[Imc-dnc-discuss] "and maybe a brief description of the BSF?"
Matthew Williams
mw21 at mindspring.com
Sat Jul 17 15:19:04 PDT 2004
Before you go off like that, you might want to take into account the
fact that a core member of the Boston IMC (me) wrote the article. I'm
aware of the criticisms of the World Social Forum process. I'm also open
to criticisms of the article itself. I would, however, appreciate if
they were brought up in a more respectful manner, instead of dismissing
it as a "puff-piece". And it's not "self-promoting" since I have no
connection to the BSF. That kind of nastiness will not get us (the left,
however you choose to define it ) very far and it seems to be pervasive
on IMC sites. Granted I've fallen into that trap occasionally too (none
of us are perfect and it's easy to do in a forum that's not
face-to-face), but I've always regretted it.
Below is the response I posted on-line to your comments. If you'd like
to engage in further dialogue about this, I'm willing to (although I
don't have tons of free time for it), although it probably shouldn't be
done on this list, since that's not the purpose of it. Actually, the
comments section of the article is the obvious place.
-- Matt
my on-line response:
Why is that so many people on the left, when they read a position they
disagree with, simply dismiss it either as rubbish (or in this case a
"puff-piece") or a sell-out? That attitude seems less than constructive
to me. This hardly seems like a puff-piece to me (granted, I'm biased,
since I wrote it), just saying how wonderful the BSF is going to be. I
spend quite a bit of time talking about the organizing strategy and
philosophy behind it, which--whether one agrees with it or not--should
be of interest to other activists and organizers. Intelligent people of
conscience can have principled differences over matters of vision,
strategy, and tactics. We could all benefit from a constructive dialogue
around these issues. Engaging in such a dialogue seems more in the
spirit of the participatory democracy we're all striving for--with its
respect for diverse opinions--than simply dismissing a position one
disagrees with.
I'm well aware of the criticisms made of the World Social Forum--that
it's dominated by reformists and that radicals have often been
marginalized within it. Those are serious problems, but I don't think
they make WSF worthless. I think the response many radicals have taken,
of organizing their own forums in conjunction with the WSF, makes a
great deal of sense--we can still support the positive aspects of the
WSF while offering a concrete, constructive critique of its negative
aspects.
I didn't feel like these issues applied to the BSF though. It was clear
from my interviews that at least some of the core organizers are
anti-authoritarians. No, they're not about to mask up and join a Black
Bloc any time soon. I'm gessing that--like many anti-authoritarians and
other radicals--they are more of the mind that they can better spread
radical ideas and practices by working with community groups with a
broad grassroots base, building trust, and gaining an audience that way.
I certainly lean towards that approach myself, thus my sympathetic
coverage. There is an honest debate here to be had about the best way to
promote radical ideas, but simply dismissing others' ideas isn't going
to get us very far.
On Saturday, July 17, 2004, at 02:59 PM, Andy Pyle wrote:
> It would need to be a lot more critical than the outrageously
> self-promoting puff piece on
> the Boston IMC site. There has been tons of criticism of the Social
> Forum concept from
> all over the globe and none of it shows up in that article. That
> article reads
> like the "stories" local newspapers print which are just verbatim press
> releases from
> corporations. Whatever happened to radical independent journalism?
>
> We need to get rid of the liberal concept that all "activists" are on
> some kind of
> "spectrum" on to "radical". Republicans have "activists" and so did
> the Nazis. There is
> a dividing line between those who support and want to improve
> imperialism and those who
> are against it. The Social Forums are a counter-insurgency project by
> the NGO-stripe
> liberals.
>
> REFERENCE:
>
>
> Subject:
>
> [Imc-dnc-discuss] Re: Imc-dnc-discuss Digest, Vol 6, Issue 12
> Date:
> Fri, 16 Jul 2004 15:10:49 -0400
> From:
> TDForsyth <TDForsyth at alfredalum.com>
> To:
> imc-dnc-discuss at lists.indymedia.org
>
>
>
>
> and maybe a brief description of the BSF?
