[Imc-africa] Fwd: thought and rethought about this mail..

[vally_x at nadir.org]

Hi Again!  
 
<BRILLIANT IDEA- as from docs. there are a number of  
 <people contributing(and from what I hear positive and  
 <practical input but in what context?) We have no idea  
 <who where and with what background.  
  
 <Somewhere in the many docs I read about a small core  
 <group in Switzerland, what is that all about? 
 
Ja! as you must have discovered in the twiki, imc-africa mailing lists 
archives  and the website http://imc-in-africa.so36.net  
You should have notice that apart from the existing imcs and forming imcs in 
Africa, the was a serious effort at outreach including all who could have the 
slightest interest in the indymedia project in Africa.  
In that process we got contact with many groups in Africa, other groups of 
African resident out of the continent. In that process  we got contact with 
this group of people of African origin living in Switzerland and involved in 
?ANTIRACIST? projects there. They where interest joined the list and started 
contacting people they know in africa to have them participate if they could. 
It was explained to them that it will be easy to aquaint themselves with the 
network proceduce by getting involved with imc-switzerland,  which the made 
efforts to contact by mail a couple of times without success. When they 
finally got to imc-ch ppl, imc-ch folks at Zurich were being avacuated from 
the occupied building imc-ch used b4.  Yet in between while trying to reach 
imc-swiss folks, this swiss group continued with outreach in their circles and 
got involved in imc-africa list, participated in irc meetings having to do 
with conference/tour projects and started trying to help in raising funds to 
support delegates  cost. 
Thus with their inability to work with imc-ch as well as being unable to place 
themselves within a  particular local imc they where refered to as the ?small 
core group in Switzerland?. 
They have been responsible for getting the university of Dakar involved in the 
project with giving  us the university infrastructure for use in conference. 
They have done lots of outreach with Senegalese based groups. Participated in 
some of the joined meetings with the other groups involved in the tour ( in 
Berlin). They continue to try to raise funds within their cirlces for the  
conference.        
  
 
< "  
 <Perhaps it's just my organising background, but I'd  
 <recommend a conference secretariat bring a sense of  
 <order to the process. Representatives from each  
 <participating IMC should be seconded to the  
 <secretariat and issues relevant for the conference can  
 <then collectively inform the programme. Conference  
 <organisers have to be identified as well to collate  
 <the information and to look to practical arrangements.  
 <There are a number of active discussants on the list,  
 <Sphinx especially, who have already been playing such  
 <roles. It's important for accountability and a  
 <transparent process that these people be identified,  
 <and with funds already raised, this should be done  
 <sooner than later. "  
  
The above quotation are not mine. Take a while and read the archives of 
imc-africa list. They are the words of nicolas <nicolas at red.org.za>. 
 
<I could not get much of this mail out of my head.  
 <The sheer arrogance of "Sphinx" is incomprehensible.  
 <That too, within indymedia    
 <"here yet another person is apologising because of the  
 <absolute onslaught by Sphinx" unbelievable  
   
So between me and you who is more ARROGANT. You who do not care to check the 
information being discussed, as had you checked you whould have not made all 
the proclaimations you made in your last mail.  Or at least could have known 
who made the ?conference sacretariat? proposal abovc.  EXCEPT  you have a 
different definition for the word ARROGANT. For there do prevail some 
definition of arrogance that is not recorded in english dictionaries. That 
particular definition takes into account somatic factors too.  
 
 
 <Anybody heard about urban community-what are they  
 <contributing to, for  whom and why? see docs in  
 <archives. perhaps jay-philadelphia & Sphinx  could  
 <offer explanations or answers. Saw in discussions  
 <words like african facilitator? if there is one how  
 <was this person appointed and under what discussion  
 <basis. Have our african activist in Africa supported  
 <the idea of a facilitator, if so where is the  
 <discussion and how was the appointment made if any at  
 <all.  
 
I did answer this part of your mail in my reply to your first mail. 
This is another link: 
imc-process: september 2003 
http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-process/2003-September/005175.html 
 
imc-process: October 2003(more ircmeetings) 
http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-process/2003-October/005219.html 
 
imc-process: December 2003(request for delegates) 
http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-process/2003-December/005398.html 
 
imc-process: Jan 2004(response to delegates request) 
http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-process/2004-January/005495.html 
 
 
 
<We would like to contribute to the discussions  
 <and to hear from AFRICA how they see it. I mean  
 <africans living in Africa, I see from the doc. chema-  
 <perhaps the european indymedia's are not all  
 <originally from Europe but migrants from all over the  
 <world, no doubt from Africa too.  
 
You surely do realise that I do not have any trouble with South Africans of 
European origin being in imc-SA so that part of your mail is surely not for 
me.  
 
< Something really does not seem right to how this  
< Sphinx  is responding, we as indymedia have a right to  
 <have all the facts sothat we all give input and evolve  
 <the ideas to concrete form as a collective. 
 
That is true. Then ask questions real questions. Ask about the particular fact 
you which to know and  make proposals how to improve what is already proposed 
by others. And don't make vague comments. Like the poposal is vague.   
 
  
 >From discussion doc. i understand a person in England  
 <is taking care of the first indymedia booklet/handbook  
 <is thatcorrect and if it is where is the discussions?  
 <What is the content, are we able to read it and if it  
 <is printed who is the target group and how much will  
< it cost, has it gone to imc finance for discussions?  
 
Yes there is the first  indymedia Handbook/Guide being produced. 
And the discussion is Here: 
imc-process: 
 
-Request for volunteers to prepare hand book in imc-process. 
http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-process/2004-January/005505.html 
 
-Report to imc-process on evolution of Brochure discussions 
http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-process/2004-January/005531.html 
 
-Discussion on brochure from imc-print 
http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-print/2004-January/author.html 
 
-Final version of brochure 
http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/ImcBrochure 
 
-No the cost has not gone to IMC finance becuase it is clear that there are no 
funds in imc finance seeing the present discussion going on. UCIMC-IGAP is 
paying for the first badge of the book. 
  
 <I was really hoping to get active in Africa, out of  
 <deep convictions that we have to find ways of working  
 <together as we KNOW what the situation is in many  
 <African countries. 
 
You are right that we need to WORK and NOT RECKLESSLY throw hurting words 
arround or try to defend those who throw them arround just because  they are 
close to us in one way or another. 
 
< Yes you are right a political  
 <position has to be evolved by the continent's  
 <activists sothat the reporting that comes from the  
 <continent is heard by these for whose rights we are  
 <all fighting for. it would be sad if certain people  
 <were creating internal conflicts for self interest.  
  
I disagree with this. I think we have to push the concept of non-hierarchy 
community based organising of media production. And let the content be decided 
by members of the community. 
  
 <Would appreciate feedback, sothat I could take a  
 <position to continue.  
  
 <nyenti  
  
 Hope the feetback was satisfying  
Sphinx