In his 2012 book, “A History of the World in Twelve Maps”, Jerry Brotton takes the reader through a tour of twelve maps that were created in twelve distinct moments of human history. The last of these maps is Google Earth. Throughout the book, the author makes the case that map making isn’t a passive exercise of observation, geometric abstraction and skillful craftsmanship. Map making has been a part of human cultural, artistic and economic activity across time and space. A map is a product of the mental model of the civilisation that created it.
I would argue that those of us who are in the mission of sustainable systems change (e.g. in the global field of philanthropy) need to be curious and ambitious about a different kind of map making; a map that explores our collective wisdom, for it is wisdom and not information alone that will guide us as we navigate in the age of hyperconnectivity and the added complexity which results from it.
For that reason, one of the most commercially valuable maps in the world right now, is not a geographical map. It’s a network map; it’s a social network map that companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google curate from the data provided by all their users. It’s a map of us and our digital connections that only these companies can contemplate in its fullest.
But how can we harness the power of social networks and the maps we can derive from them for constructive and sustainable systems change that is the primary quest of many in the philanthropy field for example?
Well, the bad news is that this goal is incompatible with the commercial objectives of digital social networks. But, the good news is that the technology and the processes to create these maps is already out there and available to every NGO, Philanthropic entity, CSO, activists, grassroots initiatives, and individual change agents. It is available through platforms like Kumu, Sumapp, Graphcommons, SevenVortex, Neo4j to name just a few.
We are living in an era where every one of us can be a cartographer and systems map maker of their own community and field. Mapping invites you to explore and to ask questions. It is by trying to answer these questions that you live out the change process before it gets represented on the map. Those of us who are trying to create sustainable systems change, should be aware of not oversimplifying our maps: they should be simple but not simplistic. They should provide clarity but also provoke questions.
In this age of social complexity, we often struggle with feelings of anxiety and uncertainty: what needs to be done now? Will we do no harm? We are drowning in information but, most of the time, lost for wisdom. It is naive to think that complexity is something endemic to our modern civilization. It is only the awareness of it and the amount of interconnectedness that is truly unique to our time. Maps and cartography have always been there to help us navigate the world. It is only natural that our art of mapmaking should evolve accordingly to help us navigate a social complex world.
The original article was published on https://www.alliancemagazine.org/blog/map-13-a-guide-to-chart-the-future-course-of-philanthropy/
Photo credit: SDGs Action Campaign, UN in Germany
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the SDG Philanthropy Platform. The SDG Philanthropy Platform is a global initiative that connects philanthropy with knowledge and networks that can deepen collaboration, leverage resources and sustain impact, driving SDG delivery within national development planning. It is led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), and supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Ford Foundation, Oak Foundation, Brach Family Charitable Foundation, and many others.