[IMC-Process] imc palestine

[melpomene]

hi,

On Tue, 2005-02-22 at 07:09, sing and dance wrote:
> well.....i'm not sure what list to post this to....
> but i'm wondering about palestine indymedia

came on process - it is a bit confusing that it comes from an @indymedia
mail - i made a long explanatory response before realising that .. .
writing what I am sure that jenka knows already :-) having spent energy
doing that - here you go:

> i noticed the link to
> palestine.indymedia
> jerusalem.indymedia
> 
> now point back to the global site
> i know some of the saga of palestine indymedia
> and don't know that it is healthy right now to try to revamp it
> 
> but wondering if the site 
> palestine.indymedia
> 
> could point instead to 
> http://www.imemc.org

> where should i go with this? new-imc? or here?

this should, perhaps, go to new-imc....

so herewith a response from the perspective of one volunteer and open to
questions, objections, and corrections by anyone on newimc and
imc-process:

In case you didn't know:

Indymedia is a volunteer network that uses primarily Free/Libre Open
Source Software (www.fsf.org/philosophy/) for its websites as a matter
of principle. Another principle is to have Open Publishing:
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/static/openpub.shtml

Read particularly:
http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/PrinciplesOfUnity
and
http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/ImcWomyn

Find more at:
http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/NewImc
and ask questions online:
http://chat.indymedia.org/?chans=newimc
or:
irc.indymedia.org - ssl/994 - #newimc
http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Sysadmin/IrcHowTo
http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Local/AustriaSecureIrcHowTo
http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Local/EhAktakAsanbladaChatXchatSSL

I am sure that IMEMC does a good job and the site looks really good, but
it does not look like its current setup is compatible with the Indymedia
philosophy, which prioritises its internal architecture of organisation
over its external appearance as a media outlet. Self-organisation,
voluntary input, no commercial ads or links, gender balance etc etc. are
some of the characteristics of indymedia. decisions are also made by
consensus --to the best of everyone's abilities :-)

If you want to better understand the reason for Indymedia's choice to
consider its means so directly relative to its ends -or why Indymedia
does not "believe" that the end (whatever that could be?!) can justify
the means, have a look here:
http://sandiego.indymedia.org/en/2002/07/1814.shtml
or in the words of some of the learned people, who learn more by
observing social movements:
http://130.209.26.101/Online_Papers/proutledge001.pdf
http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/index/VGRQKLQVPJA72GKY.pdf

> the international middle east media center, an effort by a group of 40
> palestinian journalists (non-profit) to keep up daily, consistent
> reports from palestine.

There is a clear conflict of interest between IMEMC and Indymedia, which
can be identified here:
http://www.imemc.org/mission_statement.html

where it reads:

"In cooperation with FOJO, IMEMC is training and developing local
journalists in international news standards and employing them with the
organization following training, such that they can more freely publish
and syndicate their work to a global audience."

....Q: Does IMEMC employ people? - if so, how does IMEMC generate an
income to pay wages?

and on http://www.world-newspapers.com/palestine.html it reads: 

"International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC)
Liberal online news source dedicated to the coverage of the Israel /
Palestine conflict."

......Indymedia is not exactly Liberal and does not affiliate with
political parties, see for example:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/static/mission.html:

...""The Indymedia UK website provides an interactive platform for
reports from the struggles for a world based on freedom, cooperation,
justice and solidarity, and against environmental degradation,
neoliberal exploitation, racism and patriarchy. The reports cover a wide
range of issues and social movements - from neighbourhood campaigns to
grassroots mobilisations, from critical analysis to direct action.

Inherent in the mainstream corporate media is a strong bias towards
Capitalism's power structures, and it is an important tool in
propagating these structures around the globe. While the mainstream
media conceal their manifold biases and alignments, we clearly state our
position. Indymedia UK does not attempt to take an objective and
impartial standpoint: Indymedia UK clearly states its subjectivity.""...

> i've been working with them for three months now in palestine, they've
> been working on this site for the last two years.

It may be entirely possible that IMEMC and Indymedia share certain
levels of ethos in terms of what ought to be "reported on" - and it
could be that some relations could be built on in various ways - who
knows?!? 

in solidarity,
ciao,
mp

> 

> 



> 
> thanks
> love
> jenka
> 
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