Support Infoshop.org in 2004

January 12, 2004

Dear Infoshop supporter,

Nine years. Nine years of tweaking the nose of authority. Nine years of alternative news. This month, Infoshop.org observes its ninth birthday. In January of 1995, this project started small as a collection of web pages called the Mid-Atlantic Infoshop. Now Infoshop.org has become an important and popular resource for activists and people interested in alternatives to corporate media. Infoshop.org currently averages over 6 million hits per month and had close to one million unique visitors in 2003. Many of you have told us how important Infoshop.org is to your lives. And Infoshop.org has been doing all of this based on an international network of volunteers.

Over the past year, we have set up an umbrella nonprofit organization to run Infoshop.org, Practical Anarchy magazine, and several new projects. This nonprofit is called The Alternative Media Project. All of these projects require a huge amount of work—Infoshop News in itself has become a full time job to coordinate, maintain and develop. After much discussion, we have decided to ramp up the Infoshop/AMP project to a new level, which will require more financial resources, but which we think is a good investment that will help nurture activist movements and independent journalism.

We are hoping to raise $50,000 by March 1 to support the Infoshop/AMP project. A large portion of this amount needs to come from our supporters, which is why you are reading this online appeal.

Where is the money going?

Radical Writers and Artists – This fund is a new AMP project that will pay money to radical writers to do original investigative journalism and write opinion pieces. And we can’t forget our friendly radical artists! This fund will help create the next generation of radical political writers.

Infoshop Office and Library – A project as complicated as Infoshop/AMP deserves an office for staff and volunteers. The Infoshop/AMP office will help us maintain and develop Infoshop.org and AMP projects. It will help us answer your questions and allow us to better coordinate Infoshop volunteers. And we hope to make the space available to support community members who are doing grassroots DIY journalism.

Infoshop Staff – We would like to create one full time and one half time staff positions. Running Infoshop.org is a full time job. And coordinating the international network of volunteers a half time job. Our movement needs to support our more dedicated volunteers.

Breaking Glass Press – We want to see more radical books in infoshops and bookstores. This project will publish new books under the Breaking Glass imprint.

Practical Anarchy Magazine – We would like to publish Practical Anarchy magazine 3 or 4 times this year. Many of you have told us that you love this magazine, so we’ve organized a collective to put out a regular magazine.

Street Distro Project – Our flyer promoting the alternative press, “What you don’t know,” has been distributed to thousands of people on subways and sidewalks around Washington, DC, as well as other cities. We plan to expand this successful project with more materials, including more versions for more cities.

We live in times where resources like Infoshop.org are needed more than ever before. Global capitalism continues to wreck the planet. Racist police departments terrorize our neighborhoods. Poor people still freeze to death each night. The U.S. Empire continues its violence around the world. Infoshop.org doesn’t exist just to scare you about these events; we exist to help empower you to take positive action with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighborhoods. Your help at this time can help put Infoshop.org and AMP projects on a solid footing, which will help us to help you in the years to come. Your help will help make us reach more people with radical ideas that can help them improve their lives.

We thank you for your continued support.

Demand the impossible!

Chuck Munson
Jamie “Bork” Loughner
Eric Laursen

Infoshop/AMP Steering Committee

For more information about donating online:
http://www.infoshop.org/2004fund_drive.html

Mail Donation
http://www.infoshop.org/2004funds_mail.html

Make a monthly pledge:
http://www.infoshop.org/2004funds_pledge.php

Sustainer Program:
http://www.infoshop.org/sustainers.html

Other ways to support Infoshop/AMP:
http://www.infoshop.org/2004funds_options.html

About the Alternative Media Project:
http://www.infoshop.org/amp.html

Please forward this appeal!

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