[New-imc] Re: Zimbabwe IMC ready to go...

[Zimbabwe Indymedia]

hi gang. thanks for engaging with this.

the
>zimbabwe group has approved the principles of unity?  is that right
>zim admin?
>

yes it is. enthusiastically, too.


>so we go with either plan a or b and then we hold on the cities list
>(left hand column) pending formal approval - which would be the email
>trail of your collective's approval, an introductory statement, and
>some follow up conversations to make sure things are all okay.

Thanks loads!


>the reason these principles and membership criteria are here is not
>to hinder people from doing the amazing work like you are doing, and
>many other groups in less crisis-driven and inspired circumstances,
>but rather to have a clear sense of who is joining the network and
>that they understand what responsibilities there are when joining.
>it's a relationship.  also, some collectives don't realize how much
>work it takes to hold an imc together and so these guidelines and
>principles and criteria help people to build that foundation so that
>the imc will be able to last through an event.  they are not there to
>impede a group's work, they are there to maintain and support a
>vision and the building of something bigger than ourselves alone
>could do.

i agree completely, and that's why there's still a lot of organising to do 
here. 'grassroots' organisations are hard to come by in zimbabwe. ever since 
the matabele genocide in which 30,000 people were killed in the late 80s, 
the government has stamped out grassroots movements. even the fine women's 
movements listed in the posting on the Women's Coalition have been corralled 
to some extent. In the network at the moment are independent journalists, 
radical students, and the far left of the opposition. On the fringes, but 
still posting to the site, are groups like 'Crisis in Zimbabwe', an NGO 
coalition, much less grassroots than the former groups. But there is a great 
deal of committment from the student groups (right Comrade Biko?!) and it's 
a process that's growing every day.

we reckon that we're at the epicentre of something big at the moment. and 
much of the news that's getting posted on the site isn't even making it into 
zimbabwean newspapers, let alone the US press. Thank you loads for your 
solidarity. We want to respect the process here, and don't want to force 
things, both on the new-imc front, and also here. We're also worried about 
running before we can walk. Especially in these times.

Solidarity and love, ever
Zim Admin

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.