***
> 
> HISTORY OF CURRENT PROPOSAL:
> 
> In mid-June, a group of close to 50 IMC-istas met at the Allied Media
> Conference in Bowling Green, Ohio.  At this gathering it was decided to
> form an affinity group to look into creating an IMC-US website.  This
> affinity group then met to work out some of the logistics necessary to
> create such a website.  Over the summer, this affinity group has worked to
> create and refine a proposal for the creation of an IMC-US website.
> 
> Discussion, earlier drafts, etc. are available in the working group's
> archives:
> 
> http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/mailman/archive/imc-us/
> 
> If you would like to join this affinity group, you can do so at:
> 
> http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc-us
> 
> The IMC-US affinity group sent the proposal to the IMC-US-Process working
> group to look over and discuss before applying to the New-IMC group to
> create the IMC-US website.  After a month-long discussion period, the
> proposal was sent back to the IMC-US group to send to New-IMC.
> 
> *******************************
> *** US-IMC WEBSITE PROPOSAL ***
> *******************************
> 
> SUMMARY: Proposal to create a US-IMC website as a national venue for
> U.S.-based IMCs.
> 
> WHY A US-IMC WEBSITE?
> 
> Discussion for a US based Indymedia website has happened on and off for
> many months. But recently at the NorthEast IMC regional conference and at
> the Allied Media Conference in Ohio, this project received unprecendented
> focus. Participants from about 20 IMCs expressed interest in seeing
> Indymedia articles of national significance highlighted on a US-based news
> website. They have committed to seeing this project through and have
> composed this proposal for review. An outreach working group was formed to
> invite local IMC's to participate. If your IMC is interested in being
> involved, please contact the US-IMC affinity group: imc-us at ucimc.org.
> In addition, individual US-based IMCs who wish not to partake in a
> national IMC Website can opt out of the collaboration.
> 
> The Indymedia network, now approaching its fourth anniversary, started in
> the United States and expanded outwards.  IMCs exist on all continents and
> utilize many languages; however, while many country-specific IMCs exist,
> currently no IMC website focuses on the United States as a whole.  There
> are several reasons for such an IMC website to exist.
> 
> A less US-Centric Global Site:  A US-IMC website would reduce domination
> of the global indymedia site by US-specific issues.  While it may not be
> apparent to many IMC-istas in the US, US stories have been overrepresented
> on the global Indymedia site. Having a US site would allow the global site
> to have a more balanced and diverse distribution of articles -- helping to
> alleviate the alienation experienced by some non-US viewers. Additionally,
> a US-IMC would help encourage the creation of a multi-lingual global site
> by creating a venue for many English language posts that otherwise end up
> on the global site.
> 
> Although the content of the global site is disproportionately English
> language and US-centric, because of space limitations, many important
> articles are passed up.  A US-IMC website would be the appropriate place
> for these types of articles (e.g., important stories regarding US politics
> and domestic issues;  attacks on civil liberties, INS detentions,
> egregious legislation, media consolidation, poverty, race and class
> issues, the 2004 elections).  Furthermore, a US-IMC website would
> strengthen and solidify the Indymedia network in the US.  Currently, many
> US IMCs exist in relative isolation from one another -- the only common
> news dissemination point being the global site.  A US-IMC website would
> link these IMCs in a national network that could potentially become a
> "legitimate" and sustainable rival to the mainstream corporate media.
> 
> A US-IMC website is also an effective way to collectivize our struggles
> and draw national and international attention to the strong independent
> media movement in this troubled country.  It will help make each of our
> local IMC's stronger by drawing traffic to our local sites whenever a
> story of national significance happens in an IMC's home town or state.
> Plus it will create a new canvas that we can collaborate on together
> outside our local sites. Who knows what new projects could rise out of
> this?
> 
> The suggested format for the US site is a syndicated newswire of US-
> features, much like the global site syndicates features from IMCs around
> the world.  Syndication was chosen specifically as the recommended format
> due to problems of open-publishing newswire abuse and following the
> precendent set on the global Indymedia website (i.e., the open newswire
> will be available off the main page).  The features column could include
> stories published by US IMCs, articles with information compiled from
> various US IMCs, and original pieces written exclusively for the US-IMC
> website.  In addition, the US-IMC website could also feature work by other
> alternative media sources (non-IMC specific).
> 
> ***
> 
> ORGANIZATION -- three core, working groups have been discussed:
> 
> OUTREACH:  This group would be responsible for contacting and inviting all
> US-IMCs to be involved in the process of creating the US-IMC website.
> Additionally, the outreach group would contact other independent media
> organizations (especially those in areas where there are no IMCs) to
> spread the word about the US-IMC website.
> 
> EDITORIAL:  The editorial group will be responsible for newswire
> maintenance (if an open newswire is part of the site) and feature
> writing/compiling/editing.
> 
> TECH: The tech group will be responsible for maintaining the tech aspects
> of the site and creating syndication code to draw stories from various
> participating IMCs, installing a codebase, and fixing bugs, as well as
> general maintenance.  People without tech expertise could be part of this
> group in terms of helping to decide what features we want out of our code.
> One goal is to make the site bilingual (i.e., English/Spanish), with
> multilingual support.
> 
> These three working groups will be composed of interested IMC members from
> across the US.
> 
> It should also be noted that specifics of the editorial group are linked
> to what code we decide to use for the site.  For example, the global site
> uses a code that requires email discussion and approval of features, while
> sites that use dadaIMC code vote on features through the website.
> 
> Note about the term US-IMC: Some participants at the initial organizing
> meeting at the Allied Media Conference expressed concerns with the fact
> that having a US-IMC legitimizes or condones the US as an imperialistic
> superpower that exists because its founders displaced the indigenous
> peoples that lived here. Others recognized this and thought that
> regardless of our opinions of the US, it exists, and we live in it, and by
> calling it the US-IMC, we are taking a step towards reclaiming this
> country for the people that live in it.  Others suggested alternative
> names, such as peopleoftheus.indymedia.org.  After extensive discussion it
> was agreed that despite its shortcommings, us.indymedia.org would be used
> as the url.
> 
> ***
> 
> ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS:
> 
> What kind of resources can you contribute, in terms of
> server/bandwidth/technical and organizing skills?
> 
> The proposed US Indymedia has brought together people from various parts
> of the United States to create a US Indymedia Web site. We have people who
> have organized multiple other local Indymedia collectives, people who have
> constructed local Indymedia web sites and people who have written features
> for the various local Indymedia web sites and projects.
> 
> *
> 
> What kind of outreach have you done to bring together a diverse group of
> people?
> 
> The idea was brought forth at the Allied Media Conference in Bowling
> Green, Ohio. This initial meeting brought together people from the states
> of Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, New York, The District of Columbia, Tennessee
> and others. Since then, people working with Indymedia in Seattle have
> signed on to the concept. These are all diverse places and communities
> within the United States of America.
> 
> *
> 
> Please write an introductory statement about why you want to participate
> in the Indymedia Network.
> 
> We believe that a US Indymedia web site will have several beneficial
> impacts on global Indymedia and the IMC movement. First, the global
> Indymedia page will no longer be dominated by news from the United States.
> Those stories will be primarily featured on the US Indymedia site. This
> will give more chance for struggles from around the globe to be featured
> on the global Indymedia web site.
> 
> Second, since the majority of Indymedia collectives are based in the
> United States, a US Indymedia site will allow stories of struggles and
> activism form around the United States to be syndicated on a central site.
> This allows activists based in the United States to have better access to
> news about struggles and to strengthen their resistance and present a more
> united front.
> 
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