[New-imc] CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (USA) -- decision deadline, 18-JAN-2004, 5:00 GMT

[Jay]

Hi everyone on the new-imc list,

Below are the membership criteria responses from a forming IMC group in 
Charlottesville, Virginia, in the USA.  They are calling themselves "Cville 
Indymedia".  Take a look.  They have obviously put a lot of work into these 
documents, and have done a great deal of organizing.

I've been in touch with Alexis a bit and have already asked some questions, 
the answers of which have already worked into their documents below.  The 
only further question that bounces to my brain, Alexis, is whether the 
archives of any of your mailing lists are available for people to 
see.  Right now 
"http://cvilleindymedia.org/mod/info/display/lists/index.php" indicates 
that they should be, but there isn't information there about where to find 
them.

Okay everyone on new-imc, take a look and be sure to comment before January 
18th.

Jay




CvilleIndymedia would like to link to the rest of the indymedia network. 
Following find documents relevant to CvilleIndymedia. What is printed here 
is reformatted from CvilleIndymedia's documents which can be found in their 
entirety at http://cvilleindymedia.org/newswire/display/79/index.php

Alexis

lexus51 at juno.com

CvilleIndymedia.org


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


CvilleIndymedia agrees with NIMC Principles of Unity. We find these 
principles to be in allignment with our own values and mission.


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


CvilleIndymedia has solid core group, including experienced activsts, 
people already involved in numerous independent media projects, and 
numerous sponsoring organizaitons that are interested in being involved in 
this project. We have an established office (cooperatively shared by 6 
social justice and environmental organizaitons for 7 years). We have our 
own server on our own DSL line. Our sponsoring organizaitons include 
Tradelocal, Community Yellow Bikes of the Piedmont, Alternatives to Paving, 
Virginia Forest Watch, The Living Education Center for Ecology and the 
Arts, Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation, Charlottesville Food 
Not Bombs, and the National Forest Protection Alliance.


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


We currently have bi-weekly meetings that are advertised and open to the 
public. Anyone who comes to one of our meetings is invited to participate 
in our consensus-oriented process.


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


Mission Statement


The first object of CvilleIndymedia is to empower average citizens to 
investigate such actions, as well as events and issues of local, regional, 
national and international importance that have been effectively ignored by 
the modern corporate media.


CvilleIndymedia provides an avenue for ordinary people to independently 
present their own honest, accurate, relevant reports and a free venue for 
people to access these reports. It hopes to become a safe, established 
public forum for a diversity of views, giving voice to previously 
marginalized issues and populations.


You do not need to be a professional reporter to deliver truthful, 
accurate, honest news. You need a connection to the realities behind the 
issues. A point of view arises once the evidence has been tabulated. The 
trouble with corporate-owned media is that the point of view often precedes 
the evidence and therefore is selective about what news to publish and how 
to portray the events and issues that effect our lives on a local, 
regional, national and international level. Cville Indymedia is a forum 
where all people can present their viewpoints.


CvilleIndymedia operates on the principle of "open publishing," that allows 
independent journalists, activists organizations to publish their own 
articles, analysis and information in a thorough, honest, accurate manner 
on our web site or in our print, on radio or on television.


While CvilleIndymedia reserves the right to censor egregiously 
unsubstantiated, insulting, hateful or offensive material (as well as 
duplicate posts and commercial messages), we will seek to the maximum 
degree practical to let people speak for themselves and not edit material 
submitted to our web, print, or broadcast media.


A secondary objective of CvilleIndymedia is to empower local 
community-building organizations and activists, by increasing their 
outreach, providing a permanent network and facilitating a sharing of 
resources. Finally, community-building organizations will not have to rely 
on coverage from traditional media sources. They can post their own 
articles, unedited and unspun. They will become more aware of each others 
missions and approaches to social and political issues. And they can 
maximize event planning, by either partnering with like-minded 
organizations, or at least not conflicting with coinciding events.


We will operate our organization in a manner that is inviting and 
encouraging for a diversity of people to be involved. We have and will 
contact people from other organizations in our area and encourage them to 
participate. We will conduct our meetings in a manner that encourages 
cooperation and input, particularly from women and ethnic minorities who 
often are not encouraged to participate and whose voices are often not 
heard in public decisions making processes. We see the incorporation of 
diverse viewpoints as fundamental to the operation of real democracy, and 
will encorporate this diversity into our group. We will encourage a 
reasonable openness to the feelings and opinions of each individual in each 
meeting, while maintaining an energetic and directed campaign for the 
organization. All decisions of CvilleIndymedia will be transparent. All 
meetings will be open to the diversity of our community, and all decisions 
will be made openly, and subject to review of the whole of the organization.


