[New-imc] Online form: Proposed new IMC! (Lancaster Pennsylvania Independent Media Center (LPIMC, Lancaster-IMC, lancaster.indymedia, Lancpa-IMC))

[lancaster-imc at riseup.net]

Submitted by: Michael Hodgson <lancaster-imc at riseup.net> on Friday, July 13th, 2007 @ 8:07:08 am (-0700)

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proposed_imc_name:
Lancaster Pennsylvania Independent Media Center (LPIMC, Lancaster-IMC, lancaster.indymedia, Lancpa-IMC)

proposed_imc_url:
lancasterIMC.org

current_url:
http://lancasterimc.wikispaces.com

city:
Lancaster

state:
Pennsylvania

country:
United States

contact_name:
Michael Hodgson

contact_email:
lancaster-imc at riseup.net

contact_phone:
717.721.3439

tech_name:
Henry Linder

tech_email:
chimerical.brio at gmail.com

tech_phone:


focus:
regional_focus

critical_dates:
No critical dates, but we would expect to have our website up and running by the end of summer or sooner.

supporting_groups:
Lancaster Coalition for Peace and Justice, Beyond the Choir, Lancaster IWW, Lancaster Free Market, Lancaster NOW Chapter, Prometheus Radio Project, Media Tank, Media Mobilization Project (MMP), Threshold Foundation ("Dig-it! Urban Farms"), Rainbow Net Creations, Fighting for Us, unitedagainstpuppymills.org?, Lancaster Food Not Bombs (FNB), Harrisburg Food Not Bombs, Eastern Market, Sustainable Susquehanna Business Network (SSBN), N'Bonye Dance and Drum Ensemble, Bradley Infotainment, Lancaster Indiearts, the UU Social Action Committee, Mulberry Art Studios, United for Progress, Democracy for Lancaster, Circle Legacy Center, Local Economy Center, Progressives for Pennsylvania, Natural Light Films, Lancaster Eastern Market, and The Sugartank (underground music scene and venue).

introductory_statement:
This area has a long history of vibrant political/social expression--Lancaster was an important stop along the Underground Railroad, Thadeus Stevens, an abolitionist who is responsible for public education, the Smoketown-Six and faith-based progressive activism. The Lancaster Coalition for Peace and Justice (LCPJ) formed a newsletter/magazine four years ago and served as the first independent grassroots newspaper since the Lancaster Independent Press, said to have been the longest running Independent newspaper in the country. Since then, many other groups (existing and new) are in need of one form or another of independent media to inform the community. Currently, we are building a forum for both online independent journalism as well as non-Internet community outreach projects that will encompass the many progressive, grassroots organizations/activities ongoing in Lancaster, above and beyond the vision of any one progressive group. We think the Indymedia model will serve as !
 the most appropriate organized form to aid the various forms of independent-media projects ongoing in this area, and open up space for new forms of expression in disenfranchised communities. We seek to inform the community about issues either the corporate media ignores, marginalizes or misrepresents. Some of these issues include, but of course are not limited to, global warming, peace, war, poverty, health care, farming/sustainable living, pre-existing race and class issues as well as immigration, gender and sexism, homophobia and education. We will have the imc website as well as a community-media mobilizing team and a media lab for all independent civic-style media-making projects, whether or not specifically indymedia in nature (we don't want to brand all independently made media in our area as "indymedia"). We are not just building bridges within the community, we are building power. We will help create a better world and ensure a healthy community by using the Interne!
 t, printed media, radio, television and other forms of communi!
 cation. 
We seek to create more social interaction between groups and individuals and work together to overcome decades of divisiveness and social struggles. We chose "Lancaster" as our IMC prefix not so much because of the city of Lancaster, but Lancaster County. We believe our IMC should be a service to not just the city, but to the surrounding municipalities--Lancaster city has a population of 55,000--the county 450,000.

resources:
Some of us have been organizing for many years; some of us have computer web designing and programming skills; many of us are experienced media makers and journalists. We have also more recently had tech-minded people, esp those experienced in Drupal, come out of the woodwork.

outreach:
As you may notice from supporting groups we have been working hard at reaching out to as many corners of the county as possible, from diverse cultural groups to diverse grassroots organizations, various cultural entities, existing independent media producers, economic development organizations and even several registered sustainable local businesses.

identity_makeup:
We have people from many different communities participating in our growing collective, and every day new people learn about the LancasterIMC and want to get involved. We have close to half of our list subscribers are female, many different cultural, political and religious identities represented as well. Black, White, Native American, Asian, Hispanic, Immigrant, etc; Civil Rights, Peace and anti-war, sustainability, feminist, urban gardening, farmland preservation, social entrepreneurship organizations, etc. Most of our members are working with social justice or sustainability organizations or producing independent media.

steps_represent_diversity:
We will ensure that one of the main features of our group is a sort of assessment process whereby we evaluate ourselves every so often--this would include assessing gender and all other diversity issues, esp underrepresented groups.

steps_involve_new_workfields:
We plan to emphasize skill sharing from the beginning and also encourage role reversal, such as cycling facilitator and other formal consensus rules, cycling who admins lists or other features, etc. We will also have a quarterly or bi-annual assessment period when we look over everything and discuss what changes could be, grievances, accomplishments, etc. We are also planning on developing a really good well documented process for new members so as to make everything as sustainable, diverse and truly representative as possible.

username:
Michael Hodgson