[imc-baghdad] media proposal

[davey garland]

 this was the original proposal from Ramzi and crew
if folk can use this to get out to any potential
funders and supporters.
cheers
davey

 Al-Muajaha Iraq Newspaper Development Project, a
> > Proposal
> >
> > SUMMARY:
> > To provide training and resources to a group of
> young,
> > Iraqi journalists - unconnected with either the
> > previous Ba'athist regime, or with the successor
> > American government - in order to help them begin
> an
> > independent newspaper in Baghdad, called
> “Al-Muajaha,
> > the Iraqi Witness.” [Al-Muajaha can be translated
> > alternatively as, “The Facing,” “Face to Face,”
> and
> > "Confrontation"].
> >
> > Depending to some extent on funding, Al-Muajaha
> will
> > be published weekly in a single issue with both
> Arabic
> > and English sections, as well as being available
> on
> > the web, again in both Arabic and English.
> >
> > This project also hopes to become a nexus for a
> > possible, future indymedia center (imc) in
> Baghdad, as
> > the physical and human infrastructure necessary
> for an
> > imc develops in Iraq. We fully endorse the guiding
> > principles and philosophy of the indymedia
> movement.
> >
> >
> > MISSION STATEMENT:
> > Al-Muajaha is an independent Iraqi newspaper,
> > representing all levels of Iraqi society. We aim
> to
> > help the world understand Iraq, and to help Iraq
> > understand the world.
> >
> > For decades, almost all governments in the world,
> > including our own, abused and terribly ignored the
> > basic humanity of the Iraqi people. Al-Muajaha
> aims to
> > provide an open forum for all Iraqis to freely
> debate
> > current issues, and in so doing educate themselves
> and
> > the world. We aim to support the legitimate
> desires of
> > the Iraqi people by providing a voice for them
> that
> > can reach the world, and we hope to promote
> > understanding of the fundamental equality of all
> > peoples and nations under both human and Divine
> law.
> >
> >
> > NEWSPAPER SECTIONS:
> > - News & Features (news & human interest stories),
> 2-4
> > pages.
> > - Arts & Culture (to include 2 poems by local
> poets),
> > 1 page.
> > - Religion (inclusive of all faiths & sects in
> Iraq),
> > 1 page.
> > - Life Under Saddam (open submissions policy), 1/2
> > page.
> > - Life Under Sanctions (open submissions policy),
> 1/2
> > page.
> > - Community Announcements (open submissions
> policy),
> > 1/2 page.
> > - Opinion/Editorial (open submissions, as well as
> > solicited essays), 2 pages.
> >
> >
> > EQUIPMENT NEEDS
> > - 5 computers w/Arabic language support &
> keyboards
> > - 2 printers
> > - a Xerox machine
> > - a fax machine (once phone lines are back up)
> > - 2 phone lines
> > - a dedicated internet line (satellite modems to
> serve
> > until phones are up)
> > - 2 digital cameras
> > - 2 video cameras (for web reports)
> > - 2 file cabinets
> > - 5 desks/chairs
> > - a sofa & lounge chairs
> > - an air conditioner
> > - a fridge
> > - a generator (even when power comes up, it's
> likely
> > not going to be available at all times)
> >
> > Satellite modems are $1300 each, plus $13/megabyte
> > (downloaded or uploaded), the other items comes to
> > $12K, by our estimate (purchasing it locally)
> >
> >
> > ADDITIONAL COSTS:
> > - Salaries: $50/month for 12 full-time staff, or
> > $7,200/year
> > - Rent: estimated $7-12K/year
> > - Transportation: est. $5K/year
> > - Food: est. $1K/year
> > - Office supplies: est. $1K/year
> > - Utilities: est. $1K/year
> > - Printing Costs: 18 cents - 30 cents per issue,
> > depending on the size of the run, and the local
> > economy (prices are in extreme fluctuation right
> now).
> > For a weekly run of 5,000 papers, at 24 cents a
> paper,
> > this comes to $1,200 per week, or $62,400 a year
> [We
> > are in the process of locating a more affordable
> > printer, but this is the cost for printing at this
> > time].
> >
> >
> > TOTAL COSTS FOR FIRST YEAR:
> > Estimated $99,100.
> >
> >
> > DECISION MAKING STRUCTURE:
> > Al-Muajaha will use a partial-consensus model for
> > reaching all decisions. After group discussion of
> > pending decisions, proposals will only move
> forward if
> > there is full consensus on them, or if no one
> decides
> > to block a decision.
> >
> > All Iraqis are welcome to participate in all
> aspects
> > of this project. Pro-active efforts are being made
> to
> > assure equal representation of all levels of Iraqi
> > society, as well as equal representation based on
> > gender.
> >
> > Limiting factors for participation include a lack
> of
> > money available for salaries, and problems in
> > communication and transportation stemming from the
> > war.
> >
> >
> > SPONSORING ORGANIZATION [this section written by
> > VitW]:
> > Voices in the Wilderness (VitW) is/was a
> grassroots
> > campaign, based in both Chicago and London, to end
> > sanctions against Iraq and stop the war. For
> almost 8
> > years, VitW brought delegations of Westerners to
> Iraq
> > in order to see first hand the effects of
> sanctions
> > and bombings on the Iraqi people. In our home
> > countries, VitW pressured policymakers through
> > advocacy and agitation in support of the Iraqi
> people.
> >  While many of the members of VitW come from the
> > Christian Left, VitW itself is a secular
> organization,
> > and VitW’s lead organizer of this project in Iraq
> is a
> > Muslim.
> >
> > Though VitW is helping to provide advice, training
> and
> > resources to this project, all decisions in the
> > project are being made by Iraqis. All research and
> all
> > writing is being done by Iraqis (although VitW is
> > sometimes providing advice in English-language
> > phrasing). Furthermore, if indymedia, or another
> > organization with a shared philosophy of openness
> and
> > consensus, would like to take over as the outside,
> > sponsoring organization of this project, VitW
> would be
> > happy to step aside as the lead, outside
> organizer. In
> > any case, this project is and must remain solely
> in
> > the hands of those Iraqis who wish to make it a
> > reality.
> >
> > More information on Voices in the Wilderness is
> > available at: http://www.vitw.org
> >
> >
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > The founding members of Al-Muajaha:
> > Faris Q. Attia
> > Mohammad D. Al-Jomaili
> > Khalid Jarrar
> > Majid A. Jarrar
> > Waleed M. Al-Merza
> > Hamsa H. Mohammad
> > Hekmat Mohammad
> > Hosni Mohammad
> > Haider H. Al-Numany
> > Marwan Al-Samara’i
> > Salaam Al-Ubaisi
> >
> >  [for Voices in the Wilderness: Ramzi Kysia]
> >
> >


__________________________________________________
Yahoo! Plus
For a better Internet experience
http://www.yahoo.co.uk/btoffer