[New-imc] imc Egypt

[Petros]

imc Egypt / new-imc work- group

(short introduction:
I'm a member of the Cyprus Imc group, and one of the imc 
volunteers working to create an Eastern Mediterranean 
regional imc network.
I'm of one of the new-imc work- group members who is more 
"part time" that our other colleagues in the work- group. 
I'm more in the "activated" mode when our work concerns 
proposed imc groups in our region and/or other similar 
situations.
Petros)


A few thoughts on the current application to create an imc 
Egypt:

We need to remember that this is the third attempt to create 
an imc in Egypt. We need to have some self-critique on that, 
or at least familiarity with what happened (or what did not 
happen).

Also, I must say, that no matter how good the intentions of 
Mohammed (the person who is initiating the application,) the 
concepts expressed in the application show at least two 
problems we need to deal with:
1. there's not a clear understanding that IndyMedia is *not* 
a website. I agree with Evan on the need to keep identifying 
this problem with all of our new colleagues. And it is *our* 
responsibility to create a climate of co-operation on the 
basis of the reality of what imc is.
2. in the initial materials there seems to be a great 
emphasis on an individual(-ist) understanding of the work, 
and hardly any understanding (or yearning for) a 
collectivist approach.

Plus, there are significant political realities in Egypt, 
and it would be a crime for us to build this bond with our 
new colleagues, or to process  this application, without 
reference to politics.

I propose further, if our people accept it, that we ask of 
our comrades in imc-Beirut to help with this application, 
for example Imad and Raida who have a hands- on 
participation in the regional/local political process, who 
have an understanding of the depth of the struggle in our 
region, and a familiarity with the difficulties involved in 
doing imc work in the Arabic language.

How does it sound?
Petros
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