[New-imc] IMC BELGRADE - imc-process deadline - july 3rd 2003

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IMC Belgrade has passed today new-imc internal deadline
there were some clarification asked for by evan and answered both by me and
drazen from belgrade imc collective
you can take a look at editorial policy, mission statement and answers to the
membership criteria both at
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/new-imc/2003-June/004061.html
or at the twiki page i prepared :)
http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Local/ImcBelgrade
or at the end of this mail :)
the questions from evan and belgrade imc clarification can be found at the first
link

If no on ehas objections or clarifications imc belgrade will be part of our
network on july 3rd 2003


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IMC Belgrade – Application for membership in the Network of Independent Media Centres

 


Who are we?


The idea to launch IMC Belgrade came from several grass-roots organisations in light of a striking absence of genuine free information flow devoid of influence from political and commercial power centres. After drafting a basic mission statement that leans on the experience of several well-established Indymedia, IMC Belgrade has to date managed to find a host ( http://ahimsa2.solipsists.org/ >>> http://belgrade.indymedia.it <http://belgrade.indymedia.it/>  ), develop an initial structure of the web site and welcome the first posts and contributors whose number is now steadily on the rise.

 


Why we want to be an IMC?


As previously said, bearing in mind that there is a general lack of information sources in Serbia and Montenegro that do not promote certain political or commercial fronts/options, we have decided to pioneer an information service that will strive to connect to the emerging alternative global information network, known as Indymedia, and provide an open source environment to all who wish to spread information, ideas, initiatives and engage in concrete action that has as its goal to (re)assert positive human values that have been dissolved by the world order of today.

 


Response to the membership criteria


 

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

 

We have discussed and agreed to abide by the Principles of Unity and the Mission Statement.

 

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

 

IMC Belgrade numbers 8 activists who are skilled in translation, journalism and media analysis, programming and graphical design. The collective is still young, but we are firm in our belief that after we are accepted into the NIMC we will rapidly attract new activists and expand into a respectable IMC.

 

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

 

The members of the initial collective of IMC Belgrade come from various groups and backgrounds, which mean that we have been a diverse group that welcomes new activists as equals. The IMC Belgrade collective regularly holds open meetings in order to coordinate activities. The meetings are open to all people who comply with the principles of IMC collective.

 

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

 

We have already drafted a Mission Statement, which is often, in these early stages, the subject of discussions, proposals and amendments. We have envisioned the Mission Statement as a dynamic framework that will always be open to adjustments in light of new incentives and developments in our cause.

 

Mission Statement: The Independent Media Centre Beograd (IMC Beograd) is a media network of activists and organisations that provide non-corporate, grass-roots and non-commercial reporting and coverage of significant social and political issues, with an ultimate goal to create a better society based on equality and solidarity.

 

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

 

Editorial Policy:

 

Indymedia is an Internet news service where political parties and other hierarchically structured organisations will not be able to pursue their interests. We will strive to maintain the service as an open forum, but will, nevertheless, monitor the content of posts and remove them if necessary.

 

1. IMC Belgrade will take the role of editorial staff;

 

2. Posts on IMC Belgrade are to be hidden if they are:

 

2.1.  Discriminatory: posts that aim to abuse through text, image or other forms of communication by advocating racism, fascism, xenophobia, sexism and other discriminatory ideas;

 

2.2. Insulting: posts must satisfy basic standards of decency;

 

2.3. Advertisements: posts that promote commercial products;

 

2.4. Fabrication: posts found to contain false information;

 

2.5. Redundant: if the same post appears more than once;

 

2.6. Pornographic: images or links to web sites with pornographic content;

 

2.7. Technically corrupt: if the message is not complete or defective because of bad connections et al.

 

3. Everyone is permitted to comment messages posted to IMC Belgrade and to voice their opinion concerning news and comments posted by other visitors.

 

4. Announcements.

 

The posts will be of a non-profit character, with exceptions accompanied with acceptable arguments

 

IMC Belgrade fore mostly encourages posts:

 

1. That are timely, based on facts and are of interest to the global and/or local public;

 

2. That expose injustice;

 

3. That pertain to marginalised social groups;

 

4. That are sent by marginalised groups;

 

5. That pertain to activities aimed to improve the economic and social rights of people.

 

Our editorial policy is conceived to welcome and broaden the population of activists struggling against the powers that be. With the following exceptions, activists are free to post any piece of information they feel is of value to IMC Belgrade viewers.

 

 

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],

 

Aye!

 

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

 

As individuals and a group, we have embraced equity, tolerance, transparency and democratic decision-making in our activities within and outside this particular collective (IMC Belgrade). It is only natural that we will continue to do so.

 

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,

 

For starters, we have decided that Fotini Bazoni ( rita_gdb at yahoo.gr ) will represent us internationally, as liaison, since she is well-connected in the worldwide IMC community. In perspective, we will establish a rotating system that will see a different liaison on the list every six months.

 

 

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,

 

*	for imc-process: Krsmanovic Drazen ( <mailto:diabolik at yubc.net> diabolik at yubc.net)
*	for imc-communication: Ana Lakcevic ( <mailto:analakc at eunet.yu> analakc at eunet.yu)
*	for imc-finance: Milos Zoric ( <mailto:mzoric at infosky.net> mzoric at infosky.net)
*	for imc-summaries: Violeta Andjelkovic ( <mailto:vangel at eunet.yu> vangel at eunet.yu)
*	for imc-proposal: Sasa ( <mailto:rebelmouse at bastardi.net> rebelmouse at bastardi.net)

In perspective, we will establish a rotating system that will see different liaisons on the lists every six months.

 

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),

 

We have no political affiliation or to propagate political or commercial interests.

 

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.]

 

We absolutely have no intention to gain any kind of commercial profit as a result of our activities in IMC Belgrade. Our motives are strictly in line with what we have stated above.

 

l. Display a (((i))) logo on your website and literature.

 

We have ideas for a logo design that will be both locally recognisable and familiar to the international IMC community. For the time being, we will use the international logo (((i)))

 

m. Include the IMC Network current &Cities List² on your site, preferably on the front page.

 

Yes, we have the list of IMCN members on our front page.

 

4. Special Issues - <none>



-- 
ciao
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