[New-imc] CAIRO IMC (urgent)

[Jay]

Hi new-imc and imc-tech,

I just received this urgent message from someone who has been communicating 
with the new-imc working group intermittently for several months about 
forming an IMC in Cairo.  Our initial contacts had to do with making sure 
the group had local activists involved and wasn't only populated by foreign 
visitors.  As you can see, there has been a lot of forward motion on that 
front.  Also, since then (several months ago) at least one Egyptian 
activist has contacted the new-imc working group saying she has been 
working with the group.

Things are happening very quickly right now, and there is a lot of 
escalating tension, especially in places like Cairo.  The group there is 
desperate to get a website up, even a temporary one.  Read below:

>Jay,
>
>Please release a webspace for Cairo IMC.  I've just gotten back from the 
>second major set of demonstrations across Cairo.  I can't even begin to 
>describe what we're facing, but I will tell you what you immediately need 
>to know.  Now, after months of building this up, we have links with the 
>local anti-globalization movement, ISM Cairo (of which I was a part 
>before, having been in Palestine as a human shield last April), Cairo and 
>Ain'Shams Universities, among others.  We are facing massive and immediate 
>problems: systematic abuses of human rights, and with nothing available in 
>the way of a centrally locatable dual language site for information on 
>what is happening on the streets, in prisons, in the universities, and the 
>syndicates.  Since January we have consolidated links with many leading 
>NGOs (EOHR.org, HRCAP.org), and are very well positioned.  We have been 
>working hard with local organizers, and looking out for each other as 
>State Security today arrest between 1200 and 1500 people.  You may know 
>that the State of Emergency was extended by presidential decree on 
>February 23.  Tomorrow, by military decree, all protests of any kind are 
>strictly outlawed.
>
>I know the situation in America is fraught also, but trust me that people 
>here are screaming out for a Cairo IMC.  The time is NOW.  We were hoping 
>to get a page ourselves, under the domain name 
><http://www.imc-cairo.org>http://www.imc-cairo.org, but this --- because 
>of the stupid verification policies of Paypal.com --- is proving 
>impossible.  We've been waiting since January.  We have an editorial and 
>many writings, photos, even video capabilities.  We have a complex network 
>of contacts, in an increasingly terrible situation.  Please help us, or 
>send this message urgently to whoever makes these decisions.  We need 
>immediate help.  Please read this message and respond to it with speed.
>
>Cairo, March 22, 12.48am

My recommendation is that we consider setting up a cairo.indymedia.org 
site, quickly, as a temporary site.  I've communicated with a couple people 
in the imc-cairo group about the new-imc membership criteria and about how 
they wouldn't become "official" without going through the new-imc 
process.  They're more than willing to do that, especially once this crisis 
ends.  When that happens we can all go through the long process of deciding 
whether they should be a long-term IMC.  In the meantime, if they have 
cairo.indymedia.org as a temporary site they can post news and other IMCs 
can link to them through their features.  The person with whom we've been 
primarily communicating has been really respectful and each time the 
new-imc working group has said "we'd feel comfortable if there's more local 
organizing" they seem to have gone back and done more.  So, I feel 
confident we're dealing with people who are doing what they can to work 
with Indymedia and form a solid long-term IMC.

I've omitted the e-mail address of the person in Cairo due to security 
concerns, but please contact me directly (and quickly) so you can contact 
him.  Plus, I've asked him to e-mail imc-tech and new-imc directly if he 
isn't worried about his e-mail address being public, and in that case you 
can e-mail him directly.

If you need information, here is some communication we've had on the 
new-imc list:
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/new-imc/2002-January/001528.html
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/new-imc/2002-March/001788.html
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/new-imc/2002-March/001789.html
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/new-imc/2002-April/002104.html

also, a thread called "cairo/egypt imc and the fascism of process"
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/new-imc/2002-March/001791.html
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/new-imc/2002-March/001792.html
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/new-imc/2002-March/001793.html
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/new-imc/2002-March/001798.html

Please consider this quickly so we can get at least a temporary IMC site in 
Cairo up and running.

Jay