[www-features] global demonstration against the war - denial is not a river in egypt

[Petros Evdokas]

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Copies of this letter are being sent to:
www-features at lists.indymedia.org, imc-cyprus at lists.indymedia.org, 
imc-europe at lists.indymedia.org, imc-communication at lists.indymedia.org
Imc-istanbul at lists.indymedia.org, imc-beirut at indymedia.org, 
imc-hamilton at lists.indymedia.org
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Friends,

It's the middle of the weekend of the Global Demonstration against the 
War. If you look at our global homepage,
http://www.indymedia.org
you'd think nothing is happening. There's not a word that might indicate 
that we're participating in this global protest collectively.

There's nothing on the center column; nothing on the "upcoming imc 
coverage" column on the top right. And the link titled "For a complete 
list of upcoming actions" goes to the "protest.net" page, where this 
weekend is not even listed in the "International Days Of Action".

Is it just accidental omission? Some temporary weakness on our part, 
some coincidental slip? Or is there a deeper situation?


On the last few days leading up to this weekend's demonstrations, it was 
the same. Total absence of relevant material. There was only some 
mention of local instances of the demonstration, but nowhere a 
presentation of it as a global reality. Neither as news, nor as 
political analysis. Nada.

Even all the establishment media (corporate and state media) are 
reporting on our protests this weekend. They are reporting tens of 
thousands of people in the streets. In the US alone, more than 500 
anti-war events are planned and in the process of unfolding, happening 
as we speak. Our local imc websites are also reporting on the actions, 
as they happen.


Have we become irrelevant on the global level?
Has there been some major ideological shift among us that's impacted on 
the way we view or present global Movement news?

Before some "smart" response comes my way to tell me "do it yourself", 
please, I would ask you to consider what happened. Every year since the 
year 2000 we have been presenting on our main page all global events, 
Movement gatherings, all acts of resistance of world- wide relevance, 
very faithfully. Sometimes there would be notices for global events many 
weeks in advance, and as they took place there were minute- by- the- 
minute reports. What has happened to us now?

I don't think it's only me, personally, who feels an embarrassment about 
this. And the issue is not "just" the embarrassment, it's about the 
worry on how we can best serve the Movement.

I expect that there are many of us active members of many local imc 
groups participating in the global protests, who are wondering "why this 
silence on behalf of our global organ?".  "Is this global organization 
we belong to really committed against the war, are we really 
collectively concerned with helping give birth to an alternative, 
life-loving globalization, really committed to the process of the global 
liberation movement?".

Most imc local groups are involved in the planning, in the support, the 
organizing, and the reporting, analyzing, and critiquing of the global 
events of this weekend. But collectively, in the sense of the global 
network that we are, it seems we lost something there.

Are we just a little disconnected? Or is it a deeper problem that has 
not been articulated yet?

Most local imc groups are very far ahead politically in comparison to 
our global organization. But we need to help it become harmonious with 
the rest of us; if we ignore this symptom, there's no way to predict 
what the political damage will be in the near future.

I know that I'm not the only one concerned about this. There are entire 
imc groups which are very upset about the situation. Please write to 
share some thoughts about this if you like, either to me personally, or, 
even better, to our entire imc-communication group. The 
imc-communication group is composed of Liaisons from all local imc 
groups, and it's the best forum to explore these concerns.

Many thanks,
Petros
Cyprus IndyMedia volunteer
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