[CIMC-work] Our concerns, IMC decision making and US-IMC

[Chris Kaihatsu]

Dick, CIMC,

I am currently subscribed to the IMC-US-Process list, and I see no other
IMC-US list listed at lists.indymedia.org. By the way, the IMC-US-Process
list archives go back to May, 2003 -- the IMC-US website project underwent a
formalization process in late September at New-IMC and IMC-Process.

I generally don't forward items from the New-IMC list, so that's probably
how we didn't pick up on it till later. I didn't forward anything about the
topic till October 3, when it had become a "done deal."

I think we still have valid concerns about the possible exclusivity of a
strictly U.S.-based Indymedia site -- I would prefer to see
*regional*-based, syndicated-content Indymedia sites planned from the
bottom-up (by already-existing IMC collectives), rather than a top-down
formation of a "national" site.

In terms of moving forward, I suggest we forward our concerns, as drafted by
Mitchell, to the IMC-Process and IMC-US-Process lists, anyway, in the
interests of wider discussion and possible action. This stuff, while
legitimately passed, is not engraved in stone, and does merit further
discussion.


Chris



----- Original Message -----
From: <DickReilly at aol.com>
To: <imc-chicago-working at lists.indymedia.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2003 11:54 AM
Subject: [CIMC-work] Our concerns, IMC decision making and US-IMC


> Hi all
>
> Below you'll find a post from Philly IMC to the IMC Process list dated Oct
1.
> 2003, that mirrors some - but not all - of our concerns about the new
US-IMC
> site.
>
> It's instructive to note that despite these concerns, Philly did not block
> the proposal...which had already successfully passed through new-imc
working
> group and had been referred to IMC-Process for final approval.  After
trolling
> around both the new IMC and IMC process lists to learn more about how this
> unfolded, I found a request from Rochester IMC (via Earthman) for a one
week
> deadline delay on Oct 2.  A week later, ( Oct. 9 ) the US-IMC affinity
group
> announced that the final extended deadline for decisionmaking  had expired
and that
> without existing blocks ( none were registered during this extension),
the
> US-IMC has been approved by the IMC-Process group - the final step in
becoming an
> official IMC site. FYI, we have a liasion from Chicago IMC , Chris K. on
this
> list. No previous concern or objection was lodged by by Chris or anybody
else
> from Chicago IMC on either lists - as far as I can tell - before the
deadline
> expired.
>
> So the question is, this late in the day, -- where to send Chicago's
> statement?   According to UIC IMC's Sascha Meinrath, the  US-IMC project
will take the
> concerns previously expressed under consideration internally as the
project
> evolves. To wit:  "The group has a wikipage at:<A
HREF="http://brainstorm.ucimc.org/ucimcWiki/imc-us">
> http://brainstorm.ucimc.org/ucimcWiki/imc-us</A>  This wiki contains both
functionality desires and concerns that
> the IMC-USaffinity group will address as they  move forward with the
IMC-US
> project."
>
> IMHO, this already seems like a done deal. The  US IMC organizers have
> seemingly completed  the appropriate process for becoming a new IMC
without a block
> from other IMCs ...despite existing reservations or questions, and one
> extension of the decision making deadline.   It looks like to me that if
we want our
> concerns aired,  someone from Chicago will now have to sign up as a
> participating liason with the US-IMC project from Chicago IMC.  Any
suggestions?
>
> - Best, Dick R.
>
>
> Philly IMC Concerns on US-IMC.
>
> The Independent Media Center of Philadelphia does not place a formal block
on
> the entry of IMC-US, but expresses concern and makes the
> followingsuggestions:-
>
> That the founding documents, mission statement, and the official textof
the
> site itself be translated at least into Spanish, and that the siteprovide
> readers with the technical ability to post in the differentlanguages
spoken within
> the US, and to view posts sorted by language.
>
> That there be a regular interface between IMC-US and the
> translationlistserves and collectives an international translation tools
alreadyavailable within
> Indymedia, in order to make this linguistic diversityreal.
>
> - That participants in internal discussion make an effort to keep
themailing
> list bilingual, and that the coordinators conduct real outreach toinclude
> non-english-speaking participation, and that this be reflected inthe
outreach
> statement of the founding documents.- That the phrase in the outreach
statement,
> "Additionally, the outreachgroup would contact other independent media
> organizations (especiallythose in areas where there are no IMCs) to spread
the word
> about theUS-IMC website" be changed to "Additionally, the outreach group
would
> contact other independent media organization (especially those in
areaswhere
> there are no IMCs) to encourage mutual aid and support,collaboration, and
to
> invite input and support to the US-IMC website," sothat the process is
more
> reciprocal
>
> .- That the IMC US internal discussion include direct participation from
> allthe US-based and US-territory-based IMCs whose news they syndicate.-
That there
> be a clearer explanation of the process of human involvement
> indecision-making within IMC US.  If it is not to be a purely
automaticsyndication site, then
> the process of feature-writing and sorting offeatures should be made more
> clear and should include direct participationfrom representatives of all
of the
> sites syndicated, with provisions forbroad democratic participation, for
example
> by providing for periodic face-to-face meetings based regionally.-
>
> That the IMC-US list be made more accessible to broad participation
> ofIndymedia volunteers by linking to the IMC-US internal list from the
site<A HREF="http://lists.indymedia.org,/">
> http://lists.indymedia.org,</A> placing founding documents on Wiki pages
at<A HREF="http://docs.indymedia.org,/">
> http://docs.indymedia.org,</A> and encouraging broader participation inthe
list. -
>
> That the site layout be changed so that the syndication newswire
headerreads,
> "collected features from participating Indymedia Centers within the US,"
> rather than just, "Collected from the IMC Network".- That wherever the
official
> site text and documents make reference to"America" "American" or
"Americans,"
> these be changed to "United States"and "US and US-territory residents."-
That
> the newswire have an open publishing feature as well as a
syndicationfeature,
> using for example the same format as the global site, toencourage
democratic
> participation in the news-making process
>
> .- That inasmuch as the site layout and feature selection are influenced
> byhuman decision-making, the coordinators emphasize
cross-bordercollaboration,
> such as projects of the Northeast North America grouping,border camps, the
> current realities of the impact of US policy on therest of the world and
especially
> Latin America, and other trans-border issues.
>
> - IMC Philly is already actively involved in regional organizing such
asNENA
> and regional and national independent media collaboration on issuessuch as
> radio broadcasting and media ownership.  We will maintain contact with
IMC-US to
> help encourage broader and more democratic participationand diversity.  At
> least one of our volunteers, SuZQ, will stayinvolved with IMC-US process
and will
> volunteer translation assistance.
>
> -Mike R
> Philly IMC
>


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----


> _______________________________________________
> Imc-chicago-working mailing list
> Imc-chicago-working at lists.indymedia.org
> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-chicago-working
>