[New-imc] prague imc mission statement

[edwardcz at volny.cz]

The Prague IMC is an necessary project because in the Czech 
Republic there is a severe lack of alternative media. Apart from 
minority publications, there is only one alternative newspaper 
(Respekt) and one alternative website (www.bristkylist.cz) The 
problem is exacerbated by the refusal of many groups of 
differing aims or politics to work together on shared issues. 
Thirteen years after theregime change of 1989, anti-capitalist 
and other dissident groups remain largely separated and 
unwilling to work together,even when theyshare a common goal. 
Thus green groups are suspicious of trade unionists and 
environmentalists shun anarchists. It is of course a common 
problem worldwide. 
The task then as we see it for the Czech IMC is then to bring 
these disparate groups (and more) together to report news which 
is of interest to all. This is an ambitious project but we feel 
certain that in the long term we can achieve success.  
Inadditionafter conversations with local activists, we realize that 
Indymedia can serve as a powerful tool because of its 
international character. For example in the Czech Republic (as 
elsewhere), racism is adeep problem in society. International 
pressurehas been successfully usedin the pastto 
stopracistgovernmentplansfrom being adopted. A clear 
exampleof the success of this pressure was the campaign to 
stop the leadership of the North Bohemian town of Ustinad 
Labem from constructing a wall separating the white and the 
Romacommunities. We feel that Indymedia could help several 
groups in Czechia by drawing international attention, to not only 
racism, but to all sorts of problems faced by Czechs.
Aside from the website we have plans for benefit gigs and a film 
night in an infoshop. In time we like to produce a newspaper, or 
perhaps take a page in an existing paper and build a resource of 
translated articles on the internet.
Get involved !!
Come to a meeting or contact us on the list through imc-
prague at lists.indymedia.org