>
> -----Original message-----
> From: imc-dnc-discuss-request at lists.indymedia.org
> Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 15:00:53 -0400
> To: imc-dnc-discuss at lists.indymedia.org
> Subject: Imc-dnc-discuss Digest, Vol 6, Issue 12
>
>> Send Imc-dnc-discuss mailing list submissions to
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>>
>> Today's Topics:
>>
>> 1. Re: DNC Press Applications (Matthew Williams)
>> 2. draft funding request (joe)
>> 3. Re: draft funding request (Svea Eppler)
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 20:00:33 -0400
>> From: Matthew Williams <mw21 at mindspring.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Imc-dnc-discuss] DNC Press Applications
>> To: IMC DNC list <imc-dnc-discuss at lists.indymedia.org>
>> Message-ID: <28ABF112-D6BB-11D8-96AD-0003931BEDA2 at mindspring.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>>
>> Sounds fine to me. -- Matt
>>
>> On Wednesday, July 14, 2004, at 10:35 PM, Svea Eppler wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hey folks.
>>>
>>> As you all know, I've been working on the Press Passes and the
>>> Application thingy. I want to propose to make a change to the
>>> application to make it easier and less time-consuming for everyone
>>> involved. I'm putting one change in place and will wait til I get a
>>> couple of affirmatives before I change the other.
>>>
>>> #1 On the application, I've added 2 lines that ask for: "IMC plans
>>> during DNC" and "IMC Tech needs/haves".
>>>
>>> My hopes are that this will save a bunch of back-and-forth that
>>> have already hapened during this process. It'll enable us to
>>> immediately direct them towards the Project that IMCsters are most
>>> interested in, as well as letting us know what equipment they are
>>> bringing to the Projects and what needs we are going to have on our
>>> resources.
>>>
>>> #2 I propose that we also change the "DNC Working Groups" infodoc
>>> so that it leads IMCsters directly to the Press Pass application
>>> instead of directing them to inquire from the IMC-Boston-Office
>>> e-mail.
>>> I'm losing a bunch of time out of the day redirecting people to the
>>> press pass applications, and while I think that the personalized
>>> response to each e-mail is pleasant, it's not exactly effecient. Since
>>> I drafted the document, I'm pretty sure that I can change the wording
>>> while still keeping the same tone and open-ness... But I wanted to ask
>>> the group if you feel like this is a reasonable step to make. I'd
>>> change what we have from:
>>>
>>> "Check in with the Boston IMC Office to reserve a DNC-IMC press pass:
>>> imc-boston-office(no-spam)indymedia.org "
>>>
>>> to
>>>
>>> "If you are an IMCster planning to work with Boston IndyMedia, please
>>> fill out an IMC Press Pass Application to let us know that you're
>>> coming! Our check-in form is located here: (web addy)"
>>>
>>> Whatcha think?
>>>
>>> Svea.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>>
>>> Do you Yahoo!?
>>> New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB
>>> messages!_______________________________________________
>>> Imc-dnc-discuss mailing list
>>> Imc-dnc-discuss at lists.indymedia.org
>>> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-dnc-discuss
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>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 20:30:14 -0700
>> From: "joe" <joe at sl4g.com>
>> Subject: [Imc-dnc-discuss] draft funding request
>> To: imc-dnc-discuss at lists.indymedia.org
>> Message-ID: <1089948614.15320.200470337 at webmail.messagingengine.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-2"
>>
>> Here's what I'm thinking about posting to a variety of progressive web
>> forums and blogs, as discussed by Pete at our meeting on Sunday. This
>> is
>> simply a distillation of the grants Pete has already written, so credit
>> goes to him for putting the material together, and blame to me for
>> butchering it down to a length more appropriate for casual web readers.
>> The sooner this gets out the better, obviously, so please make
>> suggestions to improve it, but keep them short!
>>
>> cheers,
>> Joe
>> -------------- next part --------------
>> The Boston Independent Media Center is seeking financial help in order
>> to provide alternative coverage of the upcoming Boston Social Forum and
>> Democratic National Convention.
>>
>> Our main project is the production of an 8-12 page newspaper with the
>> working
>> title 'Boston Independent.' We are planning a print run of 25,000 to
>> 50,000 color copies, but will only be able to achieve this with
>> additional
>> financial support. Funds raised will also go towards the printing of
>> informational brochures that describe how to use our website,
>> participate in
>> our working groups, and do your own reporting. The paper and brochures
>> will be
>> distributed widely to Boston residents before and during the events,
>> through
>> partnerships with local community groups.
>>
>> These publications will seek to give wide voice to the people and
>> perspectives
>> who are ignored by our corporate news services. They will also help
>> raise
>> funds for future issues of the newspaper, and their production and
>> distribution will further our continuing campaign to involve a wider
>> diversity
>> of local groups in our media projects, with a focus on communities of
>> color.
