[New-imc] KANSAS CITY (take a look)

[Jay]

Hi everyone on the new-imc working group (with

Below are the primary elements of the Kansas City (U.S.) IMC's membership 
information -- their response to the membership criteria and, below that, 
their new-imc form with a nice introduction.  They've been working for a 
long while and have an active site: http://www.kcindymedia.org/.

Take a look at their info.  I know we haven't talked about them for a 
while, so I feel I should let this information sit here a couple days 
before I put it up in front of the new-imc working group formally for our 
three day decision period.

Any questions?

Jay


>From: Chuck0 <chuck at mutualaid.org>
>
>-------
>
>Kansas City Indymedia
>http://www.kcindymedia.org/
>
>Kcindymedia membership criteria
>
>a. Agree in spirit to the NIMC Mission Statement and Principles of Unity
>
>We agree in spirit to the NIMC Mission Statement and Principles of Unity.
>
>
>b. Have a committed membership substantial enough to sustain a functional IMC
>
>Our membership includes at least 12 active to semi-active individuals. 
>Together we put our website online in Dec. 2002 and have kept it updated 
>since then. We meet monthly and average 6-10 people per meeting.
>
>Individuals in our group participate as IMC members in community outreach, 
>attend alternative media events and work toward media reform. We believe 
>our commitment to these issues can keep our IMC functioning.
>
>c. Have open and public meetings (no one group can have exclusionary 
>"ownership" of an IMC)
>
>We have open meetings. Time date and place are posted on our website, and 
>we try to send reminder emails to everyone on our 
>http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-kc-announce list.
>
>d. Work toward developing a local Mission Statement or Statement of Purpose
>
>We've written and posted a mission statement: 
>http://kansascity.bandwidthcoop.org/info/display/mission/index.php
>
>e. Establish and publish an editorial policy that is developed and 
>functions through democratic process, and with full transparency
>
>We've written and posted an evolving editorial policy: 
>http://kcindymedia.org/info/display/policy/
>
>f. Agree to the use of Open Publishing as described in the NIMC Editorial 
>Policy
>
>We agree with the concept of and practice open publishing on our site. We 
>haven't had troll problems so there hasn't been reason to discuss "hiding" 
>posts, but we have a policy to deal with it if it happens.
>
>g. Adopt a decision-making policy that is in alignment with consensus 
>principles that include open, transparent and egalitarian processes
>
>We decide by consensus when possible and use other open methods to reach 
>agreement when necessary
>
>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
>
>The following collective members have agreed to serve as kcindymedia's 
>spokespersons/liaisons. They will subscribe to their respective lists, 
>keep our group informed about global issues and in turn share our 
>collective input in the decision-making process:
>
>Tom K. - imc process
>
>Chuck O. - imc tech
>
>Jan H. - imc finance
>
>Sam A. - imc communications
>
>
>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
>
>Our imc communications liaison, Sam A., agrees to participate in this list.
>
>j. Have no official affiliation with any political party, state or 
>candidate for office
>
>We agree to have no official political affiliation.
>
>k. IMCs shall in no way engage in commercial for-profit enterprises
>
>We are committed to decommercialization and will not engage in for-profit 
>enterprises.
>
>l. Display a local version of the IMC "I" logo on your website and literature
>
>We include the logo on our website, contact cards and fliers.
>
>m. Include the IMC Network current "Cities List" on your site, preferably 
>on the front page
>
>We used dadaimc to create our site. It pulls in the standard cities list 
>in the left column.
>


>Online Form Fields
>------------------
>
>imc_name:
>kcindymedia.org
>
>city:
>Kansas City
>
>state:
>MO
>
>country:
>USA
>
>contact_name:
>Samantha Adams
>
>contact_email:
>kcimc2004 at yahoo.com
>
>contact_phone:
>913-385-5176
>
>tech_name:
>Cliff Jones
>
>tech_email:
>csjones at sprynet.com
>
>tech_phone:
>
>
>supporting_groups:
>Friends of Community Radio
>Kansas City Greens
>Fair Trade Coalition
>Free Speech Coalition
>American Friends Service Commmittee
>Linux Users Group
>Heartland Labor Forum
>KC FNB
>KC Direct Action Network
>KC Iraq Task Force
>
>
>regional_focus:
>yes
>
>critical_dates:
>none
>
>resources:
>The zero bandwidth collective has been hosting our dada-based site for a
>year now. Cliff, our IT guy, updates the site when we need it.
>
>Three people in the Linux Users Group also have offered their help with back
>end/programming issues.
>
>outreach:
>For the last year, we have passed out fliers at local progressive events and
>at our weekly peace vigils that are attended by approximately 200 people
>each week.
>
>Members have attended Lawrence IMC meetings and vice-versa.
>
>We've posted one article on the site so far that acquaints people with
>progressive KC groups (the Cross Border Network). We plan to do this on a
>regular basis.
>
>We have a radicalendar set up so people can post their events.
>
>I met with foreign visitors through our local chamber of commerce. They
>wanted to know more about independent media in America; I showed them our
>site, the global site and one India site. They were excited about the
>possibilities and planned to go back to India and possibly start another
>site.
>
>A member of our group, Tom Klammer, spoke at a "Become the Media" panel at
>the KC Rolling Thunder event. He talked about the importance of independent
>media and how people can use the site.
>
>I've gone on our local community radio station to talk about kcindymedia and
>how people can use the site.
>
>Tom Klammer and I attended the Media Reform Conference in Madison in Nov. I
>talked to a lot of IMC people about what they're doing and possibly
>arranging a regional meeting with Arkansas, Lawrence & St. Louis.
>
>
>introductory_statement:
>Kansas City is full of people begging for information -- about what's going
>on here, in our country and in the world. We need an easy-to-access medium
>that people can rely on for the real news, where they can also get the word
>out about things they know, do and see.
>
>We are working locally on many of the issues that progressive groups are
>working on nationally, such as fair trade, a resolution demanding our civil
>liberties be upheld when they conflict with the Patriot Act, antiwar vigils,
>bringing Rolling Thunder to Kansas City, and getting more Green candidates
>on the ballot.
>
>We also have our share of local concerns, such as a nonprofit hospital that
>is being sold and leaving low income families out in the cold, bringing
>attention to the poor water quality in our degraded rivers, stopping the
>construction of a highway through wetlands, and more. Many people in our
>community are aware of these issues and are working to bring change, but we
>sometimes feel like we're working in a vacuum. We need a way to link beyond
>Kansas and Missouri so we can be a more visible part of the progressive
>community.
>
>We are a community of activists, but we are splintered. We need a way for
>people here, especially - but nationally as well, to tell others what they
>are doing and to find out what others are doing.
>
>We need to organize more effectively. We have little coordination on
>activities and events, which results in too much overlapping, so we need a
>calendar that anyone can post to and anyone can access to find out what\'s
>happening.  We also need information about what other groups need and what
>they can provide. Our mainstream media doesn't give us the opportunity to ge
>t our messsage out, or when they do we are marginalized and misrepresented.
>A corporate-minded junta has taken over our community radio station and is
>strangling out the "community" component. We will yell from the streets if
>we have to to make our voices heard, but we think we can be more effective
>with kcindymedia.org as our tool.
>
>There are thousands of creative voices here who are writing about what they
>see, documenting their experiences with photography and expressing
>themselves through various media. We need their energy and creativity to
>make the bad news easier to swallow and to give our good ideas more steam.
>We believe our web site could be a forum where Kansas City's artists can
>express themselves for the betterment of our entire community and cities
>beyond.