Prague Independent Media Center - S26 - Call To Action

[imc-news-request@indymedia.org]

The Independent Media Center of Prague calls you, journalists, media
activists, and rabble-rousers of the world to join us in creating
democratic, grassroots and political coverage of the S26 protests in
Prague and around the world. We need you to bring your video cameras, mini
disc recorders, laptop, photographic cameras to Prague to help work in the
open, democratic, multi-lingual, and non-sectarian media center. If you
can't make it to Prague, then cover the solidarity actions in your
community and post the articles to the prague.indymedia.org website.

The first indymedia center was created in Seattle as a new outlet 
for critical coverage of globalization. The code and methods used 
in the Seattle IMC were based on the coverage that J18 activists 
in London used to bring a new from of news to the world. Since N30 
in Seattle dozens of IMC's have been created from Los Angles to 
the Congo, from Italy to Mexico City. Using the internet and 
other communications technologies we are able to reach a wide 
audience and break through the corporate media blockade. As I 
write this the IMC activists in Melbourne are covering the 
shutting down of the World Economic Forum.

You can learn more about who's involved with the Independent 
Media Centers, how they're formed and run by going to 
http://process.indymedia.org/

Grassroots media organizations including Undercurrents (London, UK),
Engage Tactical Media (Holland), net_institute (Bologna, Italy), Radio
Helsinki (Graz, Austria), Cafe9 (Prague, Czech Republic), MicroRadio.net,
and the Independent Media Centers in the UK, Belgium, France, Israel,
Poland and Italy and many others are putting together an Independent Media
Center to serve a number of purposes:


* coordinate coverage among teams of independent video, still camera,
  print and audio journalists coming from around the world 

* document direct actions, discussion of economic alternatives to
  globalization, and progressive analysis by under-represented voices 

* produce audio, print, and video documents for distribution 

* distribute productions via website based streaming and indexed archives,
  satellite uplinks (possibly), tape distribution and 'rip n' read' text
  digests 

* deliver content to global mainstream media via web push, computer faxing
  and e-mail  strengthen and link existing networks of alternative media
  and community organizations to maximize the impact of the content
  produced 

* emphasize results to date of international conferences and civil society
  dialogues, including workers' trade agreements, the Kyoto Climate, Rio
  Earth & Beijing Womens' Summits, International Encuentros hosted by the
  Zapatistas, etc. 


Leading up to and during the S26 IMF/World Bank events, this site will be
used by media activists to post breaking news stories. All you have to do
is go to the site, retrieve reports, photos, audio and video, and pass it
on. You can also send out your reports to the world about S26 actions
happening in your community through this site using simple online
forms. Here are some suggestions for maximizing the impact of this work:

* Check the Media Center site (above) daily for new posts, then forward
  reports to your e-mail list and websites. 

* Get audio from the media center site to your local community and
  micro-radio stations 

* Post audio and video links from the site on your website, and urge
  others to do the same 

* Convince your local cable access center to downlink incoming satellite
  video, and organize a local screening 

* Have a potluck and show friends photos, audio or video, and share news
  of the actions in Prague 

* Convince your local community papers to visit the media center site and
  run stories on actions that address community issues 

* Print out the pdf's that are posted the site and distribute them in your
  community.

* Talk to your friends and family about the actions in Seattle, forward
  this letter and urge them to help spread the word as well.


What you can do to help:

* Come to Prague and work with the IMC to cover the actions and
  issues. This includes creating content and coverage for people in your
  home country and language.

* Coverage S26 Solidarity actions in your local community and post them to
  the prague.indymedia.org website. 

If you're coming to Prague we need you to bring equipment. The Prague IMC
has a very tight budget, so all of our equipment needs to be brought to
the center for the duration of the convergence (manifestation.) 

Here's a list of what we need:
*	Computers, we need lots of computers...
		We need them for: video, audio, and photo editing, writing
                stories
*	Routers/Hubs and other network equipment
*	Your own video cameras, audio equipment, digital or standard photo
        cameras
		The IMC doesn't have any
*	Power strips, Printers, and other general computer equipment
*	Video Tapes, and Rolls of Film
	

Here's what we have:
*	An office on Legerova, which is right between Namesti Miru and the
        Congress Center in Prague.
*	A high speed network connection, phone line, and power. We might
        be able to get a few computers in Prague, but for this to happen
        we need you to bring your computers.
*	A separate smallish space for IMC'ers to sleep during the actions!
*	A website, prague.indymedia.org which supports all sorts of
        streaming media, and easy posting of articles. We are working to
        extend it so it supports multiple languages. 
*	A connection with Cafe9, a network of 'net artists who want to
        work with us on streaming media projects during the convergence.