[Imc-g8-2005-announce] Update: G8 Media Convergence, London, M14/15

Fri Apr 29 13:08:39 PDT 2005

G8 Media Convergence, London, M14/15

On 14-15 May, in preparation for the 2005 Group of 8 (G8) industrial 
nations summit, Indymedia UK together with the Institute For Autonomy 
will host an independent and alternative media convergence in London. 
The convergence will provide a space for media activists and 
independent journalists to meet each other and plan coverage of the 
summit and the demonstrations which will accompany it.

=====================================
From 1-9 July 2005, the leaders of the Group of 8 (G8) industrialized 
nations (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United 
Kingdom, and the United States), will hold a summit meeting in a 
remote location in Scotland to make decisions about major political 
and economic issues.  The decisions of these eight men and their 
corporate advisors will literally decide the fates of nations. The 
corporate media will explain to us that these men stand for peace, 
democracy, and human rights.

At the same time, the multitudes of the global movements will 
converge in Scottish towns and hills to build networks of resistance 
for humanity and against neoliberalism. They will confront the world 
leaders with positive concepts on political and economic issues. They 
will be connected through encounters in real space and the internet, 
reports from the streets will evoke once more the vision that 
"another world is possible".
You are invited! A registration form for the media convergence is 
here. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/03/307237.html

A video invitation is available from http://video.indymedia.org. 
http://video.indymedia.org/en/2005/04/51.shtml

Update 16 April 2005
=====================================
Although this event has been initiated by Indymedia UK, we are hoping 
that it will end up being a place where many different people can 
meet and begin to work together.  We invite participation from all 
groups and individuals who consider themselves part of the 
independent, non-partisan, non-corporate media.

A special invite goes out to people who want to participate in 
independent media but have not yet known how to do so - we don't have 
the resources to train anyone, but we do believe that most people can 
"be the media", and if you can work cooperatively with other people 
we are confident that you will find a way to contribute.  We need 
your help if the summit coverage is to be successful.

We firmly believe that the independent media coverage for this event 
needs to be self-organized.  Indymedia UK does not have the resources 
or desire to have any sort of corporate-style management structures, 
assigment of tasks, etc. So, if you think something needs to be done, 
you need to get involved to make it happen.  If you don't know where 
to start, just ask someone for help on the email list 
<imc-g8-2005 at lists.indymedia.org>

If you want to help organize the convergence or the summit coverage, 
the easiest way to get involved is to join the imc-g8-2005 email list 
<http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-g8-2005>. If you're 
interested in participating but can't make the convergence event then 
we want to hear from you - get in touch.

There is also a more private non-publicaly archived email contact:
imc-g8-2005-contact atnospam lists.indymedia.org

As well as a newly set up low traffic one way information announce 
list 
<http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-g8-2005-announce>, 
where you can be kept up to date with the most important developments.

Reclaim Our Media G8 2005 Scotland
=====================================
Here are a few of the areas that people are working on - all need 
participation if they are to fulfill their potential - get in touch 
if you want to participate:

Independent Media Centres
There will be a main IMC located in Central Edinburgh to facilitate 
reporting and support media activists. Open several days before the 
G8 protests there will be time allocated for training and 
co-ordination meetings. Indymedia is committed to trying to make the 
IMC a welcoming place where peope with little experience of media 
activism can plug in, join street media teams, and get started in the 
empowering process of making our own media. People are needed to help 
run the centre and to provide training, kit needs to be sourced, set 
up, and run over a full week of protests. Space should also be 
available for video and audio projects.

Various groups are also collaborating to set up a smaller Independent 
Media Centre in Glasgow. There are also plans for other media access 
points closer to Gleneagles where the G8 Summit will be held, but 
help is needed - come to the convergence or contact the imc-g8-2005 
list.

