Piecing together the world

A rainy, gray day outside, while inside we were warmed by tea and stories. Friends Kara, fellow Blipper Kendall and DeEtte gathered here for a celebration of DeEtte's book, Messengers of Peace: Inspiring Stories of Africans Creating Peace.

Kendall wrote beautifully about DeEtte's book and her work, so I will tell you a little about this map puzzle she uses in her presentations. It's an exercise in perspective - rather than the typical north oriented map, one can move the pieces around so that the southern hemisphere is at the top, or to the side, etc. The relative positions stay the same, but our perspective of what is at the top or what is the focal point of the map can (and should!) shift.

"History is written by the victors," according to Winston Churchill. So, I would argue, is geography. If you are accustomed to seeing the US and Europe at the top or center of a map - a superior position - your perspective may be that they are the center of the world, a commonly held belief that has created a dangerous and destructive mentality. For more on oblique and interrupted maps, take a look at this web page: http://www.progonos.com/furuti/MapProj/Dither/ProjObl/projObl.html (apologies, it's not letting me link this one).

When we come together in community to share stories, we are working together to create peace - "peacing" together the world. Tea and cookies help too.