[New-imc] PROPOSAL: Manila IMC

[soluble fish]

To: NEW-IMC people

Finally, the Manila IMC collective is now ready to get
involved with the entire global imc network. We now
have here our documents for the new-imc to read and
decide for our proposal to be part of the network.

for more details regarding the decision and discussion
of the said documents, please visit these links:
http://lists.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/imc-ph-manila
http://lists.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/imc-pilipinas

for our mock-up site, visit:
http://manila.perthimc.asn.au

in solidarity,
jong pairez (Manila IMC volunteer)

READ BELOW
---------------------------------------

MANILA INDYMEDIA MISSION STATEMENT AND HISTORY,
PRINCIPLES OF UNITY AND EDITORIAL POLICY

Our Mission Statement:

The Manila Independent Media Center Collective is an
autonomous group of grassroots media activists
committed in using media production and distribution
as a tool for promoting social, environmental and
economic justice in the local communities of Manila
and the Philippines in general. It is our goal to
further empower the marginalized Filipino people in
their local communities, who are under-represented in
corporate media production and content, and to
illuminate and analyze local, national and global
issues that impact the ecosystem, grass roots
communities and individuals. We seek to generate
alternatives to the biases inherent in the corporate
mainstream media controlled by profit, and to identify
and create positive models for a sustainable and
equitable society.

History of Manila IMC:

In the beginning was the relentless numerous
experiences of oppressed classes in the poor
communities of Manila who are fighting for their
lives. These experiences are stories of the poor
people of which were never heard even in a blink of a
whisper in the mass media, because their truth has
never been an accepted truth in a society wherein the
story-tellers of truth (corporate media) have been
maimed by the prowess of profit and the bureaucratic
structures of hierarchy.

>From these situations came the emergence of the Manila
Independent Media Center Collective, which aims to
establish an alternative media project wherein the
marginalized people themselves can directly speak
their own stories of truth (through open web
publishing) and tell the whole world about their
plight and struggle for a better society. Because the
empowerment of the grass roots (amidst the absence of
authority) in reclaiming their own history is the only
way for the oppressed classes to attain the need for a
sustainable and equitable society as their ultimate
interest. Manila IMC is sympathetic to these causes,
because this just cause of the oppressed classes in
the community is the collective’s fight.

Manila Independent Media Center Collective was
formally organized in July 22, 2003 after the
Principles of Unity was consensually agreed by the
diverse autonomous individuals of the working group.
The collective was organized at the outskirts of
Recto, Manila- the place where communities are
suffering in urban decay and state violence takes
place. Using only analog second hand cameras, pre-paid
internet cards, second hand personal computers and a
passionate telling of truth of the experiences and
struggles of the oppressed people in the community,
Manila IMC will fight and pursue helping the Filipino
grass roots be heard and be recognized in the whole
world through the surface of the World Wide Web.
Draft:

------------------------------------

MANILA INDYMEDIA MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA

Each member of Manila IMC working group is expected
to:

1.	Agree in spirit to the Manila IMC Principles of
Unity.
2.	Have a committed membership substantial enough to
sustain Manila IMC.
3.	Have an Editorial Policy which is developed and
functions through democratic process and with full
transparency.
4.	Agree on the use of Open Web Publishing as
described in the NIMC Editorial and Manila IMC
Principles of Unity.
5.	Use a decision making policy that is in alignment
with Consensus Principles which include open,
transparent and egalitarian process.
6.	Participate in public meetings, discussions and
collective decision-making.
7.	Manila IMC shall in no way engage in commercial for
profit enterprises.
8.	Display a local version of the IMC “i” logo on our
website, documents and literature.
9.	Practice a non-hierarchal tradition inside the
collective.
10.	Defend Manila IMC as a local autonomous collective
of grass roots media activists.
11.	Promote decentralism as a method of organizing a
possible network of local IMC’s.
12.	Agree on the practice of mutual aide and
cooperation in helping one another inside the working
group and to the whole IMC network as well.

----------------------

THE IMC-MANILA PRINCIPLES OF UNITY 
(Discussed and consensually approved last 22 July
2003)

1. IMC-Manila collective (IMC-MC) is based upon
principles of equality, decentralization, and local
autonomy. The IMC- MC is not derived from the
centralized bureaucratic process, but from the
self-organization of autonomous individuals and groups
that recognize the importance of developing a union of
networks.

2. IMC-MC considers open exchange of and opens access
to information, a pre-requisite to the bldg. of a
freer and just society.

3. IMC-MC respects the right of activists who choose
not to be photographed or filmed.

4. IMC-MC is based upon the trust of their
contributors and readers, shall utilized open web
based publishing, allowing individuals, groups and
organizations to express their views, anonymously if
desired.

5. IMC-MC shall be not for profit.

6. IMC-MC recognizes the importance of process to
social change and is committed to the development of
non- hierarchical and anti-authoritarian relationships
to group dynamics. Therefore, shall organize
themselves collectively and be committed to the
principle of consensus decision-making and the
development of the direct, participatory democratic
process.

