[Imc-africa] Forming Nigeria IMC
Peter van Heusden
pvh at wfeet.za.net
Mon Mar 5 05:49:48 PST 2007
Basically IMC Kenya was formed in a rush of activity about 5 years ago.
It was accepted into the network, added to the contact database - and
then communication broke down. I suspect a reason for that breakdown was
that the two keys individuals who helped IMC Kenya link with the
Indymedia network stopped being involved, and no one from other IMC
groups knew the comrades in Kenya, and no one from Kenya knew the people
in the network. That's how things stayed for some years till recently.
The New IMC process is meant to verify a few things which are important
to the IMC network before accepting a new IMC. These include that people
understand the principles of Indymedia, that the IMC group is open to
all, that it is sufficiently diverse, and so on. In practice, no one
checks up on these things after an IMC is formed, so many IMCs can be in
practice nonexistent even when they are still listed as part of the
network. As others have pointed out, IMC "decision making" structures
involve a tiny number of people from a tiny number of IMCs.
So I think the network is very far from healthy, and it is easy to lose
touch with each other. I believe that practical networking is vital to
build a healthy Indymedia network in Africa. Even in each of our
locations continual networking is vital - "outreach" seems to be an item
on the agenda at almost every one of our Indymedia meetings in Cape
Town. It is actually easier to become and stay "part of" the global
Indymedia network than it is to run a local IMC on a continuous basis.
In order to try and deal with the networking problem in our local
Indymedia (that is, South Africa), we have decided that each group
should have a liason who stays in touch with other groups on a regular
basis. We also put the minutes of our meetings on our mailing list so
there is an archive to read to see what we're up to. I know that email
access is a big problem throughout Africa, but maybe we could in a
similar way keep in touch regularly as a step towards assisting each other.
Peter
IMC SA - Cape Town
John Bwakali wrote:
> Dear Kola and Indymedia comrades,
> It is always great hearing from you and I trust that you are fine.
>
> I must congratulate you for your well thought out plan for an
> information centre. It is indeed vital for us to work together in
> concrete ways that will ensure that such concrete projects see the
> light of the day.
>
> Concerning the status of forming Nigeria IMC, I think it would be
> great if we can expedite (not rush) the process. I remember that it
> took a very long time (5 years) for Kenya to be confirmed as an IMC.
> Until today, I am still not so sure why it took this long. I think
> that consensus should enhance, not impede the IMC formation process.
> In the case of Nigeria, we in Kenya would be keen to have a look at
> the application form so that we can also provide input.
>
> Cheers,
> John
>
> IMC Kenya
> kenya.indymedia.org
>
>
> */KOLA OLALEYE <marveton2k2 at yahoo.com>/* wrote:
>
> Hello Jay,
>
> Thanks for taking time out to reply or respond to the issue
> raised , its nice to hear from you again.
>
> Well i must say that i am not aware of any previous intention to
> have an information centrre in nigeria at any point in time.But
> all thesame,if there has ever been such move i think the real
> intention of the proposed intention was possibly not known or
> rather was not stated.
>
> In this case,our real intention is to have a viable and uptodate
> information centre that will serve the entire nation of over 140
> million inhabitants.
>
> An adage in Africa says that" a child that wants to be lifted will
> first indicate by raising its arms"
>
> Now the intention is coming from very few of us who are already
> inputing some of our own financies into the project.
>
> And if i get you right,yes sustainability? You can be very sure
> that with the centre in place we shall sustain it and make it run
> effectively well.
>
> We are right now proposing to have a media trainning for would- be
> broadcasters and those already on the job.
>
> We are gathered already and are ready to make an impact and so we
> will only require the basics to get us operating the information
> centre.
>
> The centre will equally serve as a *press centre* by which both
> corporate and individuals could have press conferences with the
> assurance of being given a global coverage.
>
> Tha centre will seek at its operation for affiliation with some of
> the known broadcast trainning institutions both within nigeria and
> outside patricularly trainning on the global perspective of the
> media practice.
>
> This is an area where you guys could fully get involved by
> trainning on every aspect of the media.
>
> The centre will develop more income generating activities that
> will keep it going particularly the fact that some of us are
> already financially involved with the securing of the temporary
> office to serve this purpose and would not have been dedicated if
> we are not sure of its sustainability.
>
> We would appreciate if you would trust us at least to get it
> started while we assure that we will keep it running and would not
> become an elephant project eventually.
> We will priortise trainning as one of the cadinal objectives of
> the centre.
>
> Waiting to hear from you next.
>
> Thanks
> its me Kola
>
> */Jay <idiot at jaysand.com>/* wrote:
>
> Hi Kola,
>
> Thanks for writing, and for your dedication.
