[New-imc] Almuajaha / baghdad imc

[Mike Tonks]

Hi Jan,

Thanks for your message.  I had noticed your postings on the site, and I 
wondered who you were.

Almuajaha is listed on the bristol imc site, at the top of the left column.

The wider imc network has not, in my opinion, been very supportive of 
the project, and there was a certain amount of confusion about the new 
imc application process.  My feeling is that the process is too 
beaurocratic and centralised, but I guess that is necessary for a global 
netowork.  You may want to contact the new-imc or imc-process lists to 
ask about that.  However, I think they are correct in not accepting 
application on behalf of the group.

Bearing in mind the difficult situation in iraq at the moment, it is 
hardly surprising that the group there have had some difficulties in 
communicating with the outside world.  We are in process of transferring 
skills and adminsitrative control of the website to the Almuajaha team.  
They have said they will formally form the imc group when they are ready 
and able to do so, which seems farily sensible to me.  For now, the site 
seems to established some sort of official imc status.  We have made 
links with Beirut imc who are also in touch with the baghdad group, and 
I believe someone has travelled ober to help out on the ground.

I did notice that none of the new imc documenta of the main indymedia 
site are available in arabic [or were not when I last looked].  This 
might be a usefull place to help out...?

I believe there have been difficulties in the past with international 
sites, such as imc palestine.  I suspect that because of past 
experiences, some global imc activists are cautious about new project 
forming without a solid base on the ground - it is against imc 
principles for any site to be run remotely - ie by internationals rather 
than local people.  I guess Almuajaha is in danger of falling in to this 
problem, so let's hope that we can help the current volunteers to 
establish a strong working group!

I think you are right that more visible support from the wider network 
would be a good thing at the moment, even if the site remains an 
'unofficial' imc site - perhaps if you have time you could persue that 
through the global channels.

I will copy this to the main lists to see if we can gat any feedback 
from them.

Regards,

Mike



Subject:
Wider IMC Links
From:
Jan van Dalfsen <jvd1 at bigpond.com>
Date:
Sun, 26 Oct 2003 22:09:24 +1100

To:
imc-bristol-twinning at lists.indymedia.org


Hi Spike or Mike or who ever this is,
      I have been reading and contributing to Al-Muajaha for a few 
months and have a queery. It seems that Al-Muajaha is neither mentioned 
on the Bristol IMC site nor on any IMC site. The chance to keep the 
on-line active and so the chance to obtain wider financial support 
surely depends somewhat on being visited from the whole IMC network.
      Can you please explain to me why Al-Muajaha is not listed on the 
left hand column of all IMC pages.
 If possible I believe it would be greatly advantages for the site and 
for raising money for the Iraq Paper Project and may be worth a small 
investment. As I am not particularly computer literate I may be out of 
order. I do really appreciate you keeping the site up there . However, 
without any criticism implied I would really appreciate some personal 
feed back about these matters to my personal e-mail address. I hope this 
gets through to you.
 
     Thanks for all you do,
     Yours....
         Jan van Dalfsen