[Imc-communication] UC-IMC the headquarters of indymedia?

[ionnek]

Hello,

Although it looks as if urbana champaign are doing a great job locally, 
they seem to have a problem in defining their relationship to the wider 
indymedia network:

"There is over 150 IMCs in 50+ countries worldwide, and this IMC here in 
Urbana Champain is the umbrella under which the entire global network 
operates. We are in essence, the global headquarters for the indymedia 
movement, here in urbana"
(radio show)

The Urbana-Champaign IMC is fairly unique in the Indymedia Network --
being the only 501(c)(3) IMC and operating as the de-facto "global
headquarters" for Indymedia.
Sashas blog: http://www.saschameinrath.com/node/149


<start rant>

So urbana champaign thinks it is the umbrella for the worldwide network 
of indymedia centers, and that their new postoffice building is the 
physical center of this network? Great. Or is it just megalomania?

One of the differences between indymedia and CNN or other big media 
conglomerates is that we _don't_ have a headquarters - to the contrary, 
we use the capacity of the web for decentralisation. The only basis for 
Sashas claim is that uc imc act as a fiscal sponsor for donations in the 
US, i.e. UC imc admins the global finances, which is great. But if that 
makes UC imc the headquarters of the global indymedia movement, we are 
like McDonalds or any other corporation - headquarters is where the 
finances are. Great. I'd be surprised if it is only one individual in UC 
imc who takes this stance.

This is crazy. The person who has been posting as Sasha Meinrath on imc 
lists seems to be in full posession of his intellectual capacities - how 
can he get it so completely wrong, at an important press conference of 
all places? Can this really be a slip of tongue? I don't think so.

To blame the mistake on some unexperienced radio volunteer is bad style 
at best. The volunteer actually picked up the correct meaning of what 
was said. To send an inconsistent correction to this list doesn't make 
it any better, to the contrary, it proves that either Sasha or the 
entire urbana ch. imc must be, consciously or subconsciously, convinced 
that they really are the center of the network.  Or is he not aware that 
there is a whole world out there which is not Urbana Champain, or even 
the United States?

To be honest, I don't care if urbana ch. imc says they respect the 
autonomy of local imcs. I really don't need some imc in the US to know 
wether my local imc is autonomous or not. In case that's kind of an 
etiquette thing in Urbana Champaign, I assure the urbana ch. crew that I 
consider them autonomous, too.
 
I don't need more of these "oh we are so terribly sorry, mistake, 
misunderstanding" emails - it was not a misunderstanding or mistake. The 
statement is perfectly clear, and it was, for once, a honest and utterly 
to-the-point representation of what sasha meinrath and probably more 
people in the ubana ch collective think they are. The fact that they 
like to refer to themselves as "the imc" is additional evidence for 
that. I really want to know what makes urbana ch. think they are central 
to the global imc network.

I can't check from here in Europe what's going on in Urbana Champaign, 
don't even know if Sasha Meinrath exists or is just a collective email 
name that some jerk used to give a radio interview. But at least the 
people who just bought that beautiful postoffice (or was that fake as 
well?) should have the decency to tell the network of which they seem to 
think they are headquarters what makes them think they are.

Maybe we should have this debate on one of their mailing lists rather 
than spam our own. I mean, if they are our headquarters, they can 
provide at least some server space, isn't it.

<end rant>

best
ionnek
not-a-liaison