[Imc-beltway] Next Meeting

[Brie Phillips]

Hey everyone - don't have a ton of time right now to comment on  
specifics of the policy, but I wanted to let y'all know that I could  
make a meeting at 3 or later, but not before.  There's a Mcdonald's  
protest in Adams Morgan that starts at 1pm on Saturday.  Hope  
everyone is well!

peace and solidarity,
brie


On Feb 21, 2007, at 12:16 AM, Daniel P wrote:

> nicole nicole wrote:
>
>> Also, below is a draft announcement oscar and i worked on.  What  
>> do you
>> all think?
>>
>
> Overall, I think it's great.  Thanks for working on it!
>
> I think it's important to get it out ASAP (3 days notice is hardly  
> lots
> of notice) so if there's any disagreement with me on these changes,  
> I'd
> rather it be sent out unmodified than delayed until consensus.  I'd
> suggest a couple changes:
>
>
>> /The Beltway Area IMC seeks to further the movement for independent
>> media within and around the Beltway region through the regular  
>> sharing
>> of media skills, open and participatory meetings, an open and  
>> anonymous
>> publishing newswire (website), and coverage of community events.  
>> We aim
>> not only to make silenced stories heard in our communities, but also
>> will strive to strengthen movements for social justice via
>> participatory, grassroots media. Beltway Area IMC is open to everyone
>> regardless of skill level, access to technology or experience with  
>> the
>> media. We welcome everyone who wants to learn, teach, and share. /The
>> collective is open to everyone except bigots and members of law
>> enforcement.//
>>
>
> 1.  I strongly feel that "The collective is open to everyone except
> bigots and members of law enforcement" is wording that, while true,
> seeks to only suggest to most that law enforcement or bigots are  
> likely
> to show up.  To bigots and law enforcement, it's a taunt and I'd bet
> it's more likely to keep them away than to attract them.
>
> I'd much rather leave the sentence off entirely.  I feel somewhat
> strongly about this - with regards to bigots, I think this is only  
> going
> to get people asking "and who gets to decide who is a bigot" and with
> regard to the latter, it's a bizarre inclusion that promotes paranoia
> (law enforcement could care less what we're doing), suggests to law
> enforcement that they should show up, suggests to others that cops  
> will
> be there...
>
> I'm not going to sit through a meeting with a CIA agent, but I don't
> think we need to say "no CIA agents."  We might as well put in some
> language about the collective not being open to the DC indymedia watch
> folks and the JDL and host the meeting at Al-Fishawy.  (Sorry, that  
> was
> harsh).  It just seems like we are including such a negative  
> thought in
> the otherwise positive announcement - it's a terrible note to end on.
>
> 2.  I'd replace "We aim not only to make silenced stories heard in our
> communities, but also will strive to strengthen movements for social
> justice via participatory, grassroots media" with something like  
> "We aim
> to not only cover news from the grassroots -  news overlooked by the
> corporate media - but to be a resource to help people "be the  
> media" by
> covering the news stories from their own lives."  My reasons are  
> roughly:
>
>     - I think it's a bit patronizing.  First, we're not yet in a
> position to strengthen anyone, and secondly, I think the concrete goal
> of an IMC should be to create a space for and
> create/develop/share/train/promote the usage of tools to create
> independent media.  I believe, firmly, that this will help let
> "movements for social justice" strengthen themselves - but I'd rather
> state the immediate goal and keep my belief about the interplay  
> between
> movements I care about and indymedia to myself.  People are smart  
> enough
> to connect the dots on their own.
>
>     - I think indymedia needs to be an open space for all independent
> journalism, not just that journalism which is seen as related to  
> "social
> justice movements."  Often, people find things as newsworthy even if
> there is no movement (yet?) around the issue, or perhaps they're  
> unaware
> of it.  The term "social justice movement" may seem well defined to  
> us,
> but it's not universally accepted.  And frankly, if people were so
> inclined to write news pieces about the weather or anything else that
> wasn't against our principles of unity, more power to them - I'd  
> rather
> folks produce and get it from indymedia than from some corporation.
>
>     - I know that I still haven't done this point justice, but  
> something
> irks me about it as it is.  Maybe some sleep will help...
>
> Daniel
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> Imc-beltway at lists.indymedia.org
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>
>

------------------------------------------
Brie Phillips
Jobs With Justice
www.livingwageaction.org
www.jwj.org
239-986-2306
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