[CIMC-working] draft 3: the future of the indymedia network & open letter to
uc-imc
Doug Morris
being at enteract.com
Mon, 23 Dec 2002 00:53:11 -0600
This is now split in two letters:
the future of the indymedia network: making strategies and plans
together
open letter to uc-imc: tmf proposal & soros
The 2nd, open letter to uc-imc, is to be sent first. A link to that would
be in the
See top for discussion of how this could be revised in Draft 1:
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-chicago-working/2002-December/000382.html
Best,
Doug
DRAFT 3:
- 2 letters
title: the future of the indymedia network: making strategies and plans
together
Greetings,
The indymedia network is undergoing major transformations now.
What do we want to create together?
Do we want the indymedia network to gradually (and often without
discussion) grow reformist institutions or to grow as a decentralized
networks of networks?
There are many promising developments in indymedia now.
Consider:
- the growth of imcs internationally, over 110 locals now
- the unique coverage offered by indymedia activists in key
struggles in last year such as in Argentina, Chiapas, Italy, Palestine,
- the emergence of regional networks (imc latina,
cyprus-greece-istanbul imcs) and national collaborations across imc locals
(aotearoa, argentina, brazil, france germany, italy, united kingdom, etc.)
- the vitality of various media projects
- the gradual improvement of the free software base for open
publishing
We are doing great things.
There are some problematic developments in the indymedia network that we
need to deal with.
To mention some of the most serious:
- a lack of strategic planning
- an unclear network decision process
- indymedia network processes have been are being created that are
fairly centralized (in fund raising attempts in particular; and, the basic
tech system has often worked this way, perhaps some of it by necessity)
Of particular concern, recent approaches to fund raising at a network level
have been in private by indymedia *organizers*.
A large amount of work now is being done by long term indymedia
*organizers* -- this is mostly not being done on indymedia
listserves. This may well impact greatly the future of indymedia networks.
See the previous note to this list on the tmf proposal (or see below) to
O.S.I., a George Soros foundation, which discusses some urgent indymedia
funding issues:
[place URL here -- FOR NOTE BELOW SENT FIRST]
For a complex network to grow and work, it is necessary to dynamically
co-create participation processes (from the start) in an ongoing way, even
very detailed and elaborate ones.
We can create processes that are decentralized together, rather than
leaving the emergence and creation of network processes to a small group of
dedicated folks, who often come from imcs with a lot of experience in local
projects and grants (to create physical spaces, tech resources, ongoing
projects, etc.).
We invite locals and imc participants to discuss diverse approaches to imc
strategic development, process creation and to develop a general criteria
fund raising on these listserves:
imc-strategies (unmoderated):
http://lists.indymedia.org/listinfo/imc-strategies
imc-process (now moderated):
http://lists.indymedia.org/listinfo/imc-process
imc-process-work (very new, moderated, multi-lingual):
http://lists.indymedia.org/listinfo/imc-process-work
And on various other listserves: imc-communication, imc-commwork,
imc-finance, imc-editorial, etc.
The future of the indymedia network as a decentralized democracy rests on
our ability to start now in making strategies together about various areas
of *shared* decentralized network development (tech, editorial policy, fund
raising, legal issues, conflict resolution, etc.) and planning how to
implement various strategies.
Let's start doing so!
In solidarity,
Chicago IMC
Note 2:
subject line title: open letter to uc-imc: the tacical mdia fnd & soros
Open letter to Urbana-Champaign IMC and creators of the Tactical Media Fund
proposal:
Dear all,
We would like to ask you some questions about the Tactical Media Fund, TMF,
proposal. First...
Some background the TMF proposal & Soros
-------------------------------------------------------
This is based on our understanding of the TMF proposal and some TMF
planning letters.
The TMF proposal has been planned on a now-private listserv (available by
subscription) and submitted to the O.S.I., a George Soros foundation. This
plan was not announced clearly to indymedia listserves. The TMF proposals
states it is a project independent of indymedia.
The tactical media fund, while claiming to be independent of indymedia, has
these 5 characteristics, we think:
written by long term indymedia participants who've been very
active in the imc network
cites indymedia successes
is proposed by an imc local, Urbana-Champaign imc
is to be administered by same
aims to fund specifically various imc projects, some at a network
level
This new TMF proposal includes a proposal to fund a network strategy
planning meeting, an elaborated communication system for imc listserves,
and a tech training program for Latin american imc techs.
See TMF proposal here:
PROPOSAL TO THE OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE FOR THE TACTICAL MEDIA FUND
AND IN SUPPORT OF SEVERAL INDYMEDIA PROJECTS
http://internal.protest.net/osi/
These ideas have very interesting and creative aspects.
However, as the tmf project does not seem to be a funding project
independent of the indymedia network:
This project needs to be considered on indymedia listserves and in light of
indymedias unity principles and local membership criteria and previous
positions taken on grants by a number of locals.
