SM COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROJECT

This online Resource Directory is one of the projects of SM-COP, the SM/Leather/Fetish Community Outreach Project .

The Project was introduced at Living in Leather IX in Toronto in October 1994 but is totally independent of NLA:International

We are currently considering incorporation as a New York State not-for-profit coporation and applying for a 501(c)3 tex-exempt status

Our initial goal is to solicit volunteers, to join other individuals who have already committed, to go back to their communities, cities and organizations and recruit volunteers and resources for pursuit of various projects. The Library Project, The e-mail Project and others are listed in this menu.

Note: As a result of the Houghton Case SM-COP is planning to activate what we had referred to as our "Psychological Issues Project". We will attempt to co-ordinate a number of individuals with expertise and/or experience in the areas where the legal, social work and psychological professions interact with BDSM. The goal will be to prepare educational materials and programs to help inform the members of these professions as to the realities, rather than myths, of SM and radical sexuality, with an emphasis on the difference between S/M and spousal and child abuse. Please contact us at ixion@dorsai.org if you wish to assist.

As a result of the e-mail Project, we hope to have all of the major sm/leather/fetish organizations committed to e-mail interconnection, via maillists. The <<sm-org>> maillist serves this function and currently has over 30 groups participating.

We envision each city or region having an ad hoc organization or committee working on the agenda. Hopefully these committees will consist of members of a range of existing organizations plus whatever GDI's can be recruited.

A national co-ordinating committee would serve to co-ordinate efforts and facilitate communications so each city's committee could learn from the experience of the others.

The key attributes of this agenda are:

1. Addressing issues and goals important to ALL members of the sm/leather/fetish community.
2. Speed and economy of communication by utilization of the world-wide Internet. Right now groups use considerable parts of their resources on printing, postage, telephone and fax charges. The net can eliminate most of these for the cost of a computer and modem and perhaps $50/month in costs. If a group "borrows" an individual's account or uses a "freenet" or donated account, the cost could be lower.
3. The primary goals are short-term attainable ones. In this way participants have a much higher likelihood of getting the positive feedback necessary to keep them motivated--If you see results, you keep working!
4. Minimal structure and organization. Just the national co-ordinating committee to get things started and coordinate activities, and local committees geared to a few tasks.
5. Financing? Possible direct solicitation for expenses of co-ordinating committee. Local committees can decide whether they want to raise their own finds, or attempt to become a community beneficiary and have existing groups raise funds for them. We might use a 501(c)3 organization to solicit donations which would be used for suitable projects under the agenda.
6. Scope of activities: We hope to be able to lend our resources to a wide range of projects, mostly educational. Support of The Leather Archives, The Domestic Violence Panel, The Spanner Project, etc is planned.

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Leonard,
SM/Leather/Fetish Community Outreach Project
P O Box 1617
New York, NY 100159
ixion@dorsai.dorsai.org