-Hello all ! Here we are in October the month our tour is set to take off. I hope we are able to have a successful tour and to get results at the end for that matter. That we start getting mails from persons who have gone ahead to Spain asking were we are going to meet is an indication that we need to do more if we are really intended on getting any real impact .i.e living behind structures that will bring some improvement on the societies we are going to visit.

To better help us especially those interested to sow the ideas of indymedia during the tour; there are basically two things that will happen: 1-Hold workshops in the various stations with individuals involved in community development; clarifying to them how indymedia is a tool for projects of that sort, 2-Inviting activists we develop contact with and hold workshops with to the Alternative media conference in Senegal with focus on indymedia. Here there are going to be the possibility of socialising with many more activists interested or involve with alternative media and more workshops.

For the points 1 and 2 above to be successful we need to make preparations from both sides; that is from the side of those coming on the tour and from the side of those resident in the territories we are going to visit.

-a) From the side of the countries we are going to visit; -Here the activists in the countries we are going to visit are expected to discuss with and inform other groups, individuals and organisations that are involved with community development in their locality about the tour. In short, we expect them to mobilise as many people as they can. The point is till now we have not been very specific about that . I know that Ralf did indicate in one of the IRC meetings that he has worked before in Senegal and I think Mauritania too. Also we got a couple of mails here from someone in Morocco. So the question is DO WE HAVE ANY CONTACTS TO LOCAL GROUPS/ORGANISATIONS BASED IN MOROCCO, MAURITANIA OR SENEGAL???

The point is if we do not have contacts to groups there on the ground then we may end-up just spending the time in those countries by ourselves and even if we get to develop some contact in the 1 month we are going to be there, it is going to be too short a time to develop any real working relationship to be able to do any constructive work together.

On the other hand if we have any contacts on the ground like the guys in Morocco who wrote a couple of times on the list here, we need to know how they have been preparing to help us be able to prepare a list of what we need to ask from the network(indymedia) for use in workshops there. …….

Also the other part which is very important is Senegal ; Fabian told me on a phone talk that we do not exactly have any contacts there; now I do not know if Ralf have any contact of and with local groups there. Since we plan to hold an Alternative Media conference there we need to sort out the following; where is this conference going to hold. Then we need an Organisation that is involved in community development kind of project that will host the Conference there. -While we look for funds elsewhere to foot the bills the local Organisation should look for a place where the meeting can hold and let us know the cost. -The local group may have to organise invitations to the various activists to come to the conference from Africa and elsewhere. This will make it cheaper and easier than getting tourist visas for those who wish to attend the conference .

-- SphinX - 10 Oct 2003
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