[IMC-US] Indymedia Newsreal TourGrantProposal
Garth Liebhaber
garthliebhaber at care2.com
Sat Jun 19 17:32:28 CDT 2004
Hi all,
I'd thought I dropped myself from the IMC-US list because
I felt left out, and that there was a innate social hierarchy
occurring which excluded me. Apparently I'm still on it. I
found it very interesting to see the POU #6 in a recent
email on that very list, as it indicates that my experience
is not what should be an Indymedia experience. Readers
of this list will do what they will with this information, I
hope I will be given the dignity and be acknowledged for
my witness.
John,
In your first email I think you made an outline of what
people are already doing. They are saying how they feel
and where they stand.
Concerning compromise; Sometimes things are simply
a bad idea and should not be done. I appreciate when my
friends, family, community point such things out to me. I
acknowledge that people become defensive in polarized
situations. I think though, we must be careful of the
pathos which I've often seen utilized by one group to call
the other "nae sayers", and retreat into a purported higher
ground.
Let continue to get things out on the table,
acknowledge what folks are saying, and address things in
concrete, tangible ways.
All,
That said, I find this particular grant-seeking situation
apalling. Speaking for myself and reflecting the
sentiments of several other Chicago IMC volunteers, I
don't think the tour should happen the way it is being
proposed.
That local collectives have not been contacted about
levels of participation and support is patronizing, and
liberal. If the tour continues as proposed, sometime this
summer some rental cars will be pulling into town and
setting up shop to screen some films. At some point
there would be posting to our newswire, asking for an
impromptu center panel, nevermind what our
overworked/committed collective may be up to.
Contrare to the proposed tour, Chicago would be
happy to put folks up for the night, cook them food, help
locate the hot space to screen films, do outreach, and hey!
even screen some of our our Chicago Independent
Television episodes! We would even be happy to pass the
hat to raise gas funds to send the group along to the next
city! That, my friend, is grassroots Indymedia in action!
There are other issues with this tour being funded as
proposed. I think Deva outlines many of my concerns very
well. I don't think he is espousing pie in the sky
philosophy. I have met Deva and several other Portland
IMCistas on a pilgrimage I took a few years ago down the
west coast. My experience there and in communities in
Mexico opened my eyes to the life instilling power of
radical grassroots community. This is in opposition to
moneyed liberalism.
John, and others with the project have pointed out that
no one can 'really' stop this tour from happening. I find
this denial of responsibility to Indymedia community to be
hurtful. An abdomination to the Points of Unity.
I would block our own Chicago collective from
supporting the Newsreal tour when it came into our little
town. I would do so on the grounds that it is a violation
of Points of Unity and the general health of Indymedia.
Just as we resisted the efforts to seek funding from the
Ford Foundation, and the Soros Grants, we continue
resisting the corporatizing co-option that these liberal
attempts do to our radical, grassroots Indymedia culture.
Thank you for listening to me,
solidaritat,
Garth Liebhaber
Chicago IMC
speaking for self,
reflecting group sentiment.
Hi Blank.
I hear that you think what is going on with the IMC tour
project is
extremely wrong. I honestly don't know enough about it
to have an opinion,
but I'm certainly going to try and learn more about the
work.
The reason I suggested some open dialogue is because,
for good or bad, we
don't have mechanisms of coercive authority in the
Indymedia network. No
matter how angry or frustrated folks are that an action
may be wrong,
there's very little that can be done to force a group of IMC
folks to do
things one way or the other. That usually takes
persuasion, and my take is
that people aren't always very persuaded when they're
being attacked.
Again, curious to hear more folks' thoughts on this.
John
> -----Original Message-----
> From: imc-us-process-bounces at lists.indymedia.org
[mailto:imc-us-process-
> bounces at lists.indymedia.org] On Behalf Of
blank at riseup.net
> Sent: Saturday, June 19, 2004 8:06 AM
> To: imc-us-process at lists.indymedia.org
> Subject: RE: [imc-us-process] Re: [IMC-US] RE:
Indymedia Newsreal Tour
> GrantProposal
>
> When it comes to indymedia and "payment" for personal
gain (i.e. money to
> a person for indymedia work), that is not cool, and I feel
goes against
> the spirit of indymedia.