Political parties or organizations may choose to publish articles on 
CvilleIndymedia, but in doing so they invite public debate about their 
positions from any reader of the site; and any reader may respond by 
publishing his/her comments, in turn.


CvilleIndymedia will encourage responsibility in reporting. Optimally, 
submissions will be tied directly to sources, to facilitate further 
investigation and elaboration of reports on issues and events published in 
CvilleIndymedia.


Because CvilleIndymedia is not-for-profit and wholly independent of the 
potentially corruptive influences of corporate sponsorship, all original 
content posted to CvilleIndymedia is free for reprint and rebroadcast, on 
the net and elsewhere, for non-commercial use, unless otherwise noted by 
author.


If CvilleIndymedia succeeds in its mission, and ultimately becomes a 
popular fixture in the local community, issues will be more diversely 
represented, the public will be more thoroughly educated, and citizens will 
find more equitable, permanent, and democratic solutions to the problems 
that face our society.


The right to free speech is largely irrelevant in this country because we 
have been subjected to a media and consumptive monoculture for too long. 
The right to free speech like any other right is only so vital as how it is 
exercised. Americans appear to no longer have the stomach for democracy, so 
dependent have we become on a "lifestyle" of want and fear fed to us by 
corporate profiteers. We are failing this democracy, it is not failing us. 
It is our hope that by freeing information, we will give our brothers and 
sisters the stomach for struggle.


The liberal/ conservative dichotomy is a red herring. When different 
members of the owning class debate each other in a false opposition, it 
fosters empty debates and hollow political process. The corporate media 
serves to validate this process.


The neo-liberal program focusing on economic growth and profit is deathly 
to life on this planet. In defense of peoples the world over and for the 
survival of all creatures, it is incumbent upon us all to resist this 
program. In America we have the words (freedom, democracy etc.) but not the 
meanings. We have a free press the way we have a democracy: In word, not 
deed. By deed CvilleIndymedia joins the struggle against greed and 
subjugation.


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


Editorial Mission


Our Editorial policy relies on Open Publishing, and access for all. With 
this resource we ask the question, "Who has the authority to tell the 
stories of our day?" A cadre of careerists, whose agenda is set by the 
corporations that they work for? Or the rest of us, whose motivation for 
telling a story is that it affects our lives or our dignity as human 
beings. Fundamentally, we believe that the monopoly of "journalistic 
authority" has had a corrosive effect on the quality and subject of public 
debate in this country. And so we here outline the principles by which we 
intend to take back responsibility for the source, quality and assumptions 
underlying the stories of our day.


Open Publishing is a transparent process. You post a story, it appears. Any 
story is welcome though we would like to especially encourage people to 
publish:


- Well written and researched, timely articles.

- Eyewitness accounts of actions and demonstrations.

- Media analysis

- Stories affecting underrepresented groups

- Media produced by underrepresented groups

- Environmental issues

- Coverage of local issues in Charlottesville including:

- gentrification

- corporate dominance

- transit issues

- tenant's rights

- labor issues

- forest defense/appalachia

- race


Good IMC reporting is guided by a basic fidelity to the truth, 
understanding that everyone sees their own truth. Be factual. Corroborate. 
Use Links to any and all sources and other stories thus enabling the reader 
to further your work. Our journalistic work at Cvilleindymedia will be like 
a village commons. No single one is responsible for its functionality or 
beauty. But any one of us can damage it through carelessness or misuse.


Criteria for Censure


This brings us to the need for an editorial policy: First, in dealing with 
posts that are damaging to the integrity and/or purpose of the site. 
Second, in the selection of features and newswire stories. These practices 
require an editorial policy statement and a statement of unity principles 
which are put forth in the mission statement, but which we will reiterate here.


Following is a criteria for the censure or hiding of posts. Editorial 
working groups will have the right to feature and censor material in 
accordance with the mission and aggreements of the organization. Material 
may be censored if:


1.The post is obviously incorrect or misleading.

2.The post intends to spread disinformation or impersonate another.

3.The post is abusive without merit or claim.

4.The post is primarily hateful.

5. Excessively volumnous posts intended to sabotage independent media.


Features and Newswire


There are two primary day-to-day mechanisms by which IMC members set an 
agenda for the organization: by featuring an article, and by culling 
articles from newswires. It is understood that not all collective members 
will have immediate access to these tools, largely for security reasons. 
But also because there must be a coherence to this agenda that comes from a 
shared vision that we hope will grow out of this project. Let these 
decisions be guided by the following:

- A sense of urgency; that people need to hear about a particular story. 
Ours is a passionate journalism.

