[Cu-wireless] Re: Radfest panel w/ SM

[Sascha Meinrath]

Hi all,

Sorry for the delay. I've been waiting for FSTV to firm up their plans
since I'd been asked to include them on the panel.  Nancy wrote back last
night saying that things were still up in the air on their side.
Unfortunately, given our timeline and that we need to firm up our plans, I
agree that we should press ahead without FSTV.  Currently the panel
consists of three people, myself, Sarah Kanouse, and Bob.

I am hoping to fill out the panel focus on technology, collaboration, and
journalism by having one of the technical producers for Free Speech Radio
News join us, but at most, the panel would consist of four people -- I
believe Sarah is working on firming that up.  Assuming we are not waiting
on FSTV, the next step would be for the three of us (Sarah, Bob, and me)
to formalize the abstract.  I believe we are very close and that this
should only take a couple days at most (depending on how often folks check
their e-mail ;).

I've included the relevant information below.  Again, sorry for the delay,
but let me know how people would like to proceed,

--Sascha

PANELISTS:  Sarah Kanouse, Bob McCannon, Sascha D. Meinrath
		[4th panelist might be Pauline Bartolone from FSRN]

ABSTRACT:  In the last three years, synergies among Independent Media
Centers and allied organizations have increased dramatically -- many of
these media collaborations are utilizing new technologies to distribute
information, educate the public, and support the Global Justice Movement.
This session will focus on these synergies, paying particular attention to
cutting edge technological initiatives and new forms of radical
participatory media.

SARAH KANOUSE INTEREST: Practitioners of political and cultural resistance
have always struggled to find ways to inhabit and modify a world largely
created by the very forces they are resisting. As modernity passed into
the postmodern and capital expanded from an early industrial model to a
late service/consumer model, public space has become increasingly
privatized and commodified. Some politically engaged cultural workers have
sought more subtly disruptive methods of occupying physical, discursive,
and relational spaces in order to confront and reshape them. These
practices, which I describe as "viral resistance," have not arisen so much
to supplant other forms of resistance, which continue to exist with
arguably diminished success, but to perturb, disrupt, and reimagine spaces
in which people might encounter something closer to democracy.  This paper
defines and describes viral resistance through an analysis of the cultural
work of Krzysztof Wodizcko, Emily Jacir, Indymedia, and Temporary
Services.  The analysis also addresses critically the promise and
shortcomings of the approach from both aesthetic and instrumental
perspectives.

BOB MCCANNON INTEREST:  I am Director of the New Mexico Media Literacy
Project (NMMLP) and Treasurer and a founding Board member for the Action
Coalition for Media Education (ACME). We take an activist view of media
education and think that media reform should be a major part of ME.
Perhaps I could show some of the cutting edge technologies that we have
created and demonstrate some of the cutting edge curricular examples and
methods that we use to interest students and adults in media reform and
participatory democracy. I will bring a multimedia database, computer and
projector to the conference.

SASCHA MEINRATH INTEREST:  I am interested in the synergies among
researchers, activists, and community organizations, particularly the
developement and implementation of new, community-empowering technologies.
I have overseen logistical support for numerous media projects worldwide -
often working closely with people in many of the world's "hot-spots."  I
am the co-founder of the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center
Foundation and work with two software and website development companies
Eggplant Active Media Worker Collective and Acorn Active Media Foundation,
which I founded and whose mission is to develop software and build
websites to support the Global Justice Movement. Currently, I am the
project manager for the Community Wireless Network which is building
software and hardware to create community-owned, not-for-profit broadband
networks in cities and towns throughout the world.