Of very serious concern, there were a number of statements made in Fall
2002 by imc locals on the Ford foundation proposal and against capitalist
foundations in particular. See:
statements against grants from capitalist funds by imcs
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-chicago-working/2002-December/000327.html
Yet, the TMF proposal has been submitted to the OSI, a foundation of the
arch-capitalist, George Soros.
People, please consider reading this long and well researched article on
very serious, negative results of Soros funded projects:
George Soros, Imperial Wizard - Covert Action Quarterly
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-chicago-working/2002-December/000332.html
See also this extensive report on the role of capitalist foundations
(including Soros -- see especially section 9 of the report below) in
constraining the left press, particularly in the USA:
ALTERNATIVE MEDIA CENSORSHIP: SPONSORED BY CIA's FORD FOUNDATION?
http://www.questionsquestions.net/gatekeepers.html
To summarize: we have serious concerns separately about the development of
the tactical media fund in connection to indymedia and yet in private, the
role of urbana-champaign imc in this, and the aim to obtain Soros funds.
We are further very grateful to those who are working on the imc-finance
list to send funds to various imc locals and projects.
We belive that an independent media fund could be great, very helpful which
has these aspects:
- widespread *participation* in its development
- obtains funds *without specific indymedia grant-making ties*
- *unity principles* like indymedia
- distributes funds with (or with vanishingly) *few strings*
We, Chicago IMC participants, support the development of funding processes
both outside and inside indymedia to fund an array of projects, and look
forward to working to support various network funding efforts.
Questions
------------
We (Chicago IMC) would like to ask the Urbana Champaign IMC and TMF
proposal developers:
- Why was the TMF proposal to the Soros organization which addresses
indymedia network projects developed in private by a small group of
indymedia organizers with no call for imc participation, in spite of the
recent furor on indymedia listserves in Sept-Oct. 2002 over just such a
private effort to develop the Ford foundation proposal?
- Was the TMF proposal submitted in draft form to the O.S.I. on December 10?
- What is the status of the TMF proposal?
- Why are you pursuing Soros funds for the TMF and other local indymedia
projects, given the previous imc statements about grants linked above,
three of which statements explicitly reject Indymedia receiving funds for
network projects from capitalist foundations?
- Is Urban-Champaign IMC willing to accept the above analysis of the TMF
proposal as linked to Indymedia?
- If so, is U-C IMC willing to release responsibility for intent of TMF
proposal and separation of the explicit connection to IMC through a wide
call for involvement to an inter-imc and allies planning coallition and
dialog process?
- Further, are Urban-Champaign IMC and the other developers of the TMF
proposal will to share participation soon in creating an independent media
co-op funding project like the TMF (and other internal "p.c." funding
projects) with various imc locals and participants, including Chicago IMC
and other IMCs who may have differing philosophies and ideas about funding
strategies?
- If not the above, are Urban-Champaign IMC and TMF organizers willing to
withdraw the TMF proposal and other proposals to O.S.I. should a number of
IMC locals object to O.S.I. as a funding source (which there do also
already object)?
- Are UC-IMC and organizers willing to start to work now to pursue funding
for network projects (strategy meetings, tech development, etc.) through
sources agreeable to network members?
- Are you willing to start putting energy into strategy discussion on
indymedia listserves and other internal media (chat rooms, wiki, public
webpages, etc), which has not yet happened in indymedia?
Should you find these questions and statements above somehow not in the
spirit of collaboration and seeking to apply the indymedia unity principles
(grassroots democracy, diversity, mutual aid, open publishing, etc.) to
fund raising, please critique or comment on the above.
We would appreciate the feedback.
We hope you drop seeking grants from Soros and turn to other less dangerous
funding sources, in terms of cooptation (see article above on Soros).
Language is a problem here. We believe the TMF proposal and our questions
and your responses need to be translated in summary form into at least the
eight languages identified so far as used by IMC communications listserv
liaisons (dutch, english, french, german, greek, italian, portuguese,
spanish). While will work on a summary of this letter and some subsequent
notes.
Let us start decentering strategies from North American planners now, not
later.
We are posting this note to the main UC-imc listserv and the indymedia
network imc-process and communication listserves:
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-process
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-communication
To move forward:
We invite locals and imc participants to discuss the tactical media fund or
something like it - its promise and problems and serious problems -- and
the issue of seeking and accepting funds for indymedia from the open
society institute of George Soros, an agent of imperial capitalism of the
worse sort.
However this all works out, we wish the people working on the tactical
media fund the best luck in future efforts to participate in grassroots
democratic planning for independent and cooperative media.
One step that may help prevent further misunderstandings and problems with
grant proposals like the Ford foundation proposal and the Soros proposal
is: to develop a set of criteria grounded in the unity principles and
processes for the indymedia locals and network, which protects against
capitalist organizations and identifies progressive options.
For the future of indymedia as a decentralized network of networks, we
invite all of you to discuss the above issues of strategy and process on
these listserves: imc-strategies (unmoderated), imc-process (moderated),
imc-process-work (very new, moderated, multilingual).
In solidarity,
Chicago IMC