- Let us make connections between what is happening locally to what is 
happening nationally and internationally. This is a part of the power of 
this medium. Our local deicions affect people all over the world, and we 
aim to take responsibility for that.

- Let us aim to cover every local activist action that occurs and encourage 
those that are yet to occur.

- A sense of responsibility to the community.


Editorial Working Groups


CvilleIndymedia will appoint an editorial working group to manage our 
website, and possibly other editorial working groups to manage other media. 
No one may be a member of an editorial working group without the approval 
of the organizaiton. Any member of the web editorial working group may at 
any time remove a posting from the site, based on aforementioned criteria, 
provided they immediately post a note to the rest of the editorial working 
group and the CvilleIndymedia list. If there is any disagreement regarding 
whether or not a post should be removed, the post will be re-posted and the 
editorial working group will meet to try to resolve the dispute. Any 
decision of the editorial working group to censure posting(s) will be 
posted to the CvilleIndymedia list. Any disagreement with any decisions of 
the editorial working group may be brought to an organizaitonal meeting of 
CvilleIndymedia.


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],


Our site is currently operating on an open-publishing process. We currently 
have an editorial committee of 5 people who try to keep the site fresh, and 
have the authority to remove postings (as per aforementioned criteria). We 
do not anticipate censuring much, if at all.


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


Consensus and Decision Making Procedures


We will conduct our decision making in a manner that aims to incorporate 
and consider all viewpoints. Our organizational decision-making process 
will be consensus oriented. We define consensus as a process that takes 
into account the viewpoints, emotions, and knowledge of all members of the 
organization such as they are represented in any particular meeting. We do 
NOT define consensus as the right or ability of any individual, or small 
group of individuals, to halt the work of the organization. We define 
consensus as taking into consideration all viewpoints represented within 
the organization and incorporating those viewpoints into each decision. 
Specifically, our decision-making procedures shall be as follows:

Most meetings are likely to be small groups of people, unfacilitated or 
informally facilitated. In these cases, the organization shall attempt to 
establish and maintain a tradition of considering all viewpoints and 
hearing all voices, including the more soft-spoken. Decisions emanating 
from such small groups shall incorporate all voices to every reasonable degree.

In larger meetings or more contentious circumstances, the organization may 
choose to have formal facilitation. If so, the facilitator position should 
be rotated, not between every member of the organization, but between those 
members of the organization, or unaffiliated persons, who possess some 
skills at facilitation. In larger meetings, any individual may put forward 
proposals. Such proposals shall be incorporated into the agenda of each 
meeting, preferably at the beginning of the meeting. Any member of the 
organization may speak to any proposal, to modify, to support, to oppose, 
or to put forward alternative proposals. If the organization has discussed 
a proposal, and their is a majority sentiment in favor or a proposal, an 
individual may choose to block the proposal on the basis that they put 
forward an alternative proposal that is amenable to the members of the 
organization. If an individual blocks a majority opinion of the 
organization, and they are not able to persuade the members of the 
organization toward an alternate proposal within a reasonable time, then 
their block will be considered null. The organization will under all 
circumstances give full and due attention to all alternative proposals to a 
reasonable degree.

If the organization should ever find itself making highly conflicted 
decision, as a last resort and after considerable effort has been made at 
reaching consensus, a majority vote may be called for. That vote shall be 
binding on the organization. In the unlikely event that our organization is 
ever stormed by newcomers possessed of the intent to steer the organization 
away from its original vision, a majority vote may be called of members who 
have been part of the organization for at least six months. Such a vote may 
only be called after every other avenue is exhausted, most especially 
consensus oriented processes, and shall be binding on the organization. In 
all other circumstances, anyone who chooses to show up at a regular meeting 
of the organization will be considered a member of the organization.

If our meetings grow large, then parliamentary procedures may be employed 
to facilitate the discussion. If parliamentary procedures are employed, the 
organization shall still be bound by aforementioned decision making 
procedures, specifically the attempt to reach consensus.


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,


Alexis is currently serving as liason to the rest of the Indymedia network. 
We have two other members who have been active in LA indymedia and 
Portland. They are likely to serve as liasons as well.


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,


We are currently subscribed to the newimc list. We will subscribe to the 
imc communications list shortly, assuming all goes well. We look forward to 
participating in the larger imc network.


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),


CvilleIndymedia has no party affiliation. Some of our members have been 
active in local green and progressive democratic politics, and that may 
show up in on our site.


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.]


CvilleIndymedia is currenlty an informal non-profit organization. We may 
become an formal non-profit at some point (501-c-3).


l. Display a i² logo on your website and literature.