On Wed, 18 Feb 2004, Patrick S. Barrett wrote:

> Hi Sascha,
>
> I writing again to inquire about the status of the session you're helping
> to plan for RadFest. Neither Bob McCannon nor I have heard from you since
> the 7th and we were beginning to wonder if you might be having more
> problems with your internet connection.
>
> Could you get in touch with him as soon as possible to firm up plans for
> the session?
>
> Also, I'm a little concerned that the number of presenters might be getting
> too large -- as soon as you get over three people, coordination becomes far
> more important. Remember, there are only 90 mintues and you should devote a
> good portion of that to discussion. This is something you should discuss
> with Bob, and Nancy too.
>
> Thanks,
> Patrick
>
> At 10:31 PM 2/7/2004, you wrote:
> >Hi everyone,
> >
> >My Internet connection died right as I was sending my last e-mail -- so
> >I'm not sure if it went out to you all or not.  In case it didn't, I just
> >wanted to get everyone on the same page about our proposed presentation.
> >I think we have a _really_ interesting group here -- one that is
> >expecially strong in the video realm.  I very much like the idea of
> >focusing on radical participatory media, new and emerging technologies,
> >and synergies among organizations and individuals.
> >
> >I've also invited artist and activist Sarah Kanouse to join the panel -- I
> >think her experience will add a lot to the discussion and I've attached an
> >abstract from her latest paper below.  It would be great to finalize who
> >will _definitely_ be at Radfest so we can get started on formulating a
> >shared presentation -- so please confirm if you'll be there within the
> >next day or so.
> >
> >Other than that, I'm open to ideas on what people are interested in
> >presenting -- Patrick, how much time will we have for the presentation?
> >Bob, if you're bringing a projector, perhaps we may be able to show some
> >of Sarah's videography during our session.  Let me know and we'll take it
> >from there.
> >
> >Looking for to collaborating,
> >
> >--Sascha
> >
> >On Wed, 4 Feb 2004, Bob McCannon wrote:
> >
> > > Hello Sascha,
> > > Patrick asked me to be on a panel with you, and he sent the following
> > > description to me.
> > >
> > > In the last three years, synergies among Independent Media Centers and
> > > allied organizations have increased dramatically -- many of these media
> > > collaborations are utilizing new technologies to distribute information,
> > > educate the public, and support the Global Justice Movement. This session
> > > will focus on these synergies, paying particular attention to cutting edge
> > > technological initiatives and new forms of radical participatory media.
> > >
> > > I am Director of the New Mexico Media Literacy Project (NMMLP) and
> > > Treasurer and a founding Board member for the Action Coalition for Media
> > > Education (ACME). We take an activist view of media education and think
> > > that media reform should be a major part of ME.  Perhaps I could show
> > > some of the cutting edge technologies that we have created and
> > > demonstrate some of the cutting edge curricular examples and methods
> > > that we use to interest students and adults in media reform and
> > > participatory democracy. I will bring a multimedia database, computer
> > > and projector to the conference.
> > >
> > > What do you think?
> >
> >***
> >
> >Ungrounded Opposition: Cultural Resistance as Virus
> >
> >Practitioners of political and cultural resistance have always struggled
> >to find ways to inhabit and modify a world largely created by the very
> >forces they are resisting. As modernity passed into the postmodern and
> >capital expanded from an early industrial model to a late service/consumer
> >model, public space has become increasingly privatized and commodified.
> >Some politically engaged cultural workers have sought more subtly
> >disruptive methods of occupying physical, discursive, and relational
> >spaces in order to confront and reshape them. These practices, which I
> >describe as "viral resistance," have not arisen so much to supplant other
> >forms of resistance, which continue to exist with arguably diminished
> >success, but to perturb, disrupt, and reimagine spaces in which people
> >might encounter something closer to democracy.  This paper defines and
> >describes viral resistance through an analysis of the cultural work of
> >Krzysztof Wodizcko, Emily Jacir, Indymedia, and Temporary Services.  The
> >analysis also addresses critically the promise and shortcomings of the
> >approach from both aesthetic and instrumental perspectives.
>

-- 
Sascha Meinrath
Project Manager & President      *      Project Manager
Acorn Active Media Foundation   ***     Eggplant Active Media
www.acornactivemedia.com         *      www.eggplantmedia.com