The long term perspective is for African activists to Organise imcs all over the continent and use them for their struggle for a better society as well as an example for an alternative way of organising society (consensus & non-hierarchy) to enhance participatory democracy. Which will in turn lead to a more Just and equitable society.

Immediate perspective We hope to sow the knowledge of imc amongst the few activists that we will get contact with leaving in Africa. To be able to discuss, clarify and explain what indy is all about. Especially the difference between indymedia and what is popularly known in Africa as independent media. As, while these independent media in Africa kind of focuses mostly on criticising the government; indymedia goes the extra length to offer possibility for the participation of every member of the society; thus taking away the limited option of just having those out of government to work their way into government as has been the results with the work of some of these independent media activity. Indymedia goes down to propose an option that will improve the structure of society and not only to deal with goverment malpractices . With the workshops that we plan to Organise during the "Boundaries to Bridges tour" we hope to : Clarify these things and that when the tour ends in March-2004 we should have in the continent a handful of people that have got the GRASP of what indymedia is all about, how it functions and what is the contribution it can bring in raising political awareness in the continent and enhancing the development of the society. Then in the future this continent based activists will be at the forefront of spreading indymedia in the continent and other activists around the world can support them when the need arises.

Thus for the tour; 1.) there is the need for many imc activists with experience on how the network functions to participate and help in running the workshops; as of now the number is very small. We need to organise who can run which workshop in which country and in which city during the tour (Morocco, Muritania and Senegal). It is obvious that it will be hard to get activists that will be on the tour for all the 6months that the tour will be going (October 2003 to March 2004). But we could get activists that could just come in at one of the three African countries to handle workshops for a day or two . The biggest point will be in the begining of March2004 when the tour will be in Senegal. Which is going to be the period of the Alternative Media Festival (with focus on indymedia). Here we hope to be able to have other indymedia activists and independent media activists from around the continent to be present.

Please if you wish to participate in running the workshops please send an email to imc-africa@lists.indymedia.org or sphinx@indymedia.org

Or simply go to the following link and include yourself on the table.

Volunteer list for running indymedia workshops

REPORT OF THE FIRST INDYMEDIA REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN AFRICA-DAKAR