Dear Imcistas-

The Austin Indymedia Collective would like to formally invite you to an IMC gathering. IndyConference is a skill-share/conference/network building event to be held in Austin, Texas February 18th-20th, 2005.

IndyConference seeks to bring together Indymedia activists from across the continent to discuss our progress as a media democracy movement, as well as look at ways we can improve our content and effectiveness as a radical media network. As a collaborative and participatory media project, we see the need to come together and form new directions for our movement. This conference is meant to be both a celebration and introspection of our work as media activists and our methods for how we have accomplished to date. We still have many challenges to overcome if we are to truly be a viable and sustainable radical media network. Please check out our website at: www.indyconference.org

During this gathering we hope to share what we have learned as media activists, from journalistic techniques to collective organizing. We have also invited noted scholars of media/cultural theory who have contributed to the discourse of media culture in the modern era. Speaker we have confirmed thus far include: John Downing, Bob Jensen, Clemencia Rodiquez, and Douglass Kellner.

We appreciate your feedback on the content and vision of this conference. Please send us your workshop and keynote ideas. If your collective is particularly advanced at one skill or another, for example video editing, please volunteer to host a skill share. The Austin IMC is working to secure free housing and food for attendees, but we need your help in fundraising to send your collective members to the convergence.

Thank you for your time and the work you are doing. We feel that by bringing together media activists from inside and outside the IMCista community, we can forge a clearer path toward our goal of a sustainable grassroots media democracy. Together, we will help lay the foundations of an open communications system where direct participation will guide the future of communications and political culture. We feel that the IMC network is strong, but we hope this conference will lift us to a new level by improving aspects of our organization which need improvement. We greatly encourage you to join us in Austin, Texas next year.

Thank you.

Again, we are asking of your active participation:
1. Send us your IMC’s workshop ideas 2. Volunteer to host a skill share 3. Send us any feedback and criticism you have 4. Start fundraising to send collective members down to Austin 5. And, lastly, JOIN US IN FEBURARY!

In Solidarity,

Austin Independent Media Center www.austin.indymedia.org
erock (at) indyconference.org or
baku (at) riseup.net