>>
>> Boston's Independent Media Center began during the Biodevastation
>> conference
>> in February of 2000. Since then it has provided news, opinion and a
>> place
>> for ongoing dialog among Boston's activists. It has expanded from a
>> simple
>> website to include radio programming, a cable television show, and the
>> occasional newspaper project (the most recent being 'Dirt' with an
>> issue
>> published last summer.)
>>
>> We incorporate key institutional differences into our structure,
>> including a
>> consensus-based decision making process, an open invitation to
>> potential
>> members, and an open publishing policy on our website (anyone can
>> publish!).
>> We believe that this gives us the potential to become an increasingly
>> important hub connecting a wide spectrum of activists and
>> organizations.
>>
>> Donations can be made through Pay-pal from the 'Make a Donation' link
>> at
>> http://boston.indymedia.org. Checks can be sent to XXX. Please make
>> them
>> payable to 'Urbana-Champaign IMC', our fiscal sponsor, with 'for
>> Boston IMC'
>> in the memo field.
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 3
>> Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 20:37:46 -0700 (PDT)
>> From: Svea Eppler <sveasca at yahoo.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Imc-dnc-discuss] draft funding request
>> To: imc-dnc-discuss at lists.indymedia.org
>> Message-ID: <20040716033746.6152.qmail at web11501.mail.yahoo.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>>
>> I definitely think that there's enough room to fit in
>> descriptions of the Radio and
> Video Projects, too. Especially
> important is mentioning the long-term documentary Rideo project and the
> local broadcast
> and internet streaming Radio
> projects. These are sources of media that will become available to the
> public in a format
> that can be distributed across the
> US and the world - it's non-corporate media at it's finest!
>>
>> Svea.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> joe <joe at sl4g.com> wrote:
>> Here's what I'm thinking about posting to a variety of progressive web
>> forums and blogs, as discussed by Pete at our meeting on Sunday. This
>> is
>> simply a distillation of the grants Pete has already written, so credit
>> goes to him for putting the material together, and blame to me for
>> butchering it down to a length more appropriate for casual web readers.
>> The sooner this gets out the better, obviously, so please make
>> suggestions to improve it, but keep them short!
>>
>> cheers,
>> Joe
>> The Boston Independent Media Center is seeking financial help in order
>> to provide alternative coverage of the upcoming Boston Social Forum and
>> Democratic National Convention.
>>
>> Our main project is the production of an 8-12 page newspaper with the
>> working
>> title 'Boston Independent.' We are planning a print run of 25,000 to
>> 50,000 color copies, but will only be able to achieve this with
>> additional
>> financial support. Funds raised will also go towards the printing of
>> informational brochures that describe how to use our website,
>> participate in
>> our working groups, and do your own reporting. The paper and brochures
>> will be
>> distributed widely to Boston residents before and during the events,
>> through
>> partnerships with local community groups.
>>
>> These publications will seek to give wide voice to the people and
>> perspectives
>> who are ignored by our corporate news services. They will also help
>> raise
>> funds for future issues of the newspaper, and their production and
>> distribution will further our continuing campaign to involve a wider
>> diversity
>> of local groups in our media projects, with a focus on communities of
>> color.
>>
>> Boston's Independent Media Center began during the Biodevastation
>> conference
>> in February of 2000. Since then it has provided news, opinion and a
>> place
>> for ongoing dialog among Boston's activists. It has expanded from a
>> simple
>> website to include radio programming, a cable television show, and the
>> occasional newspaper project (the most recent being 'Dirt' with an
>> issue
>> published last summer.)
>>
>> We incorporate key institutional differences into our structure,
>> including a
>> consensus-based decision making process, an open invitation to
>> potential
>> members, and an open publishing policy on our website (anyone can
>> publish!).
>> We believe that this gives us the potential to become an increasingly
>> important hub connecting a wide spectrum of activists and
>> organizations.
>>
>> Donations can be made through Pay-pal from the 'Make a Donation' link
>> at
>> http://boston.indymedia.org. Checks can be sent to XXX. Please make
>> them
>> payable to 'Urbana-Champaign IMC', our fiscal sponsor, with 'for
>> Boston IMC'
>> in the memo field.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Imc-dnc-discuss mailing list
>> Imc-dnc-discuss at lists.indymedia.org
>> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-dnc-discuss
>>
>>
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