Film plans and Video Team coordination
Film makers and groups are already working on G8 2005 Films such as 
the Camcorder Guerillas 
<http://www.camcorderguerillas.net/g8_home.htm > and SchNEWS 
<http://www.schnews.org.uk/schmovies/index.htm>, doing 
pre-interviews, following the preparations, and working out how to 
share content. During the G8 there is a need for teams of video 
volunteers with cameras to cover the various events and protests - 
are you planning on bringing a video camera to the G8? There will be 
some co-ordination of coverage, training for getting footage online 
quickly, film screenings and more. Interested? Can you help? Come to 
the convergence or contact the imc-uk-video list or the imc-g8-2005 
list.

Photo Team + Picture Desk
In the same way that video teams can be co-ordinated, some 
co-ordination of photo teams is also planned. While today almost 
everyone seems to have a camera, most often those pictures don't see 
the light of day and remain unpublished. The photo teams can 
co-ordinate coverage to ensure that pictures get online quickly and 
are archived in a meaningful way. That also means having facilities 
specially set up to deal with photos at the Media centres and at 
forward media access points as close as possible to where events are 
occuring. Anyone with a camera can participate, but people with more 
experience are also needed. People with cameras often also need some 
legal and paractical advice for shooting on the streets - Indymedia 
aims to distribute a short set of advice guidelines and run a 
training session before the protests. Interested? Contact the 
imc-g8-2005 list.

Audio Teams + Radio - broadcast and internet streaming
Volunteer audio reporters are needed to provide audio coverage of the 
protests, actions and counter conferences - Recording, interviewing, 
editing and uploading audio reports. Several groups are also 
interested in producing streaming radio coverage as well as producing 
audio programmes for broadcast on communty stations around the world. 
Can you help? Come to the convergence or contact the imc-g8-2005 list.

Mobile Media Centres
Because of the distances between Glasgow, Edinburgh and Gleneagles 
(where the Summit will be held), it's clear that having Mobile Media 
Centres would be of significant benefit. There is already a Satellite 
truck earmarked for this purpose but more vehicels are needed. Do you 
have a vehicle such as a suitable van that could be donated? or are 
you already planning on bringing some sort of media vehicle? Are you 
interested in participating to create a mobile internet cafe? Come to 
the convergence or contact the imc-g8-2005 list.

Tech
There's an urgent need for wide variety of tech kit to enable the 
multiple media centres and mobile vehicles. Do You have access to 
batches of similar spec computers or contacts that could be useful in 
sourcing tech kit? Do you have access to anything else that could be 
useful? Can you donate kit or money? Please let us know. Contact the 
imcuk-tech list at imc-uk-tech atnospam lists.indymedia.org or the 
imc-g8-2005 list.

Legal
Beyond the obvious need to provide legal briefings for volunteer 
reporters, it's clear that over the last few years Indymedia has 
itself been a target for repression by the police and authorities. 
Indymedia in the Uk has strong backing from a wide range of groups 
and networks, from civil liberties groups and privacy campaigners to 
journalist groups - while an attack on Indymedia is therefore not 
anticiapted, there exist serious issues of wider repression at events 
such as G8 Summits. Often public order policing becomes 
indistinguishable from military style operations, and when mixed with 
sensationalist mainstream media coverage can create a climate of fear 
that has in the past been used for justifying serious repression. 
Indymedia, alternative media and citizen reporters therefore have an 
important role to play in monitoring and recording any abuses, beyond 
simply reporting the truth - Join us as we prepare to cover the G8 
Summit in Scotland.

Reclaim our media!
=====================================

...a Zapatista Vision
"We will make a network of communication among all our struggles and 
resistances. An intercontinental network of alternative 
communications against neoliberalismŠ(and) for humanity.
This intercontinental network of alternative communication will 
search to weave the channels so that words may travel all the roads 
that resistŠ(it) will be the medium by which distinct resistances 
communicate with one another. This intercontinental network of 
alternative communication is not an organizing structure, nor has a 
central head or decision maker, nor does it have a central command or 
hierarchies. We are the network, all of us who speak and listen.
[Second Declaration of La Realidad for Humanity Against Neoliberalism, 1997]

imc-uk, 16.04.2005
Kollektives
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