[Reader-list] Call for Applications: Maps for Making Change in India

[Anja Kovacs]

[Please feel free to circulate widely - apologies for cross-posting]

Call for Applications:

Maps for Making Change: Using Geographical Mapping Techniques to
Support Struggles for Social Justice in India

Deadline: 20 November 2009

Maps for Making Change is a two-month project specifically designed
for activists and supporters of social movements and campaigns in
India. It provides participants with an exciting opportunity to
explore how a range of digital mapping techniques can be used to
support struggles for social justice. It also allows you to
immediately develop and implement in practice a concrete mapping
project relevant to your campaign or movement, with full technical
support.  Interested in joining us?  Send in your application by 20
November 2009.

Background
Most of us think of maps as representations of territory. But have you
ever wondered why bastis, slums, unauthorised colonies and monuments
of minorities and poor people rarely are given prominence on maps – or
at times are even absent altogether? All too often only seats of
power, such as big hospitals, the colonies of the rich and diplomatic
missions, receive detailed mention.  This is because maps
simultaneously also function as representations of relations of power
and control: which places, communities, historical monuments,
townships, colonies and roads are highlighted on a map reflects the
power and control that various communities and classes possess or
lack. In modern times, this is particularly obvious in planning
processes, which incorporate maps as crucial tools in villages and
cities alike. To challenge the practice of privileging the powerful on
maps, and to create maps from the margins and of margins, therefore
has emerged as an important aspect as well as a tool of our fights
against injustice in society.

Maps for Making Change
Today, with the emergence of new technologies such as GPS and the
Internet, mapping techniques have advanced beyond the confines of
professional cartographers and can be mobilised and used to fight for
social justice by anyone with an interest in maps. Are you someone
concerned with the state of social justice in the country today? Are
you working closely, as an activist or a supporter, with a campaign or
social movement? Are you interested in exploring how digital
geographical mapping techniques might help facilitate or support your
advocacy and awareness raising campaigns and understanding of the
power relations in society? Perhaps you already have some ideas on how
maps can fit into your work, but you require technical support to put
these into practice? Then this is for you.

Maps for Making Change is a two-month project that will provide you
with the opportunity to explore how mapping can be used to support
your campaigns, struggles and movements to fight against injustice. It
is jointly organised by the Centre for Internet and Society
(Bangalore) and the Tactical Technology Collective (Bangalore and
London), and brings together activists and technologists. Over the
course of the project, participants will:
* explore and share ideas about the possible uses of geographical maps
within the context of campaigns and movements in India;
* try out a range of mapping tools and get training and support in the
creation and use of maps;
* develop and implement your own mapping project, involving the
creation and use as well as dissemination of maps, relevant to your
campaign's or movement's advocacy and goals.

Format
Maps for Making Change will take the form of three workshops, with
time in between each for participants to work on a mapping project of
their choice. The first workshop will take place in Delhi on 3
December, and will be an introductory event, where tools and tactics
will be explored and discussed and participants can determine the
nature of the information they need to collect to implement their own
mapping project.  The second workshop will take place over 3 days
during the first week of January (exact dates and location to be
decided), and will involve actual work on mapping projects, using data
and other resources collected by participants in the intervening time.
 The third workshop will be a two-day event during the first week of
February (exact dates and location to be decided), and will be the
time for participants to provide overall feedback, as well as to do
the final touches on the projects and launch them. Not only during the
workshops, but throughout the two-month project period, and at every
stage of the development of your project plan, technical support will
be available to help participants make your ideas a reality.

The organisers will cover travel and accommodation expenses of those
who are selected to participate in the project. There is no
participation fee.  By applying, applicants commit themselves,
however, to devoting the necessary time to this project.  Where
relevant, an organisational commitment to allow you to do this would
also be required.

Who should apply?
This is an event for activists and supporters of movements and
campaigns based in India. Preference will be given to applicants that
intend to use the project directly for their work within a campaign or
movement. Applications are welcomed from individuals, but also from
groups of people who are working within the same campaign or movement
and who would like to develop and implement a mapping project
together. Those who have been centrally involved in designing and
implementing communication strategies of campaigns and movements are
particularly encouraged to apply, but such a role is not at all a
prerequisite to be part of Maps for Making Change. Participants from
appropriate backgrounds who simply want to explore the technology and
its uses without immediately implementing it will be welcome in so far
as space allows.

We would like to also encourage applications from students who are
involved with campaigns or movements and who would like to learn these
skills so as to use them in their advocacy efforts. Students will be
provided with special assistance during the programme.

All participants should have some familiarity with computer use.
While more advanced technology skills are useful, they are not
essential: technology support will be provided as required for all
participants to ensure that everyone completes their own mapping
project.

Regretfully, we will be able to accommodate translation only from
Hindi to English and vice versa, so applicants will need to be
comfortable with either of these languages.

How to apply
Please answer the questions below in Hindi or in English.  You do not
need to write long responses (up to 300 words max), but please provide
us with enough information to understand your involvement in and
commitment to campaigns or movements for social justice, as well as
your skills and interest.  We also would like to know why you want to
be part of the Maps for Making Change project and what are some of the
contributions (of whatever kind) you could make to it.

You can send your answers by email to maps4change at cis-india.org, or by post to:
Maps for Making Change
c/o Centre for Internet and Society
No. D2, 3rd Floor, Sheriff Chambers
14, Cunningham Road
Bangalore - 560052

The last day for applications is 20 November 2009.  Early applications
will make us very happy though! :)

*Application Questions*:
Please provide answers to all the following questions.

1) Basic personal information:
Name:
Gender:
Date of birth:
Nationality:
Affiliation/organisation:
E-mail address (if available):
Telephone and emergency contact number(s):
Preferred language of communication:
Veg/non veg:
Anything else we should know about you (allergies, medical condition,
special needs):


Are you applying individually or as part of a team?  If as part of a
team, please provide the names of the other team members here:


2) Where are you from, where do you live now, and what is your current
movement/organisational affiliation (movement/organisation you work
with, its mission, position you have within it, is your organisation a
non-profit, etc.)?

3) What is your wider experience of working with campaigns or
movements for social justice?  What kinds of initiatives have you been
involved in?  What kind of responsibilities have you taken up within
these?

4) Have you been involved with any technology projects for non-profit
organisations or campaigns or movements for social change? If so
please briefly explain your experience (what worked, what didn't, what
did you like, what not, etc?) and your role within the project. If you
haven't been involved with such a project, please explain why you are
interested in exploring the use of technology for social change.

5) Why are you interested in joining Maps for Making Change in
particular?  How can you and your movement/organisation benefit from
your participation?

6) Do you already have an idea in mind that involves using maps for
social change and that you would like to develop into a project that
can support the work of the campaign or movement that you are involved
with? If so, please explain.

7) To help us better understand the kind of technical support we will
need to provide during Maps for Making Change, please describe your
current technical expertise and ability.

8) All participants are encouraged to teach as well as to learn. What
kind of contribution to the group's learning do you think you could
make?

If you require more information about the project or about the
application process, please email us at maps4change at cis-india.org, or
call us at 080 4092 6283.

Looking forward to hearing from you!
The Maps for Making Change Team