A significant shift has occurred in the arrangements of Intercom. Members of
this list might be interested to know and become involved in this. I for one
will be supporting any move that increases the sense of an international
community with some common vision and a respect for diverse local practices.

See attachment for details.

Intercom is an unattached and, up until now, invited international
network/discussion group of experiential educators. It now seeks to remain
'free' and open up to anyone.

Regards

Chris Loynes



From: S. Hernandes <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
To: Learning and Adventure Programming <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Monday, February 12, 2001 4:57 am
Subject: Organization of the InterCom


Hello everybody!
Hope everything is doing well for you all.

Some of our colleagues and I have been discussing ideas about our work
together, as the International Community of Experiential Education, and
ways that we could and would like to improve it. Until now our main work 
have been networking by spreading the word for other colleagues and
other countries. As a consequence we grown and now there are more visible
need for a better and organized work that everybody could benefit from of
it.

In this sense, and looking for a inclusive participation, here are some
of the steps that seems the most urgent for now to improve/redirect
InterCom. Please LET'S PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS BY DISCUSSING AND SENDING
COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS AS YOU FEEL THINGS SHOULD BE DEVELOPED. 

I. INTERCOM LISTSERV
It is still controlled by me, what means that people should ask me to be
subscribed. We did it in a moment that we were not sure of what InterCom
should be yet while also concerned that many internationals would not join
to a list where many Americans could be there as well. However, as we have
been discussing for a couple of times it seems that now is the moment to
FREE our list and to accept whoever would like to contribute to the field
of EE throughout the world. 
Nevertheless, it does not mean that the list wouldn't be monitored. I will
keep this task, and also will keep the onwership together with Simon, so
that we always can make changes whenever we feel that are important. 
By being a monitored list it means also that since the list was created
by and for us, InterComs, whenever we feel that people are not 
contributing and or making bad use of it they will be invited to leave it.
Please sen your comments on it.

II. INTERCOM NEWSLETTER
-at this moment we have about 200 people that are NOT part of the 
discussion list. Then the newsletter is really fundamental to exist and to
be a regular one in order to keeep them connected with us. 
-Recently I could not work on it as much as I felt necessary and have
been editing it with Simon's support only once on a while.
-however, it also need improvement on topics, info, and everyhting that is
there, in order these other InterComs to get the majority of information
that could be good for them. Also in this way the newsletter could work as
a kind of historic file of our work.
-I think that we should pusblished it at our InterCom webpage, so
that people can go and find it whenever they want.
WHAT IS NECESSARY: we need two people doing the editing and being in
charge for the newsletter per se (gathering articles, main topics, info
about conferences around the world, etc), even though each of us will be
in charge to provide them with these info. Please WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE IN
CHARGE OF IT?

III. THE INTERCOM WEBPAGE
-now it is very simple but has been enough for people to see our interest
in to make things better for all
-one of our colleagues have offered support to us to develop our
website, with everything that we may feel necessary and possible, and to
make it an indepedent page for the Internatioanl Community. 
-the kind of support we were offered includes a person that will
be the keeper by updating what is necessary.
-It should be bigger than is now, with space for everybody that would like
to place their info there. 
-this website should be in fact a good place where everybody can go and
find what's happening throughout the world in EE

WHAT IS NECESSARY to start THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR WEBPAGE:
-your contribution about what would be a good name for the site, since
"InterCom" only is not available. Here are some suggestions as we think
also that could make it richer and easily founded by people as they go to
search at the internet: 

InterComVirt.org (International Community Virtual.Organization)
InterComVirt.com (International Community Virtual.Communication)
InterComV.com    (International Community Virtual.Communication)
InterComV.org    (International Community Virtual.organization)
InterCom.edu    (International Community.education) 
InterComEEd.com/org (International Community of Experiential
Education.Communication or .Organization)

PLEASE VOTE OR SEND OTHER IDEAS BY this Thursday, FEBRUARY 16. 

IV. STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE INTERCOM IMPROVEMENT	

We should define some basic policies that we would share among us and to
whom would like to join our community (for instance, the decisions on how
the InterCom listserv should work as we discussed above). Of course,
these policies should be the most inclusive as its possible to all ideas,
feelings and thoughts. However, and possibly we may not find solutions that
fits to all of our thoughts/perceptions, besides the fact that many ideas
could take some time to be implemented. Then, it seems important to gather
all of these and to develop a plan for them.
It also important to consider what we would like to see for our
International Community, and how things should work in the near
future, and longer, let's say 1/2/3 years. In this sense a strategic plan
should be developed and shared with everybody.
WHAT IS NECESSARY: EVERYBODY need to contribute with
ideas/toughts/comments. We also need some people that would like to
participate in the development of this plan.

Thank you all for your compassion and contribution with this work. Let's
participate and make InterCom a FREE and OPEN organization to all!
Warm regards,
Sandra Helena.


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Apart from the communication between one human and another, speech is a
necessary condition for reflection - even in solitude" (Humboldt)

Sandra Helena Hernandes                 University of Washington
Doctoral student, Education             122 Miller Hall, BOX 353600
Predoctoral Research Associate          Seattle, WA 98195-3600, USA

e-mail: [log in to unmask]
fax: (206) 526.9867
InterCom webpage <http://tscnet.com/~experien/InterCom.html>