News — 17 January, 2025

We Close 2024 with Unity and Community Strength: The LAC Hub Looks Towards 2025

The Open Mapping Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean concluded its 2024 activities with a community gathering where volunteers, representatives of partner organizations, and mappers came together to celebrate the end of the year and the beginning of 2025, calling for continued community-driven mapping efforts.

Versión en español

On Thursday, December 19, 2024, we invited our Latin American Mapping Community to a brief session of toasts to close the year. We were warmly joined by various mapping communities and initiatives supported by the Open Mapping Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC Hub): the Humanitarian Mapping Brigade, the Humanitarian Mapping Lab, the Open Mapping Network, YouthMappers colleagues, and key individuals contributing to its development. Around 30 colleagues from across Latin America represented nine countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.

During this activity, we shared experiences, reflections, and lessons from the year to inspire each other, strengthen our bonds, and, most importantly, have a good time. This celebration marked the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025, not just as an occasion to look back on our achievements and challenges but also as an opportunity to reflect on who we are, where we come from, and where we are headed as a human and mapping community.

Why Do We Map? The Voices of Our Community

To make the meeting dynamic, we prepared a group survey using Menti. One of the questions asked was: “Reasons why you map—what motivates you to be part of open mapping communities?” The responses were so interesting that we’d like to share them here:

• Contribute to my community and learn new things.

• I’m motivated to contribute to the world through mapping and bringing more people to join.

• Reclaim my country.

• Share and learn about mapping for advocacy, currently working on connecting Wikidata and OSM.

• Help humanitarian causes.

• Use innovative and accessible tools for mapping.

• Empower young people to use OSM tools for advocacy in their communities.

• Contribute to generating geospatial data that improves the environment for different groups.

• Improve data quality and make maps more useful.

• I’m motivated by learning while contributing; it’s one of the most used and valuable resources.

• Complement cartographic information and make it serve a greater good.

We also shared with the communities a brief summary of the impact generated by their participation in regional activations and mapathons. Céline Jacquin, LAC Hub’s Regional Manager, highlighted:

In Guatemala, we achieved massive mapping efforts with over 300 volunteers in just two weeks, providing the government with a detailed diagnosis of road conditions to prioritize investments in infrastructure, in collaboration with UNDP Guatemala. Similarly, the national government of Ecuador and some municipalities have requested map updates. We have been organizing the national mapathon for two consecutive years, and you all have been a key part of this success.

Stories of Learning and Collaboration

Attendees shared experiences and anecdotes, enriching the event with their perspectives and insights. Here are a few highlights:

• Teresa Vera (Ecuador):
  “It was exciting to receive the email informing me that I was approved to join the Humanitarian Mapping Lab, a world I didn’t know before. Knowing that my contributions helped and allowed me to be a small part of mapping efforts fills me with joy. Learning so much has been challenging—I’m still processing it all to see how I can apply it to my personal and professional projects.”

• Carlos Andres Ríos-Franco (Colombia):
  “First, I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to be part of the Humanitarian Mapping Brigade. A few years ago, in Putumayo’s capital, Mocoa, there was a devastating landslide. Through our Telegram group, we came together and started mapping the entire area. It was an emotional, sad, and intense experience, especially since I know the area and had been there shortly before the disaster.”

• Jaqueline Amorim (Brazil):
  “Mapping Rio Grande do Sul was challenging due to the lack of real-time information. Producing data at the required speed was tough, but the team’s support here made it possible.”

• Andrés Gómez Casanova (Colombia):
  “This year, I was impressed by the LATAM map. We’ve grown and strengthened significantly, and that’s thanks to all of us. The map isn’t just data but also communities, discussions, and much more. It’s inspiring to see how far we’ve come.”

• Sandra Lucía Hernández Zetina (Mexico):
  “One highlight this year was our work from UAEMEX in mapping public transportation for two Mexican cities, particularly in Toluca. We’re formalizing a strategy where students can earn academic credits for participating in impactful mapping projects.”

Final Reflections and Looking Ahead to 2025

Finally, Mar Marín, responsible for the Humanitarian Mapping Lab, reflected on what engaging with the mapping community has meant for her:

“When Céline shared the vision of creating a community of practice, it was a significant challenge. I deeply thank everyone who answered the call to learn and apply knowledge to benefit their communities. It’s been inspiring to witness this dynamic, interdisciplinary, and diverse group grow and thrive, making it a rich and motivating experience for all.”

Let’s Keep Mapping Together in 2025!

As we embark on this new year, we’ll continue focusing on critical causes where detailed, updated cartography can make a significant impact, from addressing mapping gaps in the Amazon to supporting vulnerable areas across the region.

Together, we aim for more community mapping in 2025, expanding and empowering youth, welcoming new members, and supporting one another. Let’s map for good!