These observations do not seek be a thorough analysis of the camp, but rather I will focus on my perspective as a media person on the southern side of the border. I think that through this discussion some points may touch upon on broader issues experienced in the camp, which to me is an ongoing process that started years before November 2007 and is long from over. I was involved very little and mostly from long distance in prior organizing and I have never lived in the borderlands. Saying this I feel that the goal of generating and strengthening our communities is shared. Because we understand what it is to live in fragmented and divided communities many of us participated the camp and support processes in which we might not be directly involved over a longer term, knowing that we are engaged in the same struggle from different fronts. In recognizing this I want to say that the following is written with complete respect and admiration for those who organized the camp, those who take on the task of organizing in the borderlands on a daily basis and to all of the rebellious spirits were always present in the philosophy of the camp although we must recognize that there was little or no presence of indigenous peoples or migrants.

::::::::::Organizing structures and models:::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The organization of media on the Mexican side of the border was severely hampered by absence of commissions in Mexicali prior to the camp. This was a general problem although as that media we directly experienced it. The general attitude that "we are all the commission" sounds nice but its terribly unorganized and leads to informal hierarchies where certain people, however reluctant or critical of lack of initiative of others they may be, become responsible for a whole bunch of things.

The proposal that was passed before the camp about affinity group organizing was never implemented. I have to say that I wasn’t that surprised given that affinity group based organizing is not at all common in Mexico and I don’t think there had ever been a prior experience of its use in Mexicali. A detailed workshop prior to the camp and also during the camp about affinity groups, spokescouncils and consensus-based decision-making would have been very useful. Not just to clarify what exactly these concepts are but to skill up organizers in facilitation tecniques and in dynamics to enable us to deal with problematic or disruptive drop-ins, inexperienced compas, and those who were just there to stir up trouble.

::::Collective process and “medios comunitarios” :::::::::::::::

I am largely unfamiliar about what media networks look like in the US, but from what I have experienced I see that generally media are individuals that participate little in organizing or collective process or at least manage to separate media from the realm of general agreements collectively reached. I was really impressed by the real effort made to make collective decisions about media tactics between both sides prior to the camp and the Noborders.org site is collectively run. However I felt that many of the decisions made by the media centers in Calexico and Mexicali during the camp and in the immediate days before were far from consensed.

For example questions such as how many streams there would be, how they would be coordinated, hours etc. Id like to think that this was due to the heat of the moment rush and I want to stress that we agreed with pretty much all decisions made (but I dont know how many were made and I dont think anyone on the Mexicali side did) and I think people did an incredible job, but think that we should look for more collective processes in the future. In terms of process its more democratic and well thought out, and it also would have meant that more people see and understand the work that camp media were doing (I many folk on the Mexicali side never even knew about the radios or found out by the last day). For example before the camp proposals such as a collective media release from both sides were made and agreed on. Good intentions. During the camp the only media release sent out was on the first day from the Mexicali side and the release was not consensed or heard at an assembly but rather written by those of us present in the media centre on the first night. Regarding these questions of accountability and no one speaking for the camp, I really don’t have a concrete position. I think that the principle of no one talking for actions is wonderful but in practice it’s another story. And in that sense we also need to come up with better processes and additionally stronger and more concrete responses to liberals’ media positions, which seem to recur in so many actions based on principles of autonomy and/or anarchism. This however wasn’t a central issue for us on the Mexican side, although of course decisions around media strategy did affect the camp in general.

:::::Lack of media presence::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

To my knowledge there was never a callout internally to media networks in Mexico for media at the camp. I suppose I am just as responsible for this as anyone, but in my collective really did expect that Mexicali would have taken charge of this in the months beforehand. Perhaps this reflects a lack of networking and contacts with media in the north of Mexico (in central Mexico where we work, we feel that media networks are functioning and growing) because the Mexicali crew have been putting out their zine "Nuevo Mundo" for some time now, Juarez has a new indymedia site, La Otra Tijuana has its own webpage, Ensenada has a community radio project which is in the Other Campaign, just to give a few examples. So it’s untrue to say that media up there doesn’t exist but I think it’s definitely problematic that there is such a severe lack of communication and coordination between media collectives. And so I want to ask, what can we do to support the creation of stronger media networks, is there any interest from the baja california crew?

On the other hand, we received an impressive participation from community radios in Mexico City and Oaxaca. Four radios contributed one or more programs to the programming on the Mexicali Stream. I feel that it was an important experience for us in terms of showing and exercising a solidarity that doesn’t require physically being in the space if that isn’t possible, it doesn’t require money or knowing each other personally but that a simple proposal, sent out at short notice (because until days before the camp we were unsure of the conditions that the Mexicali media centre... if it existed at all... would have) to anticapitalist independent media was a small but important goal achieved.

::::::::Donations: why to donate and how to donate stuff?:::::::::::

I realize this is a sensitive issue. I really appreciate what Hernan wrote about the kitchen situation. I think he was spot on. I’d like to comment about how I saw similar dynamics regarding media work. I think it’s more than obvious that there is gross inequality in terms of the equipment and skills regarding media between US and Mexico organizers, but in general, given the short period in which the media centers were set up in Calexico and in Mexicali important efforts were made to skill people up and to share resources. I want to thank and acknowledge those efforts.

The reasons for sharing equipment are clear but the difference in forms of donating touch on an important debate about the different between solidarity and charity. I would say that solidarity is based on respectful and reflexive consideration about acting in ways that will be mutually beneficial, liberating to both parties and not paternalistic or leading to any type of dependence. Solidarity can imply a short-term process, for example helping comrades out when help is asked for, or it can be long term, in cases of shared projects and processes.

I observed that many donations were made from individuals on one side to individuals on the other who are not accountable to any collective or organization. I heard rumors that some folk (if there’s any truth it, which I doubt, I scapegoat the chaos punks who were not involved in organizing but were more active in counter-organizing) on the Mexicali side were taking advantage of the altruistic fervor of our North American comrades, asking them to lend or donate equipment because it was lacking on the Mexican side (sure we had less, but whether it was lacking is relative to how and if equipment is given full use). And apparently people gave equipment. While this is only a rumor I think it’s an accurate reflection of some peoples attitudes and lack of thought when giving things to comrades on the economically poorer side. Of course I am not saying that it is bad or that no one should give anything to anyone, I just want to make the point that the easy part is donating something, the hard part is evaluating how equipment will get the best use possible, and maintaining relations, coordination, sticking around to build collective skilling-up and active x-border networks.

On the last day of the camp we were told that a substantial amount of media equipment could be donated to the Mexican side, if we wanted it. And of course we did, it is always needed! So on the last day suddenly there was this immense pressure placed on very few heads to decide where this equipment would go and naturally it was decided that the Mexicali organizers were the best people to determine this, although they had no concrete proposals for how things could be used. Had this donation been talked about prior to the camp I am sure things would have been different. I really want to stress that it isn’t always a good thing that local organizing processes are suddenly interrupted by random and unexpected donations that have no lead-up or follow-up processes, or that depend on the elections of certain individuals (it doesn’t matter how nice, well intentioned or hardworking someone is, it’s fucked that individuals be put in a position to decide how resources will be shared between collectives) because this can cause resentment, distrust and division. Fortunately I don’t think this was result in this case, nonetheless I hope it’s constructive criticism

:::::::

Generally, I think we were incredible lucky that there was little immediate response but the Mexican State (although keep in mind that intelligence operations were underway and that their consequences depend on the future) because we were badly prepared to take it on. But I also think that the experience of the camp was a great step towards being more prepared to take them on in different conditions.