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London IMC Mission Statement and Principles of Unity

Mission Statement

The purpose of our Independent Media Center is to facilitate the use of media production and distribution as a tool for promoting social, environmental and economic justice, and to develop a global decentralized communications network to provide a voice for the voiceless. It is also our goal to give expression to a wide diversity of social movements in order to assist the distribution of intellectual, scientific, literary, social, artistic, creative, human rights, and cultural expressions not covered by the commercial press.

We seek to expand the human social fabric in a meaningful and tangible way that is empowering for local communities. It is our goal to further the self-determination of people under-represented in media production and content, and to illuminate and analyze local and global issues that impact ecosystems, communities and individuals. We seek to generate alternatives to the biases inherent in the profit driven commercial media, and to identify and create positive models for a sustainable and equitable society. It is our goal to aid in a revolutionary social transformation of society that prioritizes people before profit. We seek to expand and develop our own working relationships in a manner that is non-hierarchical, autonomous, and based upon mutual aid and solidarity.

Principles of Unity

In doing our work together we will be mindful of the following Principals of Unity, which reflect the values shared by all of our collectives.

• London IMC is based upon principles of equality, decentralization and local autonomy, and is not derived from a centralized bureaucratic process, but from the self-organization of an autonomous collective that recognizes the importance of developing a union of networks.
• London IMC considers open exchange of and open access to information a prerequisite to the building of a more free and just society.
• London IMC respects the right of activists who choose not to be photographed or filmed.
• London IMC, based upon the trust of its contributors and readers, utilizes open web based publishing, allowing individuals, groups and organizations to express their views, anonymously if desired.
• London IMC is not-for-profit.
• London IMC is committed to the development of non-hierarchical and anti-authoritarian relationships, from interpersonal relationships to group dynamics. Therefore, we shall organize ourselves collectively and be committed to the principle of consensus decision making and the development of a direct, participatory democratic process that is transparent to our membership.
• London IMC recognizes that a prerequisite for participation in the decision making process of each local group is the contribution of an individual's labour to the group.
• London IMC is committed to caring for one another and our respective communities, both collectively and as individuals, and will promote the sharing of resources, including knowledge, skills and equipment.
• London IMC is committed to the use of free source code, whenever possible, in order to develop the digital infrastructure, and to increase the independence of the network by not relying on proprietary software.
• London IMC is committed to the principle of human equality, and shall not discriminate based upon race, gender, age, class or sexual orientation. Recognizing the vast cultural traditions within the network, we are committed to building diversity within our localities.