11-19, 11:30–11:55 (Pacific/Auckland), WA220
Inspired by the Fellowship of the Ring, this talk shares how youth and community mappers across Asia-Pacific are rising as Open Mapping Gurus. Learn how regional collaboration, inclusive leadership, and open tools are transforming climate action and disaster preparedness—one map, one mentor, and one movement at a time.
What if we could harness the spirit of The Fellowship of the Ring, but for mapping? Imagine a network of passionate youth and community leaders united by a single purpose: to use open mapping for real-world impact—disaster preparedness, climate action, and community resilience.
This session dives into the Open Mapping Guru Network—a powerful fellowship of mappers, activists, and mentors across Asia-Pacific, where the maps they create don’t just track roads or buildings—they chart a future of resilience, inclusion, and hope. We'll explore The Origin of the Fellowship: How the Open Mapping Guru Network was born and how it has grown into a cross-border network that empowers youth leaders, supports local communities, and builds strong partnerships. How mappers from different walks of life are using tools like Tasking Manager, MapSwipe, KoboToolbox, and more to respond to climate crises, map disaster-prone areas, and create safe spaces. From the humble beginnings of a mapper to a leader, mentor, and community builder—hear stories of Gurus making a difference in their communities and in the open mapping movement. The power of community solidarity, mentorship, and peer learning in growing the open mapping movement. Why collaboration, not isolation, is key to long-term impact.
Mikko Tamura is a community builder, open mapping advocate, and humanitarian geospatial leader based in the Philippines. He is the founder of MapBeks, a volunteer-driven initiative that champions inclusive mapping for the LGBTQ+ community and people living with HIV (PLHIV). Mikko currently serves as the Community Manager for the Open Mapping Hub – Asia Pacific at the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), where he leads regional strategies to strengthen grassroots mapping leadership, digital inclusion, and local data empowerment.
With over a decade of experience in digital mapping, community engagement, and humanitarian response, Mikko has led multiple award-winning projects, including the LGBT Safe Spaces Map and the HIV Support Facilities Map. He was the 2022 Gender Equity and Inclusion Champion at the World Geospatial Awards and is the first Filipino to win the Distinction Award at the ASEAN Geospatial Challenge.
Mikko’s work focuses on harnessing Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups and drive community-led solutions in times of crisis and beyond. He is passionate about using maps to make invisible communities visible—and believes that every map is a story of people helping people.