[CIMC-working] proposals for imc network - to discuss at next meeting

[Doug Morris]

Hi Chris, Dick, Garth,

What do you think of the following?

Based on comments at meeting yesterday below are drafts of two proposals to 
the indymedia network on:

- regional coordination
- stipends for work in critical indymedia network roles

Doug

Draft:

Chicago IMC proposal on regional coordination of the imc network

Dear people,

We believe it is time to start to regionalize some of the coordination of 
the global Indymedia network.

There are over 20 languages used by local imcs in the Indymedia 
network.  Yet, our main global network internal email lists include mostly 
English content, as does the global website.

Further, our servers are centralized.  The USA where a lot of Indymedia 
organizing has occurred, during the *start up* phase of indymedia in its 
first three years, is an increasingly dangerous place to organize radical 
media activism and resources to support that.  It seems European states are 
also becoming dangerous locations.  We need to decentralize for our 
activist network to survive.

We propose that the indymedia network decentralize from the global level 
(to roughly continental regions or "national/subregion" areas as 
appropriate) in terms of several types of often global organizing activities:

- technical solutions to server and bandwidth and other issues
- process discussions
- perhaps global media projects (indymedia.org front page, news 
updates/newsblasts, etc.) - which media aspects could continue to be 
presented through global portals and lists.

Some processes may need to stay at the global network level.  If so, we 
suggest these efforts need to be conducted in at least 4 or more languages 
regularly (see next proposal on this).
These global network tasks to remain at the global level (conducted through 
the discussions or delegation of lists of local liaisons) include:
- new imc processes
- some global tech work
- contact database work
- some global finance issues
- the global website work

Technical and media efforts in the global south could/would continue to be 
supported by imcs in the global north, through local-to-local/region, 
regional-to-local/region and global efforts.

Regionalization will help indymedia with deal with problems of language 
translation, server decentralization, support of new imcs, and media 
decentralization.

Four Chicago IMC members, including the editors of this proposal, attend 
the first network IMC convergence in San Francisco in April, 2001.  At this 
convergence, the issue of regional development of imcs was discussed. This 
issue of regionalization has come up on various listserves again and 
again.  For the networks survival, it is time to move on this.

Further, we propose that continental region listserves and servers be 
created now be created on all 6 continents with imcs - Africa, Asia, 
Australia and Pacific, Central and South America, Europe, and North 
America, , particularly for these three listserv types:
- process issues (imc-proc-africa, imc-proc-asia, etc.)
- tech issues relating to decentralization of servers
- global/regional media content

Some of those areas might choose, after discussion, to break discussions 
down further (or already have done such) into nations/subregional work (due 
to language and cultural issues).

We suggest a 4 week deadline for creation of these approximately 6 
continental regional lists by late March.

We propose that multi-languge listserv hubs be created to receive 
translated summaries of regional process, tech and media discussions and 
efforts.

If Indymedia is to remain a global network, some tasks will need to be 
performed at a global network level, especially:  translation work, tech 
work, and finance/record keeping work.
So, in addition to this proposal, we are forwarding a proposal to the 
network for stipends for 5 or 6 network administration positions, to be 
staffed by persons living in the global south.

Solidarity,
Chicago IMC

Draft:

Dear people,

In complement to our other network organizing proposal, the regionalization 
of indymedia organizing, some key global network roles are needed:

We propose that at least 5 or 6 salaried positions with stipends be created 
for *key roles* within the indymedia work. See list below.

Indymedia, with over 110 local imcs, is far too complicated for key network 
roles to be performed incompletely or not at all.

The following roles need to be funded with funds raised by the network from 
grassroots and network fund raising efforts, such as a donation campaign.

These are:
	- 3 translation positions for key imc internal and news media posts: to 
and from Spanish/Portuguese, to and from French and another European 
language or two, to and eventually from Chinese characters (for benefit of 
people in Chinese, Japanese, and other East Asian societies, with over 1.5 
billion people -- where there are no active imcs -- we need to outreach there)
	- financial paperwork and other record keeping role
	- a global tech administrator or two (works to support global tech servers 
and with regional and local imc tech people and resources). This role might 
devolve to regions once imc servers are more decentralized.

We propose that these roles be divided across persons living in various 
continents in the global south.
Yes, we need to shift imc admin, if possible, to the south.

We need to raise funds in a grassroots manner to fund such positions.

We propose temporary funding for a one year at living wage level in the 
global south from whatever sources for a global tech admin position or two.

Solidarity,
Chicago IMC