7. IMC-MC will have a spokesperson(s) which should be
determined under the principle of consensus. The
spokesperson(s) should be willing and capable of
participating in the global decision making process
and meeting as a rotating liaison/representative, with
clear understanding of responsibilities that come with
this role.

8. IMC-MC recognize that a pre-requisite for
participation in the decision making process of each
members inside the collective is a contribution of an
individuals labor to a group.

9. IMC-MC is committed to caring for one another as a
collective and will promote the sharing of resources
including knowledge, skills and equipment.

10. IMC-MC shall be committed to the use of free
source code, whenever possible, in order to develop
the digital infrastructure, and to increase the
independence of the network by not relying on the
proprietary software.

11. IMC-MC shall be committed to the principle of
human equality, and shall not discriminate, including
discrimination based upon race, region, gender, age,
class or sexual orientation. Recognizing the vast
cultural traditions within the collective, we are
committed to building diversity within our group.

---------------------------------

Manila Independent Media Centre

EDITORIAL POLICY

This was adapted from Perth Indymedia editorial
policy.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

1. To provide an open-publishing newswire in
accordance with established indymedia policies and
philosophy.

2. To maintain the newswire and website as a space
that welcomes members of disempowered or marginalized
groups.

3. To acknowledge that words have the power to cause
injury, but those instances of injurious speech or
writing should also be seen as opportunities for a
critical or insurrectionary response.

3. To preserve the quality of the website as a useful
media resource.

NEWSWIRE PROTOCOL

Manila IMC hosts an open-publishing newswire. Members
of the Editorial Collective regularly monitor the
newswire, keeping their eyes open for particularly
significant, informative contributions to add to the
centre-column features section.

OPEN PUBLISHING

Open publishing means that the process of creating
news is transparent to readers. They can contribute a
story and see it instantly appear in a pool of
stories. Readers can see editorial decisions being
made by others. They can see how to get involved and
help make editorial decisions. If they can think of a
better way for the software to help shape editorial
decisions, they can copy the software because it is
free and change it and start their own site.

HIDING POSTS

The Manila IMC Editorial Collective, in order to
maintain the integrity of the newswire and the media
commons it creates for our community of participants,
may "hide" posts to the newswire when the content
contravenes the guidelines that have been put in place
(see below). All hidden posts (exceptions noted below)
should be notified to the collective email list:
imc-ph-manila at lists.indymedia.org so that the
Editorial Collective has the chance to agree or
disagree with the hiding of the post.

NOTIFIABLE REMOVALS

1. Posts the author has requested be hidden.
2. Posts which are obviously incorrect or misleading.
This includes attempts to spread disinformation or to
impersonate another individual.
3. Posts that incite violence against disempowered
members of the community. Threats to maim or kill.
4. Posts which publish identifying information without
the individual's knowledge or consent.
5. Posts which use language, imagery, or other forms
of communication to promote racism, fascism,
xenophobia, homophobia, sexism etc., or any other form
of discrimination. Persistent nuisance posts to the
newswire or comments sections.
6. Posts that are deemed to be devoid of content or
analysis and appear to be published with the sole
purpose of disruption.
7. Abuse of others in the form of personal attacks.
Indymedia is not a space for people to play out
personal vendettas.
8. Posts that are pornographic, but not sexually
explicit satire.

NON-NOTIFIABLE REMOVALS

1. Unreadable formats for e.g., photos posted as text
/ text only posts without relevance nonsense/flooding.
2. Duplicate/Repetitive posts.
3. Advertising of products or for-profit services.
4. Notification or cancellation of events. Please use
the events calendar. These may be moved to appropriate
wire.

Note:
Hidden comments can be viewed by clicking on the link
at the top of each article.

IF YOU DON’T AGREE WITH A DECISION

We strive to make decisions in the most democratic,
transparent and accountable manner. If you have any
questions or concerns regarding our policy or our
practice, or would like to work with the Manila IMC
Collective, please contact us at
imc-ph-manila at lists.indymedia.org and refer to our
statement at: 

COPYRIGHT OF FEATURES AND ARTICLES

All posts made to the newswire are effectively covered
by the principles of "COPYLEFT"
(http://www.cat.org.au/maffew/cat/openpub.html). The
author retains the moral right to be recognized as the
author of the article in question, but the article is
free for distribution for non-profit and educative
purposes. Articles may be reproduced in full for any
purpose and in any media provided the reproduction is
subject to the same principles as laid out here, that
is, the same representations of the COPYLEFT of the
article must appear alongside the article.

Under no circumstances may articles or features from
the Manila IMC site be reproduced in full and in a
fee-paying or for-profit medium. However, for-profit
media may quote from articles or features in
accordance with "fair use" copyright principles.

Specific queries about reproduction of an article or
feature can be referred to the editorial collective
at: imc-ph-manila at lists.indymedia.org

-------------------

Manila Independent Media Center Collective Decision
Making Policy
http://www.consensus.net/ocac3.html


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