Edgelands Maps: Mapping My Spaces from Security and Surveillance

The modern social contract includes explicit and implicit agreements that govern our actions and interactions with the State, and also with other actors and people. As part of these agreements there is a constant negotiation in which sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice certain freedoms or rights in exchange for security in physical spaces (e.g.,the city) and digital spaces (e.g.,networks, and platforms).

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At Edgelands, we aim at creating spaces to explore how the digitalization of urban security is changing the urban social contract. These are spaces for broader discussions about the benefits and challenges in the way that digital tools are being used by city governments and private actors.

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Edgelands Maps is one of such spaces. During two sessions participants will explore different perceptions and understanding of security from their own experiences, and will identify spaces and situations of security and insecurity, and examine the impact digital technologies have in improving or worsening the security in their communities.

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This workshops will allow us to recognize perspectives on security and surveillance from everyday life and social dynamics of the territory. We invite you to put the topic on the table in your community!

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You can download the guides of the experiences so that you can test them in your territory (ES|FR).

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Don't forget to share your results on our networks using #EdgelandsMaps.

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About the Edgelands Maps

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During two sessions young people will be exposed to different perspectives of security and surveillance in urban and digital spaces, in order to give them tools to identify situations where their day to day lives enter into agreements (explicit and implicit) where they negotiate some of their freedoms (and that of others in their community), and can approach such agreements in a more critical and informed way.

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These sessions seek to create dialogue and debate around existing agreements in urban and digital spaces, so that young people from their own experience and perspective reflect on the sacrifices they would or would not be willing to make.

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It is suggested to carry out the workshop in 2 days, each session has a duration of three hours.

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Session 1: Safety and Security Arrangements in My Day to Day.

Objectives

Complement youth perspectives with existing theory to reach a common understanding of what we mean by (1) Urban spaces, (2)The Internet/digital spaces, (3)Social networks, (4)Security, (5)Surveillance, and (6)Coexistence.
Identify the agreements (explicit and implicit) that exist in certain urban and digital spaces around security, and its elements.
Identify urban and digital places where young people feel safe and unsafe, and the factors for that feeling.

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Session 2: Different actors, same surveillance?

Objectives

Identify what is the purpose and usefulness of surveillance and security,
Explore what is the relationship between surveillance and security?
Discuss the differences and similarities that exist when surveillance is done by the state, informal actors, and citizens.
Discuss the differences and similarities that exist when we talk about security in urban and digital spaces.
Propose how to transform an unsafe place into a place of coexistence involving the community.

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