>
> I'm not sure if you're aware of it, though you probably are,
> but several years ago, when there was a Nigeria IMC group that
> functioned a bit, a proposal went around the network for the
> network to help fund some kind of information center or
> computer work in Nigeria. My memory of it is a bit fuzzy, and
> I don't think it ever made it to any kind of "official"
> imc-finance process.
>
> If I remember correctly, it was a pretty expensive proposal,
> but the main question wasn't the expense but sustainability.
> The network may be able to work together to raise money for
> one-time events or purchases, but the main trick would be to
> develop a scheme for making the Nigeria self-sustainable. How
> do you concive an information center keeping itself going
> after any kind of initial burst of funds? Also, since an
> information center is physically located in one place and
> Nigeria is huge, how do you think people from all over the
> country could participate in and benefit from the Nigeria IMC
> if they're not located near the information center?
>
> I'm sure there are a lot of creative ways to approach this, we
> just have to open our minds to all the possibilities.
> Jay
>
> At 2/23/2007, you wrote:
>> Hello Jay,
>>
>> Thanks for your soul lifting mail,its highly encouraging.
>>
>> I should give you the Nigerian picture vis-a-vis the freedom
>> of the individual,free and democractic media and the abuse of
>> power.
>>
>> It is much more a terrible situation,and of course you know
>> well that Nigeria is the most populous black nation in the world.
>>
>> We have over 150 radio and television stations but are not
>> free and only dance the tune of the piper ,government. If
>> indymedia is at all looking for a place to work ,i think it
>> is in Nigeria.
>>
>> Basically as part of our need as a forming imc,we need the
>> freedom to information through the internet.
>>
>> This implies that we need a site where we could always post
>> our reports and articles and again to be connected to all imc
>> members all over the world.
>>
>> While guys were in Nairobi ,as part of my contributions to
>> the discussions going on, i nwrote that in Nigeria we already
>> have an office tagged , *inbformation centre* where members
>> could come in and get information via the net.
>>
>> We need help in this regard to be able to make the place
>> functional,we need computers and other internet connection aids.
>>
>> Jay,you know,i have always being in touch with hannah of the
>> prometheus radio project because we are equally proposing to
>> have a radio station which will promote the ideals of
>> indymedia,just as was recently done in Nairobi.
>>
>> ]I told hannah that even if we would have to pay a subsidised
>> amount to get the transmitter and other inputs,we would not mind.
>>
>> Right now we just need a functional information centre to
>> serve the entire members and since we have got a place for
>> this ,the other neccessities are Pc's and other accessories.
>>
>> So my sugestion is that if truelly there are left overs
>> particularly from the money meant for those of us the african
>> countries that could not attend the convergence,these left
>> overs could be used to at least set up a functional
>> information centres for us to be able to be connected always.
>>
>> Thanks for the little time i've taken out of your time to
>> engage you .
>>
>> Talk to you and others very soon.
>>
>> Kola
>>
>> */Jay <idiot at jaysand.com>/* wrote:
>>
>> Hi Kola,
>>
>> Great to hear from you! I'm confident that people on
>> this list are committed to helping your IMC in Nigeria
>> thrive.
>>
>> Each time there has been an IMC-Africa convergence,
>> despite all the problems we've had with
>> financing/organization and race/class dynamics, more
>> infrastructure has come together inside Africa to support
>> African IMCs and more attention and enthusiastic passion
>> has come from people outside Africa toward helping
>> African IMCs build capacity and do great work.
>>
>> What kind of help/advice/support do you think the Nigeria
>> IMC needs to become the best IMC it can be?
>>
>> Jay
>>
>> At 2/22/2007, you wrote:
>>> Hello Fabian and all,
>>>
>>>
>>> Great to talk to you all again, i responded to one
>>> of Fabians mails recently,uptill now no one has
>>> commented on the issue that was raised.
>>>
>>>
>>> I will just want to know the fate of those of us the
>>> five african countries that could not attend the wsf
>>> and the convergence?
>>>
>>>
>>> Are we to just be left incommunicado? Without any
>>> encouragement to grow in the ideals and objectives
>>> of trhe indymedia,this is rather unfortunate.
>>>
>>>
>>> I will still expect that people respond to issues
>>> raised in my last mail,particularly Fabian and others.
>>>
>>>
>>> Its me kola from Forming imc Nigeria
>>>
>>>
>>> fabian <fab at in-no.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hello everybody,
>>> I put my WSF report online at
>>> http://en.wiki.in-no.org/WSF2007Report
>>> I haven't sent it by email, because it is too
>>> long. I wrote it mainly
>>> as a report for Umverteilen, our main donor for
>>> the project, but I
>>> haven't sent it too them as yet. Please comment
>>> on it if you find the
>>> time.
>>> Cheers
>>> fabian
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> Imc-africa at lists.indymedia.org
>>> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-africa
>>>
>>>
>>>
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