changing the world: collaboration needed

international | housing | news report

Tuesday January 23, 2007 16:41

by ((i)) Africa volunteer - IMC-radio support for WSF 2007 from Kenya

fuspey at yahoo dot co dot uk

Barcelona node for WSF 2007

trying to listen to Africa....

After 3 months of asking for assistance for a support project for the WSF, things did´nt come through, why?

Perhaps now in the last frantic moments, when still a million things need to be done, will support come, who knows?

another one of the million things to do : Metro to Sants, drop flyers out to Contra Infos

But why did´nt support come for this project: poor communication in seeking collaboration, not physically being in Ireland to bounce ideas, or because its simply not a shit idea. Perhaps bits of all 3?

Calls went out to Revolt, Seomra Spraoi, Grassroots Dissent and indymedia Ireland, nearly weekly questions went out about whether a little room down by the quays could get a net connection and become the Irish "Listening Node" (1)

In the last few days some people in Ireland have tried to assist, they are trying hard to pull things together and from that help realize tomorow evenings "international radio show" (2), but they need assistance. and this is a last call out for help.

Can anyone else help, please we need it. Can people offer to call people, give loans of tek equipment, help install software, make tea...whatevers needed? giving this type of assistance is a bit harder than simply throwing cash at something, even though cash throwing is a necessary part of things too (3)

...So the WSF, who knew it was on, who is there now, who even feels its something to be excited about anymore.... perhaps we are all tired of things? (4)

Here in Barcelona, and beyond, people believe that the WSF can be horizontalized, that the whole mechanism can be reclaimed, built upon, added to.....simply improved. That new mechanisms and spaces can be created for those that "didnt have the money to get there" and from that the dialogue can be widened: speaking and LISTENING.

Africa wants the world to hear its story, but the Africans want to tell their own story and not have others come and tell their "western tainted picture of poor and suffering Africa". Macharia was one such African, who left Africa for the first time, to tell his communities story. Not just the story of disease, crime, squalor, corruption, pain and death. But also of joy, creativity, love and HOPE: Kibera and a story of Hope (5)

We are trying are hardest to create a system whereby he will be able to tell the world the story of Kibera, Africas largest slum ( million + and no toilets or running water.....) We are trying to see that their story is our story is others story, perhaps not in as extreme a situation the same story nonetheless. (6) There are problems and there are solutions, when we work together:
- one of last years Streetseen homeless network, who is no longer homeless
- someone from the Sheriff Street community in Dublins inner city, with its own long and difficult history, even today
- someone from Cloghjordan Eco village, moving on an idea of a better world and that idea soon becoming the reality.

Things are far from easy out there in Naorobi, last night the IMC-Radio team were held up at gunpoint while lots of their equipment was stolen; a different reality. (7) But they battle on.

Why bother with all this? Because things can be improved and the world can be changed. It brings me back to a simple point made by Micheal Albert, creator of Zmag : BELIEVE its possible to change things then try, or else dont waste yours and others time. (8)

We believe this is important, we hope you might take a moment to think about it, and from that collaborate with us.

To help email me or tune in later to the IRC #gln_radio channel (9) and do what you can.

Apologies for rushed nature of this final call, things not easy, still 1 short of a million things to do. But its strange, at times things do come together, sometimes magically.

in finishing, the bottom of the flyer says:
It is hoped that this experiment will create a new space for global civil society to work in and out of from, both during the WSF and beyond..........(10) +(11)

Dunk

1 Global listening nodes
https://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/WorldSocialForum...Nodes

2- international radio show
https://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/WorldSocialForum..._Show

3 -Most people whom we write for / report for wouldn't even know what it was like for us. ár brón
http://indymedia.ie/article/80521#comment181206

4 - Indymedia radio support for WSF 2007 from Kenya
http://www.indymedia.org/es/2007/01/878667.shtml

5- Macharias journey: Kibera and a story of Hope
http://kenya.indymedia.org/news/2007/01/450_comment.php

6 -North Inner city Dublin, "its like a war zone here"
http://indymedia.ie/article/80569

7 - IMC-radio team held up in Naorobi by gunpoint yesterday evening
http://kenya.indymedia.org/news/2007/01/521.php

8- how to change the world - make the movement sticky
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/78818#comment170481

9 - IRC.imc
http://chat.indymedia.org/

10 - download and distribute "imc-radio support for wsf 2007 from kenya" poster
https://docs.indymedia.org/pub/Global/WorldSocialForum2...r.doc

11 - global civil society
http://www.fritjofcapra.net/articles120102.html

12 - who in the world is checking out this project
http://www2.clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=https:/...m2007