>
> Everyone should know that by *volunteering* for
indymedia you are not here
> to get paid (hence what volunteering is all about).
>
> Right now I'm not interested in common ground
because what is going on
> with the u.s. indymedia newsreal is fucked up. Right
now as we speak the
> people who are putting together this tour are outright
lying to get their
> funding. Do you really want to spend the time to find
common ground to
> support such an action? I sure as hell don't, and I find
that to be a
> waste of time. Lying for money! How bad do things
need to get?
>
> don't believe me, sign onto the imc-satellite list and
start asking about
> the non-profit that is being used for a good chunk to
fund this tour which
> is all about "getting the vote out" for this upcoming
election. Since when
> did the indymedia newsreal become an artifice to
promote voting in the
> united states?
>
> "INDYMEDIA NEWSREAL is a monthly television and
screening series. Each
> half-hour program covers actions taken in local
communities, to address
> critical issues like air and water pollution, reproductive
rights,
> homelessness, for-profit prisons, sweatshops, racism,
police brutality,
> indigenous struggles, and more."
>
> http://www.indymedia.org/projects.php3
>
> Addressing the concerns of voter turnout in a segment
on the newsreal is
> one thing, but to go out and say your going to use the
indymedia newsreal
> to secure a grant and get funding for a tour to promote
voting is another.
>
> The motovation for this tour is not one to help
empower people to become
> the media (or make media even if it says that in the
grant proposal), it's
> profit, personal gain. Go to the imc-satellite list and
check out the
> amount of money these people want to go on this tour
($5000) each, and
> then their is the proposed outside contracted
videographer that has
> nothing to do with indymedia who will also get paid
$5000, plus rental
> cars, hotels, etc that are in the proposal. There are
many people in the
> network that are within indymedia that would do this
tour gladly, and not
> get paid at all.
>
> The only argument to counter that I've seen over the
satellite list is
> that, "people need to eat, people need to live." Well
those people were
> doing just fine before any proposal for any tour of any
kind. That kind of
> argument stating "people need to eat, people need to
live" to let this
> continue is weak and pathetic, and I'm calling it out.
>
> The idea of a u.s. indymedia newsreal tour is a good
one, one that I
> support, but the methods involved to get funding for
this grant proposal
> are disgusting. I'll say again, disgusting. I find this to be
very
> destructive behavior using the name of indymedia for
personal gain and
> profit. One that I will oppose over and over again. It sets
a precedent
> which will create a hierarchical, authoritarian, method to
"make a living
> doing indymedia work," which if has been openly said
over the
> imc-satellite list.
>
> By allowing this sort of behavoir to continue is in direct
violation of
> the principles of unity.
>
> "6. All IMC's recognize the importance of process to
social change and are
> committed to the development of non-hierarchical and
anti-authoritarian
> relationships, from interpersonal relationships to group
dynamics.
> Therefore, shall organize themselves collectively and be
committed to the
> principle of consensus decision making and the
development of a direct,
> participatory democratic process] that is transparent to
its membership."
>
> The current draft of the principles of unity can be found
here:
> http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/
PrinciplesOfUnity
>
> That's all I got for now, I'll have more later. I need to get
some sleep.
>
> blank (portland imc) *volunteer*
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hi everyone.
> >
> > As one idea, instead of jumping to frame this as who
is right or wrong
> > about
> > Indymedia policy toward payment and money, why
don't we just start off
> by
> > trying to hear what different folks think right now.
> >
> > It's something that there's clearly going to be
disagreement over, and
> > hashing out a clearer practice people can live with will
take some
> > creativity and compromise. But maybe just starting
with some open
> > dialogue
> > will help give everyone a better idea of where most
folks are sitting
> with
> > this and give some hints on where there's common
ground.
> >
> > What do other folks think about money and
Indymedia?...
> > Are there ever points where you think Indymedia
labor should be
> > compensated?
> > Why or why not?
> > What principles should go into making decisions
about that kind of money
> > issue?
> >
> > Just curious,
> > John
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > imc-us-process mailing list
> > imc-us-process at lists.indymedia.org
> > http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-us-
process
> >
>
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