[gender-it] Ideas and Questions about the activist meeting at Digitales inBrussels soon
- From: anna <anna@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: genderchangers list <gca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 10 Jan 2004 01:22:58 +0100
Hi all,=20
+++++++++++
This is a tiny bit long and so I'll stick with the idea of doing short
summaries for those with little time.
I'm asking who is actually coming to do the brainstorming part next to
the official conference because I'd like to know how much value is
placed into that +++ It's the urgend demand for some replys! +++ I'm
adding some ideas as to what we might do plus links to some stuff we
could use.
+++++++++++
There's not much time left to prepare a little bit and see what we want
to do, and so I'm writing again.
For me personally it's not clear yet whether I can actually come because
we haven't heard from mama cash yet and without their travel funds I
can't come.
At the same time it's important for me to know beforehand what we're
actually aiming at. I very much like and support the idea of explaining
about indymedia and media activism in general to the 90 Belgian women
who'll take part in the event. But that alone wouldn't make me come to
Brussels as it'll be difficult for me to arrange for people to keep my
son nor would I then ask someone else to pay for my trip. I think
childcare in Belgium would be a good second choice but definitely only a
second choice.
What I'm really interested in or better, the reason why I got interested
in the proposal to come and meet, is what we're going to do aside from
the official conference. And how much interest everyone has, which
questions, what motivation to get together and talk, learn, teach.
So far I'm aware of the good number of women who'll be coming, but I
don't know how many of you will actually be coming to meet apart from
the official program. Lize has added all (?) names to the wiki page:
http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/digitales2004#List_of_women_who_will_=
be_coming, but there hasn't been much feedback as to who's interested in pr=
eparing and taking part in our 'activist brainstorming'. She has also alrea=
dy put together in the invitation an excellent set of points that can be ra=
ised (http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/digitales2004#Meeting_of_intern=
ational_media_a).
I'd really like to see some responses about the idea of this meeting. If
we're =93just=94 going to sit together for an afternoon, without having muc=
h
planned, and tell each other our different stories I'm sure this will be
great and we'll learn a lot. But we'd be missing a great opportunity to
get some work done. Personally I'm very keen on this kind of work and
the chances that lie in sharing experiences, but at the same time I have
spent too much time having coffee and chatting. Don't get me wrong =96 I'm
not implying this is what is going to happen; besides which I'm a great
fan of having coffee ;). I'm just trying to get a clearer picture of
what to expect..
Some questions that I would like to explore:
* How about an update of the questionnaire Blue Pi send around when
she did that famous survey on gender problems within indymedia? I will
add the questions below, and you can find the result from the survey in
november '01 here: http://germany.indymedia.org/2002/01/13720.shtml
In Amsterdam I got some very angry replys during the indymedia panel
when I referred to her findings that in indymedia there are less women
than in other activist groups as well as other tech environments. How
are your experiences? What has changed, and why? Has it really?
* I am noticing in several IMC's around me (mainly central Europe)
that the collectives are really quite young but there are some elder
(mid-30s and above; yes, that is elder in indymedia ;) )women, and I'm
noticing that more and more of us are leaving our collectives. I'm
wondering about the similarities in this and I'd like to share the
experiences. See my own statement about why I left IMC Germany:
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/private/imc-women/2003-May/000712.html. =
For those of you who'd like to read it and who are not subscribed to imc-wo=
men please send me an email and I'll forward it to you.
* IMC Germany has recently decided to ask someone to leave the
collective and to unsubscribe from the lists. This person has been in
conflict also with the imc-women's list one and a half years ago. This
is not about blatant sexism, but rather about general ways of
interaction. IMC Germany has spend a lot of time discussing and actually
fighting and has produced a remarkable statement about minorities, male
dominance and why they think they would like to not only be attracting =20
=93 a monoculture of male techno-freaks in their 20s who are quick-witted
and thick-skinned rather than empathetic and thoughtful=94, =93where only
the hardest and loudest prevail=94. Read the whole text in a rough and not
yet finished translation into English on the bottom of this page:
http://translations.indymedia.org/Translations/1070228122/index_html.
This document was written mainly because Linn, who unfortunately can't
come to Brussels (?), just didn't give up and fought for Indymedia to be
a place for her, too.=20
It offers a lot to talk about since the situation of women and the
general attitude in our media activist group seem to not be related but
indeed they are. And this is not because women always need to have a
cozy and loving atmosphere. I think we prefer a working environment that
can be tough but that can also open up. I think the point is
exclusiveness vs. inclusiveness.=20
* I think we need some ideas for some practical ideas. What will we
do? Is it the Women-in-independent-media-summer camp?
Women.indymedia.org? A documentary about women in different sections of
activism? (PGA women have published a wonderful booklet like that). ...?
I could go on here, but I'll stop and see what you have to say!=20
By the way: What has happened to the idea of continuing to meet in
Barcelona after Brussels? Jamie, you promised to send more information?=20
Greetings
Anna
berlin
------------------------------------------------
-----------------------
The questionnaire (
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/private/imc-women/2001-November/000058.h=
tml =96 sorry, closed archive)
- What is the male/female ratio in your IMC group?=20
- If there are few women in your group, did you ever think about the
reasons and how to change the ratio?=20
- Do you notice any gender specific work organization? (e.g. women write
articles, men do the programming?)=20
- If there is gender specific work organization, what do you think are
the reasons? (e.g. women don=19 t know, how to do programming, women don=19
t own computers, women don=19 t like computers, men are not creative, but
more rational, men don=19 t let women do computer stuff)=20
- What is the societal background? How is the participation of women in
new technologies in your country in general?=20
- How is the situation in other leftist groups in your country/ city
that don=19 t use computer technology?=20
- Do you see a difference to your group?=20
- Besides gender specific work organization are there other forms of
sexist discrimination? (e.g. no one listens to what women have to
say...)=20
- Does this differ from groups that don=19 t work with computer
technologies?=20
- If you see a difference, what could be the reasons for it?=20
- Has gender discrimination ever been a topic on your IMC meetings/
mailing lists?=20
- How do males (or females) react when gender discrimination is brought
up as a topic?=20
- Are there people taking action, if gender discrimination occures?=20
- Do you have any =1C tools=1D that minimize discrimination?=20
- What do you think could be done to minimize gender discrimination?=20
- If there is no relevant gender discrimination: How did you manage
that?=20
--=20
http://keys.indymedia.org/showkey.py?key=3D0x08E90385
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