This site grew out of my personal involvement in the organization of the 4th annual Cycle Messenger World Championships, which were held in San Francisco in late summer of 1996. In late 1995, when I began work as the registration coordinator for that event, the promise of the (then still quite new!) web as a communication tool and resource for messengers worldwide, and the advantages inherent to a worldwide messenger network were quite apparent to me. Since then, this network has been constantly developing, both as a email/web organization and through zines and other hard copy information. The promise it offers, in my eyes, is still immense.
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Form a local Bike Messenger Association (BMA). Once you have an organized community, it's much easier to deal with issues that affect the community and industry locally as a whole, whether we're speaking of labor issues, or organizing a championships, or simply setting up discounts for members at local businesses. Beyond that, the BMA can serve to gather information locally, and spread it globally, and vice versa - all in the name of keeping the worldwide community close-knit.
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Take active part in the IFBMA. Get yourself in on the decision-making concerning the event that really shapes the face of worldwide messenger unity, the CMWC, and help us enlarge, enliven and empower the global messenger community!
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Put together a local zine of some sort. It's near-useless to try to communicate local news and issues with the rest of the world if you can't communicate within your own community.
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Organize local events. Races, parties, etc - focus on getting the community to know itself, and on interest in the rest of the worldwide messenger community.
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Establish some sort of online presence - a website or simply a member with email access - as a BMA, a local zine or individual. This facilitates the quick and easy redistribution of information.
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Subscribe to the messengers email list (messengers@dccourier.com). Spread news of your community, learn about others.
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Add info to this website! - There's a whole list of things I'm looking for, and you might have some of them!
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