Aktualności

Zaproszenie na wykłady Jona Cobberta i Michaela Martina

19-06-2019

Jon Corbett
University of British Columbia, Canada
[email protected]

Jon Corbett

Reimagining the influence of the university through the praxis of participatory mapping

Abstract:
Over the past 50 years participatory mapping has become a vibrant area of practice, a well-used data gathering method and is increasingly seen as an area of study in its own right. Because of this multi-faceted approach, the specific objectives of participatory mapping initiatives vary significantly. In contexts that involve academic institutions, faculty and students, researchers are often entwined within the agency of the map-making process, as well as how the outcomes of projects are communicated to a wider audience. There are competing pressures on researchers to both remain true to spirit of participatory mapping as tool for positive social change, while still complying with the contemporary trend within universities to attain high research impact factors. In other words, both groups want to achieve ‘impact’, but in very different ways.
Using examples from applied fieldwork, this presentation will critically reflect on the intersections between the university and the researcher during the practice of participatory mapping and the creation of participatory mapping tools. It will explore the role that the different actors play within this process (including community members, organizations, researchers, students and university administrators). In particular it will examine the tensions that arise between different understandings of ‘impact’. Impact understood from a purely academic perspective, i.e. which projects have yielded the most articles or have been the most highly cited. As well as impact from the viewpoint of the community of practice, i.e. which projects resulted in substantive and sustained social or political transformation. Finally, this presentation will explore how these differing perspectives might align to both strengthen the practice of participatory mapping within universities, as well as reimagine the role that the university might play in supporting positive social change.


Michael Martin
School of Environment, University of Auckland, New Zealand
[email protected]

Michael Martin

Confidential Participatory Mapping on the Ethereum Blockchain

Abstract:
One of the ethical quagmires of participatory mapping that although it is easy to add points to a map, once this data is digitized (online or off), it is captured and held by a third party. Once recorded this data can be copied, transported, and potentially used by unintended users for benign or nefarious purposes alike. Using the Ethereum blockchain, location masking, and metadata encryption it is possible to record public participatory data and keep key elements of the data private as well. Using this scheme it would enable contribution of potentially sensitive information (for example: traditional knowledge, sacred sites, hunting and fishing locations, etc.) while protecting identities (blockchains), locations (spatial masking), and metadata (encryption). Each participant could choose to reveal what level of information, spatial or otherwise, was pertinent to the mapping exercise. Information would be timestamped immutably using the blockchain for proof of its creation date. Contributing encrypted information may seem counter-intuitive, but could be later unencrypted for use in legal scenarios where proof of existence is imperative. This enables participants to be present ‘on the map’ while maintaining privacy. In this talk I outline how this technology could be implemented in a way that is easy to use, and illustrate the technologies that support it in the background. This system could be replicated for individual projects or be scaled to provide ethical data handling to thousands of participatory projects at the same time. This project is currently in early development stages