[New-imc] Re: IMC-Palestine Application Response

[gekked]

Hi all,

I've talked to Heather voice, and we are moving ahead on the tech
setup of the imc-palestine site. I can also help collect the
application documents and move along that process, since Jay does so
much of the new-imc work by himself normally.

But I do want to put in my 2 cents on the domain name issue. I know
from doing indymedia stuff where Jay is coming from, but I also think
that Heather has written some excellent points which we need to
consider more.

Jay writes: "As to me those who are part
of the Israel IMC and live in Jersusalem seem be
affected by the decision to have the jersusalem url
point to the palestine site exclusively, I think they
should be part of the decision to the degree which it
affects them."

... whereas Heather writes: "However, if the domain
is to be 'vetoed' then we would rather it was done by 
people outside of the region." 

So here is the contention, because Jay is saying that it would be
worse for western, 'uninvolved' people to decide, and Heather writes
that the imc-palestine meeting participants were saying it would be
better if people outside the region decided, rather than IMC-Israel
people. 

Personally, I think the new-imc process should respect the wishes of
the new imc-palestine group. Heather is saying that new-imc is in
"danger of replicating the power relations that are so severely
manifested in so many ways in the daily life of Palestinians." And,
objectively we can see that this is true, and following the same logic
that Jay is using, only Palestinians are qualified to say this one way
or another, not Israelis. Only the Palestinians can say how this will
impact their own self-organization and new IMC. 

To me, then, the controversy is not over representation, the
controversy is over politics. I think Heather is right
about Israel IMC -- certainly they are committed & left of center and
because of that, would probably understand that this is ultimately a
decision for the Palestinian people involved in setting up Palestine
IMC. 

It is controversial to call it jerusalem.indymedia.org, but like any
other IMC we have set up, it basically conveys geographic,
region-based information. For example, when we began processing
Euskalherria (Basque) IMC, did we consult Barcelona IMC for their
official view? Perhaps the situation is a little different, but I
think one can see the similarities. I don't think the domain name
alone commits Indymedia as a whole worldwide network to a particular
political position. 

So, to that extent... I support imc-palestine deciding on a domain
name itself, with input and debate/discussion from the new-imc's
group, but not imc-israel in particular, and I certainly think we
should move cautiously into deciding how and why to 'veto' this 
or that. 

ryan