[Imc-uk-network] Philly-IMC outreach: World Social Forum and Synergies

[pfunke at sas.upenn.edu]

Dear UK-IMC and local IMCs,

I am Peter Funke and I am with PhillyIMC in Philadelphia, USA
(http://www.phillyimc.org/en/index.shtml).

I am contacting you with regard to two initiatives. First, within the broad
framework of the Philly IMC, we are organizing a panel at the polycentric World
Social Forum in Caracas, Venezuela, in late January 2006. The panel is
conceptualized broadly under the title “Strategizing the World Social Forum
Process: creating networks, building alliances, and utilizing independent media
centers’ passionate and accurate telling of truth”.

The broad aim of the activity is to “present and discuss with the participants
potential future strategies on how to utilize the World Social Forum process to
further its aim of creating another world. Among other issues, we aim to discuss
the role of the media in this process, the potentials of building networks and
alliances across issue areas and boundaries and to scrutinize the restrictions
that the WSF places on the participation (non-violent and on non-party
organizations). Particular emphasis shall be placed on how the globally growing
‘independent media center movement’ might play a more accentuated role in this
process.

We would like to invite representatives from IMCs across the globe to
participate in this panel. As such, I would like to inquire whether someone
from UK-IMC might be interested in joining us.

A second initiative at PhillyIMC is to conceptualize how to create synergies
between the various IMCs throughout the globe. This is a very young initiative
and at this point I would like to know whether Uk-IMC(s) have any experience
with closer cooperating between IMCs. Further, I would like to know whether
UK-IMC(s) would be interested in thinking about the potential for closer
cooperation and how that could look like.

Thank you very much and I am looking forward hearing from you.

In solidarity and greetings from Philly.

Peter Funke

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