[Seattle-editorial] moving forward - first step is conflict resolution

[sheri at speakeasy.org]

hi all,

thanks for the energy and contribution everyone toward moving forward, as we all collectively agreed we'd do after the "hiatus".  i believe you have touched on perhaps the most important issue in many ways troy and that is unresolved issues within the imc itself.  i completely agree.  it has hurt us in ways we are continuing to deal with.  one of the agreements all the parties to the consensus process with bill aal and margo adair as facilitators/mediators was that we would engage in conflict resolution during the break of three months.  however, unfortunately, there was no plan put into place, no oversight or accountability or support for this to happen.  it is my understanding that no interpersonal conflict resolution happened.

i would suggest that we pick up that ball and we all, every single person who knows that they need to engage in conflict resolution make the effort to call or contact the person/persons you feel you need to have some conflict resolution with.  we have a conflict resolution policy.  all those people who call themselves members and who participated in the decision to not move into the segway must also know that there is a conflict resolution policy in place that we haven't used. 

i really hope that we would all take this time now to take steps forward in this direction.  the integrity of the decision-making process that led to the (1) hiatus (2) not moving into the segway (3) paying for storage rather than using a free space (4) only having editorial active is resting on us keeping our agreements.  

i hope we all do that.  we all know who we are :)))  and if you don't, i would hope that when someone contacts you you will be available to get together and make it a priority.

thanks troy for pointing out what should be obvious.  i believe that we would not have needed a hiatus if we had taken the time to do the resolving of interpersonal conflict that got in the way of our decision-making process.

peace,
sheri

ps - i for one will contact the people i publicly stated i needed to have conflict resolution with and i am happy to have anyone contact me to clear the air and start fresh.  that's what this is all about.  getting clear, feeling like we have honored our grievances, listen and be respectful, try to understand the other and let things go and start fresh....that's a key piece in us moving forward.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Troy Prouty [mailto:poeftr at hotmail.com]
> Sent: Friday, May 28, 2004 08:48 PM
> To: relayer at riseup.net, imc-seattle at lists.indymedia.org
> Cc: seattletech at lists.indymedia.org, seattle-editorial at lists.indymedia.org
> Subject: RE: [IMC-Seattle] Open Letter from an IMC Editor to the community
> 
> Very well spoken Joseph..
> 
> and
> 
> Very thought out...
> 
> I would like to point out the biggest barrier to date and always has been 
> with indy media - IS not lack of community, more then I see IMC unable to 
> resolve issues among the IMC itself..
> 
> However I do agree - Community involvment is very important in order for IMC 
> to stay alive..
> 
> There have been many great contributors to Indy - such has yourself and a 
> host of others Sheri, Walt, jonathan, Nathan.. the list goes on and on ... 
> so sorry if I haven't mentioned all - it would take forever to do so...
> 
> Troy*
> >From: Joseph Eisenschmidt <relayer at riseup.net>
> >To: ListSeattle <imc-seattle at lists.indymedia.org>
> >CC: ListSeaTech <seattletech at lists.indymedia.org>,ListEditorial 
> ><seattle-editorial at lists.indymedia.org>
> >Subject: [IMC-Seattle] Open Letter from an IMC Editor to the community
> >Date: Fri, 28 May 2004 13:29:00 -0700
> >
> >Friends,
> >
> >The upcoming community meeting regarding the SEAIMC is an important
> >event. Gaining input from the community is the first step in
> >understanding the media related needs of underserved constituencies.
> >This type of interaction is to be continued if we seek to grow in
> >the directions required by those most in need of honest, accurate
> >reporting in the press.
> >
> >While some folks seek to extend the hiatus, that is seen by those of
> >us doing enormous amounts of work to be disrespectful of our
> >efforts. It also ignores the fact that huge numbers of folks want to
> >get involved with us, but are not allowed due to the suspension of
> >all volunteerism efforts.
> >
> >The bottem line for me is that while the concept of membership is
> >somewhat nebulous at this time, I will not consider important votes
> >taken at the community meeting to be binding upon Members of the
> >SEAIMC who are actively working.
> >
> >We are 4 1/2 years old, and have had literally hundreds of Members,
> >all good folks with virtually no exceptions. The respect that I hold
> >for the many foks who have contributed over the years is
> >unimaginable. And I consider many of the original founders of the
> >IMC to be my heros. And I respect them. And I love them.
> >
> >To think that folks who have been putting hundreds of hours of
> >volunteer time into the Seattle Independent Media Center this year
> >and last, and who have done so consistantly, should have to answer
> >to past participants is unwise, irrational, and destructive to our
> >very founding principles.
> >
> >I joined the collective 3 years ago, and was happy to sweep the
> >floors because that is what was needed from me. I loved the Space,
> >as you all know, and was an incredible shepherd of our extraordinary
> >community asset if I do say so myself. And I do.
> >
> >By sweeping, and answering phones, and interacting with our
> >vouluteers, and assisting enormous numbers of progressive community
> >leaders in using our resources, I learned the value of myself.
> >
> >I am an IMC Member because I do the work. As I did more, I gained
> >respect and consideration from the Membership, a feeling the likes
> >of which which I'd never felt before in any endevour except in
> >college perhaps. And I deserved it - because I did the work. My
> >hands were dirty, I was tired from the labor. It felt good. It still
> >does.
> >
> >The community needs the IMC more than it realizes. Things are pretty
> >lousy now with regards to media responsibility - hey even the NY
> >Times did a page 10 story on the lousy job it did with regards to
> >the Iraq war. The nations newspaper of record totally blew the
> >biggest story of the year on an issue which led us to war on the
> >basis of lies and they put the retraction on page 10!
> >
> >So, let's get together and tell the community what we know and do,
> >and listen for what the comunity needs and wants. But watch that
> >finger wagging. Having been a founder of the IMC does not get you a
> >golden finger for life. Having done enormous amounts of work in the
> >distant past (More than a year ago) doesn't either.
> >
> >To hold a formal meeting where votes will be taken that affect the
> >whole body without determining who is a voting Member is not
> >functional. The results of such an action if taken will result in
> >extreme animosity at best, and the loss of the small core of
> >existing hard working members once and for all at worst.
> >
> >Also, while moving on is a great slogan, unless we recognize and
> >deal with our issues, and interpersonal conflict is the biggest by
> >far with the possible exception of non-existant or outdated
> >proceedural rules, we will be doing ourselves a disfavor.
> >
> >Looking forward to making a report-back to the community with
> >regards to the fine and difficult work at Editorial, and listening
> >with my best ear to my friends and adversaries alike,
> >
> >most sincerely, and just speaking for myself,
> >
> >Joseph
> >_______________________________________________
> >imc-seattle mailing list
> >imc-seattle at lists.indymedia.org
> >http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-seattle
> 
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