Resource Centre In-Depth
Background
Mapped representations of knowledge have power. When an individual's or a community's [assets/issues/history] are mapped, they gain legitimacy. And when a group identifies visions for the future using spatial tools, that vision gains currency. The map acts to reinforce common understanding of what issues are priorities, and to increase the momentum behind those [visions/actions] a community has identified.
Historically, mapping power has resided in the hands of the community's establishment and served to reinforce the status quo power structures. Community Mapping turns this relationship around and allows stakeholders, including the disempowered, access to the map-creation/building/viewing process. UVic student researchers are certainly not disempowered, and they have a passion for fighting for the rights of marginalized communities. We hope that they use these [community/collaborative] mapping skills post-UVic to change their worlds in positive (and ecologically sustainable) ways.
History
The idea for a service unit focusing on community involvement using maps (the "Resource Centre") began in early 2008. After 10 years of community mapping, the Common Ground Community Mapping Project, needed a place to store its resource material. The Department of Geography and Ken Josephson were keen to build stronger links with a non-profit that was using mapping to engage communities. Support for the idea initially came from Dean Peter Keller, UVic Faculty of Social Science, Sarah Webb from the UVic Office of Planning and Sustainability, and Budd Hall from the UVic Office of Community-Based Research. Our ideas for teaching community mapping in the classroom was filled out using support from a 2008 grant from the UVic Learning & Teaching Centre.
Our (Proposed) Mandate
- Host the UVic Campus Green Map (Web Map)
- Support the teaching of community mapping on and off campus
- Provide experiential learning opportunities for UVic students
- Support extra-UVic community efforts to create maps of local assets and visions
- Support sustainability planning on the UVic campus
Our (Proposed) Staff
- We have no staff at this time. In our draft service plan, we suggest that the service unit be led by Ken Josephson, with one additional staff member and a number of student work term staff.
Our (Proposed) Advisory Group
- Dr. Charles Burnett, Geomemes Research Inc.
- Dr. Briony Penn
- Dr. Brenda Beckwith, UVic Environmental Studies
- Dr. Rosaline Canessa, UVic Department of Geography
- Maeve Lydon, UVic Office of Community-Based Research
