As GISetc is working in the small community of Bahia Ballena, Osa, Costa Rica, this video is a rich source of information for working with a community to help them plan and to enable them to use mapping tools to solve community issues. This is also a great video for anybody who wishes to do community mapping in their own communities.

For those interested in Participatory GIS (PGIS), CTA just put out an excellent video introducing the practice.

Localisation, Participation and Communication: an Introduction to Good PGIS Practice from CTA on Vimeo.

Information about the video:

“This 25-min educational video documentary introduces the practice of participatory spatial information management and communication (PGIS) in the development context. It has been designed to introduce development practitioners (technology intermediaries) to the practice of demand-driven PGIS.

In this video, PGIS practice is presented as a continuum starting from community mobilisation to project planning and design, choice of mapping methods and technologies, visualisation of different technologies in diverse ethno-cultural and agro-ecological environments, and finally putting the maps to work in the domains of identity building, self-determination, spatial planning and advocacy. Ethics and sound attitudes and behaviours are emphasized as cross-cutting imperatives.”

Information about CTA:

“The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation EU-ACP (CTA) was established in 1983 under the Lomé Convention between the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) Group of States and the European Union. CTA’s tasks are to develop and provide services that improve access to information for agricultural and rural development, and to strengthen the capacity of ACP countries to produce, acquire, exchange and utilise information in this areas.”

Information about the PGIS listserv:

“The Open Forum on Participatory Geographic Information Systems and Technologies is managed by www.iapad.org and hosted by www.ppgis.net.”