Logo displayed. See CvilleIndymedia.org


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


Current cities list displayed at CvilleIndymedia.org


NETWORK MEMBERSHIP 1. Network Membership is open to any group that accepts 
the above criteria for membership. In the case of several requests from the 
same city or region, we will encourage them to meet and work together.


2. Network Membership in the NIMC will be confirmed by the New IMC Working 
Group, which is accountable to IMC-Process and ultimately to the NIMC 
decision-making process.



Proposed IMC Name (required)

CvilleIndymedia, website at CvilleIndymedia.org


City

Charlottesville


State/Province

Virginia


Country

USA

Contact Name (required)

Alexis Zeigler


Email (required)

lexus51 at juno.com


Phone

434-760-1297


Technical Contact Name

Toby Reiter


Email

Toby at breezing.com


Phone

434-297-1692


Supporting Groups

Tradelocal, Community Yellow Bikes of the Piedmont, Alternatives to Paving, 
Virginia Forest Watch, The Living Education Center for Ecology and the 
Arts, Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation, Charlottesville Food 
Not Bombs, National Forest Protection Alliance

Regional Focus, Issue Focus, or Event Focus?

We would like to give an alternative perspective on regional issues, as 
well as bringing national/ international news to our area.


Critical Dates?

Server is up and running, will be doing monthly films showings starting 
early 2004. Also plan to put Democracy Now on local cable early in 2004. We 
also have plans for print and broadcast media that is further down the pipe.


What kind of resources can you contribute, in terms of 
server/bandwidth/technical and organizing skills?

We have our own server, on a 700+ DSL line. We have our site running at 
CvilleIndymedia.org. I am not sure if that bandwidth will accommodate much 
more than our own use. We have a surplus of geeks. We also have experienced 
activists who have started and run numerous other orgazanizations and 
campaigns.


What kind of outreach have you done to bring together a diverse group of 
people?

Please write an introductory statement about why you want to participate in 
the Indymedia Network (see above).


There are a number of people in our organziation who have done work with 
various social justice and environmental causes in this area. It is 
actually quite easy to get media coverage for some issues, local issues in 
particular. But the local media is largely pitiful as concerns issues of 
American foreign policy, or larger environmental issues. We would like to 
be able to cover these issues in a manner that the local media is not 
willing to do.


Indymedia can also serve as a useful commmunity building and communication 
tool among activists, as per activists directories, calendars, etc. We put 
up our site just a couple of weeks ago, and it is already taking off with 
people posting news about local anti-war actions, the local struggle to 
stop a NEW nuclear reactor near here. (One of 3 in the country that are 
being put forward to test the resistance.)


We have strong connections to local social service organizations that do 
work on tenants rights, housing issues, migrant workers (who pick the apple 
and peach crops in VA). These groups are less computer oriented, and thus 
have not been so far involved in a lot in creating the website. Our site in 
brand new, but we have and will continue to approach local organizations 
and inform them that they are welcome to publish news and annoucements there.


We have a strong commitment that the website is only a starting point. We 
are pursuing multi-media approaches to the news. We have a couple of people 
who are working with local access cable. It seems likely that we will be 
able to put up programming there very soon. We will start a monthly film 
showing in a few weeks, as both a consciousness and fundraising venture. We 
have worked some on starting a newspaper, but that will have to await more 
financial support. We are also working on radio transmission, for which we 
have acquired the equipment.


The larger social justice organizations are not yet listed as sponsors of 
our project because there decision making is more slow and cumbersome than 
the lean little organizations that work so hard to make things happen. It 
is some of these larger organizations that are likely to be our best avenue 
for reaching the local working-class population. These organizations 
include Virginia Organizing Project (a very progressive umbrella 
organization that works with on numerous civil rights and social justice 
campaigns), the Monticello Area Community Action Agency (a large and more 
mainstream social justice organization in this area that administers 
programs like Head Start, youth mentorship, etc.) Public Housing 
Association of Residents (works with public housing residents) and Legal 
Aid (works with migrant farm workers). There are few others like these as well.


Charlottesville is wealthier than many American cities, but it still has a 
large, working class, largely poor, largely black population in the 
downtown areas. Fully half of the cities' households do not have a 
computer, hence the need to reach beyond a website. There is also the 
migrant farm worker population. We have people involved in our project that 
have been active in all of the aforementioned organizations. We intend to 
involve them to the maximum degree, recognizing that they will only seek 
involvement to the extent that it serves their needs.


Thanks for reading!

Alexis

<mailto:lexus51 at juno.com>lexus51 at juno.com



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