Decentralisation of IMC - Excerpt from previous debate

Wednesday August 28, 2002 13:36

by blisset (slight return)

I suggested decentralisation as something we need to think about - debate happened at related link

The contributions I thought which suggested a realistic way forward were from Amanda (IMC Volunteer) and Chekov. I am excerpting from them here to try to keep the debate going and to encourage others to involve themselves in the Indymedia.ie process in their local areas.

Checkov:In terms of getting this type of thing going, it could be a good idea to do some type of IMC tour as soon as the colleges are back. We could arrange speaking dates of IMC people in the various colleges around the country with the idea of trying to get people to set up their own regional site, or at least to give more non-Dublin input to Indymedia Ireland, encouraging people to write local articles and all that.

So how about an October IMC tour of the colleges? We could even combine it with an RTS tour, since RTS is the type of thing that could probably take off in a few different cities without too much trouble. It could be organised through One World, environmental and socialist societies in the various colleges, I know that gluaiseacht have good links with many of these groups and would be very sympathetic, What do people think?

Amanda: I'm not exactly against the idea of lots of different sites but it isnt something that should be rushed. It needs to be well thought out and all aspects need consideration. And decentralisation doesn't have to mean splitting up.
But what is desperately needed is active members outside of Dublin. Enough people seem to have an opinion or talk about being interested if it happens, but how about actually going for it and make it happen. Indymedia didnt happen by accident. Somebody had enough interest to make it happen. And that is what it needs. Don't wait for someone to organise a meeting in your area. Organise one yourself and even if only one person shows up then thats one more person who you can work with to make this happen.

Blisset: Personally I agree with both of these comments except for the suggestion of a close and explicit linking of RTS and IMC. I could go into the difficulties the exact same thing has led to in the UK but won't here. Except to say that the connection (more imagined than real)has been used to question the Independence of IMC there. This is why IMC UK turned down an offer of rts space for an office.

Anyway a combination of a tour and the encouragement of local activists to set up geographically spread imc working groups seems to me a way forward on decentralisation without the necessity of new sites for the moment.

What d'yiz think??????????????????