[New-imc] Online form: Proposed new IMC! (housing.indymedia.org)

[boud]

hi chuck,

On Tue, 31 Dec 2002, Chuck0 wrote:

> evan at protest.net wrote:
> > The idea of virtual topical imc's has come up again and again. And
> > everytime we have too repeat the very good arguments for why they are a
> > bad idea. Honestly i am quite surprised that Chuck0 proposed this. Do we
> > have to go through this again?
> > 
> > -evan

>  Refresh my memory on why they are a bad idea? Why does Indymedia

http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/GlobalThemes

Refreshed. 

> have to take a hard line on IMCs being location-based? If we can put
> together a network of people to do this project in Indymedia
> fashion, then why should anybody else care?

Because Indymedia is a network. If the network you propose is
composed of people working constructively with their local IMCs,
then it could, in principle, be part of the network, but there's no
particular reason to call it an IMC, rather use a more modest and realistic
term such as a "mailing list based working group".
 
> I think there is a real need for a non-local IMC dedicated to housing, 

i would think that housing is an issue which particularly *needs*
grounding in local IMCs.

> homeless and economic justice issues. There is lots of good work being done 
> by local IMC participants on these issues, but most of the housing activists 
> remain unaware of what other groups and activists are doing. One exception 
> might be OCAP, which does a good job of promoting itself. And it is difficult 
> to find out what different cities are doing on these issues.
> 
> There is already lots of content on this issue being posted to local IMCs. 
> There are IMCistas out there who are writing on these issues. I think a 
> subject-focused IMC like this would be a motivating project for many housing 
> activists and DIY journalists interested on these issues.

Calling it "an IMC" would just confuse people. 
 
> As far as groups are concerned, I think that local housing coalitions, 
> homeless advocates, Homes not Jails, OCAP, KWRU, and other groups would be 
> interested.

We would prefer that homeless people themselves can participate in
f2f meetings and participate in decision-making as much as homeful people.

Otherwise we support coordinatorism - where a class of "representatives" 
is created, who are sincere and well-intentioned people, but who nevertheless
redirect the energy for change into reformist reforms, rather than 
non-reformist reforms. Homeless people who criticise the coordinators are
then looked at as ungrateful, irrational people, who refuse to acknowledge
the help of those who most want to help them.

previous email:
> housing need a centralized news source and resource for their work. Right now
> there has been an increase in anti-homeless policies in many American cities.

Sounds like you're interested in a regional site, or a feature on a
regional site. The USA is only a small part of America, and America is
only one (or two, depending on your culture) of the continents. Here
is a big site on housing:

http://www.narmada.org

50 million people thrown out of their houses since independence, simply
based on government estimates. Maybe you should get into contact.

boud