[Imc-communication] UCIMC Video Working Group Statement of Apology

[Jay]

Hi everyone,

Seeing this statement indicates to me that members of UC-IMC are actively 
concerned about the way their IMC is perceived throughout the 
network.  Brian and others have also stated that there has been a ton of 
discussion about this issue in Urbana, that they've had lots of meetings 
and I'm sure lots of e-mails have been exchanged.

I want to reiterate a bit what I said in an e-mail I sent last night, that 
in all this, those of us outside the UC-IMC have to maintain perspective 
about the UC-IMC's accomplishments, balancing that with our concern about 
members of the UC-IMC's present its relationship to the network.

We've all put a lot of pressure on the UC-IMC over the last week.  I'm 
hoping they can find a way to put that pressure in perspective as well and, 
while addressing these issues directly and seroiusly, not rip themselves to 
pieces in a way that will grind any good work they're doing to a halt.

Jay

At 5/23/2005, you wrote:
>This statement was written and consented to at an emergency meeting of
>the Urbana-Champaign Video Working Group last night, Sunday, May 22,
>2005.
>
>We regret that it is written in English only at this moment. We are
>working on translations to other languages.
>
>May 22, 2005
>
>We, the listed members of the UCIMC Video Working Group, consent to
>the following statement of apology regarding the recent statement made
>by Sascha Meinrath at a press conference announcing the purchase of
>the UCIMC's new building:
>"There's [sic] over 150 Independent Media Centers in 50 plus countries
>worldwide. And this IMC here in Urbana-Champaign is the umbrella under
>which the entire global network operates. We are in essence the global
>headquarters for the Indymedia movement, here in Urbana."
>
>We can speak only for ourselves.
>
>We did not write or give prior consent to this statement made by Mr.
>Meinrath (hereafter, referred to as just "the statement"). However we
>accept our collective responsibility for it having been said and
>communicated, and believe it is our responsibility to respond and
>repudiate that statement.
>
>We feel the need to stand up specifically on this issue in solidarity
>with other IMC volunteers nationally and internationally. We have
>worked in solidarity with other IMCs and IMC activists around the
>world in the past.   We intend to work to repair the trust that may
>have been betrayed by this statement so that we may be able to work in
>solidarity once again.  We take seriously the concerns of our fellow
>IMC volunteers and their criticisms of the statements and actions of
>the UCIMC.
>
>We stand by the UCIMC reporter who documented the statement, in that
>the statement was actually said, and his reporting of that quote was
>accurate. We offer no excuses for the statement, regardless of the
>context in which it was made.
>
>We disagree fundamentally with the statement, and do not believe that
>it is true in reality or in effect.
>
>We apologize for this statement made at the press conference.
>
>We do not want to view the UCIMC as the headquarters of the Indymedia
>network, nor do we wish it actually to be the headquarters of the
>network. We do not believe the UCIMC deserves to be headquarters of
>the Indymedia network, and nothing justifies or merits the belief or
>appearance that we are. We do not believe UCIMC can or should be the
>headquarters of the network.
>
>We are very sorry that the statement was made, and that no immediate
>correction to or retraction of the statement was made. We apologize
>for the impression that it has made to the world that the members of
>the UCIMC collective believe ourselves to be the headquarters of the
>Indymedia network. Further, we take responsibility for having allowed
>the statement to be made and not immediately corrected.
>
>We recognize that this statement has caused outrage and sparked
>distrust of UCIMC in the Indymedia network. We are making this
>statement out of respect for this. We wish to thank the IMC volunteers
>from around the world who sent email directly to the UCIMC's email
>list and therefore made it clear to the UCIMC collective, as a whole,
>the impact the statement had, and the damage it has caused.
>
>We are especially concerned about the impression this statement made
>to IMC volunteers working outside of the US.
>
>We recognize that the UCIMC enjoys tremendous privilege as a result of
>the resources and support given by our local community. We also
>recognize that this privilege stems from the immense and
>disproportionate wealth that we have in the US that results from the
>oppressive military and economic policies of our government.  That
>privilege does not equal merit of any kind.  It does not mean that the
>UCIMC has or should have any position in the global IMC network except
>as just another IMC.
>
>We especially regret that the idea that the UCIMC is the headquarters
>of the global Indymedia network evokes US imperialism and hegemony.
>
>We believe that most UCIMC members do not know the details of the
>UCIMC's financial relationship with other organizations and IMCs. We
>are responsible for our own ignorance.
>
>An ad hoc group of UCIMC members is now documenting all aspects of the
>UCIMC's financial relationships, which it is scheduled to have
>finished by June 2, 2005. We expect that this documentation will be
>complete, transparent, and published to the world.
>
>We also believe that most UCIMC members are ignorant about the global
>IMC movement. By and large we do not know how IMCs from around the
>world interact and how decisions of global importance are made.
>
>We, the UCIMC Video Working Group, will work to better inform
>ourselves, and our fellow UCIMC members, about other IMCs and the
>global IMC network. We will join global working groups and encourage
>other UCIMC members to do so.
>
>Finally, we reiterate our apologies to all Indymedia activists,
>contributors and volunteers around the world for our ignorance of
>global issues and our inaction, which led to this statement being made
>and standing uncorrected and unaddressed for more than two weeks.
>Again, we thank IMC volunteers from around the world for contacting
>UCIMC directly to alert us to the impact, effect and damage this
>statement, and the UCIMC's lack of action has caused.
>
>We wish to stand in solidarity with Indymedia activists around the
>world. We regret the damage the has been done to the trust between
>UCIMC and other IMCs,  and we pledge to work to repair that damage
>however we can.
>
>Signed,
>Paul Riismandel, Dave Powers, Dave Berliner, Randall Cotton, Bob
>Illyes, Colleen Cook
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