[New-imc] Responses to Membership Criteria

[PUKAR at IndyMedia]

IMC MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA: RESPONSES FROM IMC BOMBAY
Each IMC and Global Working Group is expected to:

a. Agree in spirit to the NIMC Mission Statement and Principles ofUnity,

A: Yes, we have read through both and agree. We have also come up 
with a mission statement specific to our goals in Mumbai.

b. Have a committed membership substantial enough to sustain a functional IMC,

A: Yes, we have done outreach, have held four large meetings and many 
other informal group meets, we have a commited group of volunteers to 
provide content, and a core group willing to work hard to sustain and 
manage IMC Bombay and the IndyMedia concept and network.

c. Have open and public meetings (no one group can have exclusionary 
"ownership" of an IMC),

A: Yes, the IndyMedia network in Bombay shall always be an open 
collective in which everyone participates as an individual, even if 
they belong to some organisation.

d. Work toward developing a local Mission Statement or Statement of 
Purpose. Network Mission Statement may be adopted or used on an 
interim basis,

A: Yes, we have come up with a Mission Statement, and hope to be able 
to add to it further as more groups get involved and we get more 
inputs, have more discussions about our role, etc.

e. Establish and publish an editorial policy which is developed and 
functions through democratic process, and with full transparency,

A: We are working on and developing an editorial policy which will be 
finalized and up very shortly.

f. Agree to the use of Open Publishing as described in the NIMC 
Editorial Policy [editorial collective comments: "We did agree that 
the term "Open Publishing" was one that is still being defined by the 
Global Network Collective, and we would wait and see what the results 
were before rewriting
this criteria],

A: Yes, we believe that the practice of Open Publishing is at the 
core of the Indymedia concept and we will do everything possible to 
keep the IMC Mumbai as "open" as possible.

g. Adopt a decision-making policy that is in alignment with consensus 
principles which include open, transparent and egalitarian processes,

A: With regards to our meetings and decision-making processes so far, 
our meetings have been more informal, and have been focussed on how 
to get set up, do further outreach and networking with friends and 
people in the student and NGO communities, and come up with project 
ideas.

There has been little "decision-making" as much as everyone has 
expressed opinions, come up with ideas, and things have mostly flowed 
without the need for a formal "facilitator". Though both of us have 
been representing the nascent IMC to the global IMC network and doing 
the work of getting the site set up and calling meetings, which we 
hold at the offices of PUKAR and the Comet Media Foundation, both of 
which are registered non-profit charitable trusts. We do realise that 
once we get going, and our group and meeting attendance gets larger, 
we will need a decision-making policy in place. I think what we meant 
by answering "yes" was that we understand the IndyMedia principles, 
and they are principles with which we strongly agree, as do the 
people who have attended meetings and joined the discussion on the 
list-serv. Once the site is up, and meetings of the IMC are 
regularised, we hope to follow the concept of having rotating 
facilitators, and definitely, one of the things on agenda for our 
next meeting is chalking out a decision-making process that is in 
alignment with the IndyMedia Principles of Unity, and the spirit of 
open collectivity that animates others IMCs and IndyMedia volunteers 
that we know.

(this point was discussed on the IMC Bombay list-serv and a response 
was given to the earlier drafted answer, which was "yes", to a 
question asked by Boud Roukema from IMC Poland).

h. Have a spokesperson(s) willing and capable of participating in the 
global decision-making process and meetings as a rotating 
liaison/representative, with a clear understanding of the 
responsibilities that come with this role,

A: Yes.

i. Participate in the key IMC Network Communication Methods that 
pertain to the health and vitality of the Network and that contribute 
to the work of the IMC. Assure that at least one person from your 
local IMC participates at any given time on the IMC-Communications 
list,

A: Yes.

j. (NOT FINALIZED): Have no official affiliation with any political 
party, state or candidate for office (comments: but individual 
producers have freedom to do whatever they like and local IMCs can 
"feature" stories about various political parties and initiatives),

A: Yes, we are definitely not affiliated with any political party.

k. IMCs shall in no way engage in commercial for-profit enterprises. 
[We could add: The IMCN is committed to the decommercialization of 
information and will disassociate from any local IMC that decides to 
become a for profit media corporation.]

A: Yes, very much agree.

l. Display a "local version" of the IMC "i" logo on your website and 
literature.

A: Yes, and we are working on a local version of the IMC logo which 
we will post very shortly.

m. Include the IMC Network current "Cities List" on your site, 
preferably on the front page.

A: Yes, to be listed as "Bombay/Mumbai".
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"PUKAR @ IndyMedia" is an information service managed jointly by 
PUKAR and the Bombay Independent Media Centre (IMC), and is broadcast 
on e-mail through the Bombay IndyMedia list-serv. It purpose is to 
disseminate news, opinions, articles, and information about events in 
Mumbai, and serve as a networking tool for activists, journalists, 
students, media makers. Posting and forwarding of information by 
PUKAR @ IndyMedia does not construe any connection with, or 
endorsement by either PUKAR or the Bombay IMC of the groups, 
organisations or individuals from whom the messages have originated, 
unless otherwise mentioned. To join the Bombay IndyMedia list-serv, 
please visit http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-mumbai. 
To post information directly to the network, please send your e-mails 
to <imc-mumbai at lists.indymedia.org>.

For more information, kindly contact:

PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge Action & Research)
P.O. Box 5627
Dadar, Mumbai 400014, India
E-Mail <pukarsecretariat at vsnl.net>
Phone +91 (022) 2077779, +91 98200.45529, +91 98204.04010
Web Site http://www.pukar.org.in