Cartografia digitale e immaginari del mondo per la pace: un approccio riflessivo

In the face of the ideological power of cartography to shape the knowledge and actions of the interpreter, how is it possible to defend against it? How can reflective, critical, and meaningful perspectives be developed, given the proliferation of hostile, conflictual, and warlike imaginaries of the world? How can digital cartography be generated in a way that represents the complexity of the cultures of places?

This contribution illustrates the central role played by digital cartography in fostering a culture of peace. First, it focuses on the communicative outcomes of maps as symbolic operators capable of orienting and supporting the different viewpoints of inhabitants, while also influencing their actions. Second, it highlights the symbiotic mechanisms between map and territory, whereby toponyms organize and regulate the cartographic message, unfold territorial naming, and generate active mediation. Finally, it emphasizes the need for integrated humanistic and technical skills, typical of the digital humanities, in order to construct maps through a reflective approach to icons, self-referentiality, and the relationship between the cartographer and the map user in the selection of data, visualization techniques, projections, and forms of interactivity.

From this perspective, universities play a central role in fostering a culture of peace through cartographic representations that: seek to depict inhabitants’ dynamics by adopting programmatic rather than emergency-driven approaches; reflect on the role of cartography in disseminating political messages through the media; and represent inhabitants’ dynamics by emphasizing complexity and trans-scalar connections, in support of territorial planning. In particular, geographical expertise makes it possible to integrate research activities with teaching and third mission initiatives, thereby contributing to cultural innovation in everyday living spaces.