A common theme that has come out of conversations with partners about earth defender needs is figuring out where and how to get started. Many earth defender communities are aware of the emerging threats or problems within their community or their lands, but are less sure about what kind of actions to take, and rarely start directly from the point of view of wanting to make a map or conducting monitoring. Instead, it may be necessary to start thinking more broadly and to ground the conversation in something central to the lifeworld of the community: the territory.

In our research and years of accompanying partner communities in using digital technologies, we have found that mapping can be one of the most effective ways of building skills in using technology, because mapping already involves something that community members already have quite a lot of knowledge about: the territory, lands, and waters.

Because mapping projects invariably involve conversations about the land or water, they can help restart processes of knowledge transmission that have become stilted due to these influences of modernity or colonialism, and allow communities to record and archive local knowledge.

Maps made by earth defender communities are a representation of their lands from their point of view, and frequently present a much different picture than the maps made by the outside world. ?️

Like any powerful tool, technology can be immensely positive, but can also have unintended outcomes that go far beyond the scope of the project. In earth defender work, awareness and transparency around technology introduction is key.

Technologies can only be successful if they are integrated into a broader process, with human relationships and practices at the center.

One of the most difficult things in any project is figuring out how to get started. This rings especially true for earth defender communities, where the stakes are high and resources are scarce.

I am very pleased to give you an update on all things Earth Defenders Toolkit, and what we’ve been up to so far in 2021 ???

"In preparation for the public launch of the Earth Defenders Toolkit to the public, we convened a special focus group session about the Toolkit at the 2020 Virtual Indigenous Mapping Workshop, and I’m delighted to share with you some of what we learned..."

Today, in tandem with the Indigenous Mapping Workshop, the Digital Democracy team is excited to announce the Earth Defenders Toolkit, a collection of open-source tools and training materials for communities on the frontlines of the struggle to defend critical ecosystems around the world.