Legal and ethical issues around incorporating traditional knowledge in polar data infrastructures

Human knowledge of the polar region is a unique blend of Western scientific knowledge and local and indigenous knowledge. It is increasingly recognized that to exclude Traditional Knowledge from repositories of polar data would both limit the value of such repositories and perpetuate colonial legacies of exclusion and exploitation. However, the inclusion of Traditional Knowledge within repositories that are conceived and designed for Western scientific knowledge raises its own unique challenges. There is increasing acceptance of the need to make these two knowledge systems interoperable but in addition to the technical challenge there are legal and ethical issues involved. These relate to 'ownership' or custodianship of the knowledge; obtaining appropriate consent to gather, use and incorporate this knowledge; being sensitive to potentially different norms regarding access to and sharing of some types of knowledge; and appropriate acknowledgement for data contributors. In some cases, respectful incorporation of Traditional Knowledge may challenge standard conceptions regarding the sharing of data, including through open data licensing. These issues have not been fully addressed in the existing literature on legal interoperability which does not adequately deal with Traditional Knowledge. In this paper we identify legal and ethical norms regarding the use of Traditional Knowledge and explore their application in the particular context of polar data. Drawing upon our earlier work on cybercartography and Traditional Knowledge we identify the elements required in the development of a framework for the inclusion of Traditional Knowledge within data infrastructures

Codes of Fair Competition: The National Recovery Act, 1933-1935, and the Women’s Dress Manufacturing Industry

Controversial issues prevalent in today’s ready-to-wear apparel industry include the right of workers to join unions, the proliferation of sweatshops and sweatshop conditions, and design piracy. The idea of forming codes of conduct to establish criteria of ethical business practices is not new to the apparel industry. Indeed, the women’s dress manufacturing industry discussed and debated codes of fair competition under the New Deal Policies of the National Recovery Act (NRA) of 1933 to 1935. Primary sources for this study included governmental hearings in the establishment of the NRA Dress Code, The New York Times, Women’s Wear Daily, and the Journal of the Patent Office Society. The history of the NRA codes implemented in the U.S. women’s ready-to-wear apparel industry provides an important case study highlighting the difficulties and complexities of creating and achieving industry-wide standard practices through self-regulation. The failure of the NRA demonstrates that even with the joint cooperation of industry, labor, and consumer groups and the backing of the force of law, codes of fair competition proved impossible to enforce

Computer assisted cartography in developing nations.

This paper examines the arguments for and against the introduction of computer-assisted cartography in

Some concluding thoughts and directions for the future

This chapter looks at what the research reported in this volume has contributed to a re-evaluation of Cybercartography over the 20 years since the term was first introduced and suggests new directions for future theory and practice

ART AND SCIENCE OF CARTOGRAPHY: THE DEVELOPMENT OF CARTOGRAPHY AND CARTOGRAPHY FOR DEVELOPMENT.

This paper argues that the technological 'development of cartography' is dominating the discipline. Interest in technology is resulting in neglect of other aspects of the discipline such as the application of cartography to the solution of human problems. Consideration of cartography as art has disappeared from cartographic journals. The over-emphasis on technological aspects of the discipline may be a cause of the neglect. The paper examines cartography as art in the Canadian context and looks at the cartography of development using China as an example

Geographic information systems and cartography: some issues

The purpose of this paper will be to explore the relationship between modern cartography and GIS. Initially the computer was used in cartography to automate existing map production. The map is now only one of a variety of cartographic products and the cognitive function of cartography has been strengthened as cartographers recognize the potential of what Nyerges has called deep data structures. Cartography is now concerned with geographic information processing rather than map production and consequently should be a central element of any Geographic Information System. The convergence of modern cartography with GIS should result in the development of a new generation of systems. -from Autho

Development from within and survival in rural Africa: a synthesis of theory and practice

The purpose is to draw on the empirical evidence that is presented in the case studies, together with other sources, and to attempt to point to new directions for both development theory and development practice in Africa. The human potential, basic wisdom and knowledge of Africa's local peoples have been seriously underestimated. A basic objective of development from within is to allow local people to become the subject, not the object, of development strategies. Given the opportunity to do so, they have shown themselves to be perfectly capable of making rational choices regarding their own destinies. -from Autho