Mapping otherness

Participatory mapping has been used widely in Western Africa to promote social equity in territorial planning. However, it has become clear that, whenever the use of tools for territorial governance is at stake, the competencies of the actors involved are asymmetrical and unequal. Such an imbalance is not so much the result of technical inadequacy, but rather is inherent to the cultural diversity of the space in question, i.e. in the different representations the actors involved have in mind. This chapter discusses the possibility of producing equitable participatory maps aimed at settling disputes. To accomplish this, these maps must account for the different spatial representations developed by each culture. This issue is highly relevant because participatory mapping plays a crucial political role.